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Tag: Gov. Chris Gregoire

State budget deal: cuts and more cuts

State budget deal: cuts and more cuts

As Washington struggles to emerge from the deepest recession in 80 years, lawmakers have reached an 11th-hour budget deal for the next two years, cutting expenses in virtually every sector of state government. The $32.2 billion plan, hammered out behind closed doors by negotiators from all four caucuses, relies on nearly $4.6 billion in spending cuts, including $1.2 billion saved by not funding two voter-approved education initiatives.  Other monster cuts are higher education, $535 million, offset by an expected $376…

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WA moves primary earlier, eases military voting

WA moves primary earlier, eases military voting

Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed legislation moving the state’s primary election two weeks earlier, starting in August of 2012, and making it easier for our military and overseas voters to cast ballots electronically. Secretary of State Sam Reed, who championed the legislation, hailed the governor’s action and the Legislature’s strong support of efforts to bring the state fully into compliance with federal law requiring that ballots be sent to military and overseas voters 45 days before the election. The state’s…

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WA prez primary cancelled; Top 2 primary still on

WA prez primary cancelled; Top 2 primary still on

Washington state has suspended its 2012 presidential primary in order to save taxpayers over $10 million.  Secretary of State Sam Reed emphasizes that the state’s regular Top 2 Primary in August is “absolutely unaffected.” Legislation requested by Secretary Reed and Gov. Chris Gregoire was signed into law by the governor on Thursday. Both continue to be big fans of the presidential primary as the preferred method of engaging the electorate in picking presidential favorites.  At the bill-signing ceremony, both the…

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Sign here, please

Sign here, please

Photo courtesy Washington House of Representatives Washington’s Charitable Solicitations Act is getting some helpful updates. Secretary Reed stood by Governor Gregoire as she recently signed into law SHB 1485, a bill requested by our office that makes changes to the state’s Charitable Solicitations Act. The House and Senate unanimously passed it. Standing on the left side of the photo are Charities Program Manager Rebecca Sherrell (far left) and Corporations and Charities Division Director Pam Floyd. The governor also signed into…

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Tax-amnesty windfall could speed budget deal

Tax-amnesty windfall could speed budget deal

Glum Washington lawmakers, last seen slogging through House-Senate budget talks, have just gotten a jolt of good news — a  $182 million windfall.  Governor Gregoire and the budget negotiators say that could go a long ways toward finding a budget solution and wrapping up the special session on time. The surprise was in the form of a gusher of unexpected tax receipts generated through a three-month “tax amnesty” that Gregoire and the Legislature authorized. Companies have been allowed to pay…

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Low-key startup for second session

Low-key startup for second session

Washington’s special legislative session got a quick and quiet liftoff Tuesday morning, with none of the drama, speeches and press conferences that usually mark the opening day of a session. In the House, gavels fell at 9 a.m. with less than a dozen members on the floor. They soon recessed until Friday, in keeping with their plan to keep doing “rolling recesses” of three days at a time until agreements are negotiated on the budget and other key pieces of …

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WA lawmakers heading into special session Tuesday

WA lawmakers heading into special session Tuesday

Gov. Chris Gregoire has called Washington lawmakers back into special session, starting next Tuesday morning, urging them to show bipartisan cooperation as they write a state budget that bridges a $5 billion spending gap. The regular 15-week session wound to a close Friday and lawmakers still have at least two more weeks of work to do on the operating and construction budgets and related bills, House and Senate leaders said at a joint news conference with the governor.  The Senate will…

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WA suspends 2012 prez primary, saving $10 million

WA suspends 2012 prez primary, saving $10 million

Washington lawmakers have approved a plan sponsored by Secretary of State Sam Reed and Gov. Chris Gregoire to suspend the 2012 presidential primary, to save over $10 million. The state will use the Iowa-style precinct caucus-convention process as the fallback system, and will return to conducting the more broadly based presidential primary in 2016. The House voted 69-28 on Tuesday in support of the Senate-passed plan, which was forwarded to the Governor for her signature.  The Senate vote earlier in April…

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Lawmakers OK Reed military voting bill, earlier primary

Lawmakers OK Reed military voting bill, earlier primary

Washington lawmakers have voted to move the state’s primary election two weeks earlier and to make it easier for our military and overseas voters to cast ballots electronically.  Secretary of State Sam Reed, who championed the legislation, hailed the Senate’s unanimous vote Thursday that sent the measure to Governor Gregoire for her signature. The measure, Senate Bill 5171, allows service members and Washington voters abroad to return their voted ballots by fax or email, as many states do. Currently, ballots…

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WA Senate: No 2012 presidential primary

WA Senate: No 2012 presidential primary

The Washington Senate has given strong approval to a plan by Secretary of State Sam Reed, a Republican, and Gov. Chris Gregoire, a Democrat, to suspend the 2012 presidential primary in order to save over $10 million. The Senate voted 34-15 to approve a one-time suspension of the presidential primary.  A number of senators on both sides of the issue said they vastly favor the primary over the old caucus system that draws many fewer participants and excludes overseas voters,…

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