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Tag: Sen. Pam Roach

WA Legislature convenes with Senate drama

WA Legislature convenes with Senate drama

Secretary of State Wyman (left) and Supreme Court Justice Barbara Madsen smile as Sen. Pam Roach signals to her colleagues after being sworn in.   (Photos courtesy of Benjamin Helle) Washington’s 64th Legislature got off to a peaceful start in the House and some unexpected fireworks in the Senate. Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, newly re-elected after a bruising challenge from a fellow Republican in the General Election, caught her GOP caucus off-guard by teaming with 23 minority Democrats and fellow…

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Long battle for Top 2 Primary officially over

Long battle for Top 2 Primary officially over

(Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services, Photo Department) It was a quiet, noncontroversial ending to a 12-year legal, legislative and ballot-box battle to preserve a wide-open primary system for Washington voters. The fight had involved the political parties, the highest court in the land, and even a detour through California. Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5518 to clear the state law books of all references to the much-maligned Pick-a-Party system that voters were required to use in 2004 through…

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Lawmakers boost compensation for WA electors

Lawmakers boost compensation for WA electors

For the first time since the horse-and-buggy days of statehood, Washington is boosting the expense allowance for members of the state’s Electoral College, the party activists who cast the state’s electoral votes for the U.S. presidential ticket that wins the state popular vote. The Senate gave strong bipartisan approval on Friday to a House-passed bill that was championed by Secretary of State Kim Wyman and shepherded through the long legislative process by office intern Nate Hauger from Central Washington University….

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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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