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Tag: privatizing liquor sales

`Direct democracy’ — A six-pack for 2010

`Direct democracy’ — A six-pack for 2010

It’s a bumper crop of initiatives apparently headed to the fall ballot.  On Friday, the deadline day for submitting petitions, three more campaigns brought in hundreds of thousands of signatures. This brought to six the number of initiatives to the people for the year, tying the modern record set in 2000. The all-time record was the seven on the 1914 ballot, almost a century ago, the first year we could use the initiative and referendum process. Sponsors of two anti-tax…

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What if both liquor initiatives pass?

What if both liquor initiatives pass?

  It’s a logical question to ask: What if Washington voters approve BOTH of the rival initiatives to take the state out of the liquor retail business? Logical, but not easy to answer. In short, the state Constitution, the statute books and the courts haven’t laid down a rule to follow in cases like this.  Some states use the common-sense approach that the one getting more votes will be implemented, but it’s no certainty what happens if both Initiative 1100…

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Income tax on the wealthy?

Income tax on the wealthy?

As Washington’s initiative turn-in deadline looms Friday afternoon, Bill Gates Sr. and dozens of other income-tax advocates have turned in what they estimate at 360,000-370,000 Initiative 1098  signatures, and say they’ll add more late-arriving petitions before the doors close on Friday. The measure would impose an income tax on high wage-earners, while reducing the state share of the property tax and eliminating the business tax on many small businesses.  State voters have rejected income tax measures in recent decades, but…

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Booze & ballots: A popular initiative topic

Booze & ballots: A popular initiative topic

The very first initiative ever passed by Washington voters, back in 1914 when the state was just a pup, was Prohibition.   And ever since, liquor and its sales and regulation has been a regular topic for initiatives, including two dueling liquor privatization measures now circulating for signatures (I-1100 and I-1105). Photograph courtesy of the Washington State Digital Archives An Elections Division compilation covering most of statehood showed 58 booze-related initiatives. Measures dealing with DUIs and alcohol servers also were filed…

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Initiatives filed to privatize liquor sales

Initiatives filed to privatize liquor sales

Two initiative measures (here and here) that would privatize liquor sales in Washington state have been filed with the Office of Secretary of State. The measures will be reviewed by the state Code Reviser. After the initiatives’ sponsor gives the final OK, the Attorney General will write the ballot title and description for them. The ballot titles can be appealed by either side in Thurston County Superior Court. After all of this happens, petitions can be printed and circulated. It…

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