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Tag: I-591

WA counties certify 2014 election results

WA counties certify 2014 election results

Washington’s 39 counties have certified their 2014 election returns, in an election dominated by legislative and congressional races, state and local ballot propositions, and local races. Turnout here, as in the rest of the country, was comparatively low for a mid-term election. In Washington, the county tallies totalled 2.12 million votes, or 54.16 percent of the ballots that were mailed out. That was similar to the 56 percent turnout in 2002, the last mid-term election that did not feature a…

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I-1351 qualifies for WA ballot

I-1351 qualifies for WA ballot

Secretary of State Kim Wyman on Friday certified an initiative aiming to lower class sizes in Washington public schools. The measure, Initiative 1351, will be placed on the statewide ballot this fall after a check this week determined it has enough signatures to qualify. A team of 10 signature checkers finished their work late Thursday afternoon after beginning Monday morning. For an initiative to qualify for the statewide ballot, sponsors must submit at least 246,372 valid signatures, equal to 8…

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Guns & history of initiatives to the Legislature

Guns & history of initiatives to the Legislature

It appears that the two gun-related initiatives to the Legislature (I-591 and I-594) will be forwarded to the fall ballot. Both measures received legislative hearings and, as most observers predicted, no further action has been taken, meaning the initiatives’ fate appears to be up to the voters. Mail ballots go out in mid-October and are due back by Nov. 4. It is pretty rare in our 100-year history of “direct democracy” for the Legislature to adopt initiatives to the Legislature,…

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Second gun initiative certified

Second gun initiative certified

  Boxes of Initiative 591 signatures were delivered to the Elections Division of the Office of Secretary of State in late November.  (UPDATE: Fixes number of signatures filed for I-591) Secretary of State Kim Wyman has officially certified Initiative 591 to go before the legislature this session. I-591 is the second gun-related measure before the legislature and would prohibit government agencies from requiring background checks on firearm recipients unless a uniform national standard is required. Sponsors of I-591 submitted 349,860…

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Giffords, gun advocates headline hearing on rival gun initiatives

Giffords, gun advocates headline hearing on rival gun initiatives

With her husband, Mark Kelly, by her side, gunshot survivor and former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords testifies before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services Photo Department) NRA members, Gabby Giffords  and other survivors of gun violence, archbishops, pastors, rabbis, lobbyists and concerned citizens were among those who testified before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon on a pair of rival gun-related initiatives to the Legislature. Initiative 594 would require universal background checks on gun purchases…

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Wyman certifies I-594; I-591 check starting soon

Wyman certifies I-594; I-591 check starting soon

Secretary of State Wyman certifies the results of Initiative 594 in her office. (Photo courtesy of Laura Mott) One down, one to go. Soon after our Elections Division’s signature checkers finished reviewing a small sample of Initiative 594 signatures, Secretary of State Kim Wyman officially certified the results of the check Wednesday. I-594 would require universal background checks on gun purchases. Our Elections Division reported that 346,834 signatures were submitted, far over the minimum requirement of 246,372 valid voter signatures….

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I-594 signature check begins

I-594 signature check begins

A checker counts some of the signatures submitted for I-594. (Photo courtesy Lindsay Pryor) Initiative I-594, one of two rival initiatives to the 2014 Legislature dealing with gun control, is now undergoing a signature check. Our Elections Division has a team of signature checkers who began working on Initiative 594 on Thursday. I-594 would require universal background checks on gun purchases in Washington. The initiative would expand on current federal gun laws that apply to licensed dealers but not private…

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Final signatures delivered for pro-gun initiative

Final signatures delivered for pro-gun initiative

One day after sponsors of a gun-control initiative turned in their second and final batch of signatures to our Elections Division, supporters of a competing gun measure submitted one more box of signatures Friday afternoon. Sponsors of Initiative 591 delivered what they said were 5,000 signatures Friday after submitting about 340,000 signatures in late November. The measure, filed last May, would prohibit government agencies from confiscating guns or other firearms from citizens without due process, or from requiring background checks…

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More I-594 signatures turned in; additional I-591 sigs coming

More I-594 signatures turned in; additional I-591 sigs coming

After submitting an estimated 250,000 signatures in early October, sponsors of a gun-control measure turned in what they claimed were another 95,000 signatures Thursday afternoon to our Elections Division, one day before Friday’s submission deadline for initiatives to the 2014 Legislature. The estimated 345,000 signatures for Initiative 594 are far above the minimum number of 246,372 valid voter signatures needed to be sent to the Legislature this winter. Our Elections Division recommends that initiative sponsors submit at least 325,000 signatures…

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I-591 camp turns in sigs; 2014 gun-rights ballot battle looms

I-591 camp turns in sigs; 2014 gun-rights ballot battle looms

I-591 sponsor Alan Gottlieb delivers boxes of signatures to the Elections Division. It’s looking more likely that Washington will be an election battleground state for gun rights in 2014, as backers of a pro-gun initiative submitted what they say are more than 340,000 signatures to our Elections Division Thursday. Initiative 591 prohibits government agencies from confiscating guns or other firearms from citizens without due process, or from requiring background checks on firearm recipients unless a uniform national standard is required….

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