Make life in our state better by passing initiatives, electing more Republicans
A new set of rankings from WalletHub, a personal-finance website, recently prompted a report on a prominent regional news outlet, with this headline: “Why didn’t Washington make the top 20 in best states to live?” Top 20? We didn’t even make the top 30. WalletHub’s list of best states to live in, issued August 12, […]
Voters will see budget effects of initiatives on Washington ballots
OLYMPIA—Legal wrangling ended in the state’s high court August 9 over the four initiatives that Washington voters will decide this November. Washington’s Supreme Court ruled that information about how three of them could affect the state budget will appear alongside the measures on the ballot. In a two-page ruling, justices affirmed a lower court’s decision […]
Something is rotten in the State of Denmark/Washington
THE SETUP – Undisclosed Hearings to invalidate the Initiatives Friday afternoon I received an urgent phone call informing me that, “The Washington State Supreme Court is deciding a case in two hours on the Let’s Go Washington initiatives.” The case has been in motion since January 2024. We have received not one word nor one […]
State Supreme Court rejects latest attempt to throw out initiatives
OLYMPIA—Washington State Supreme Court justices unanimously rejected two cases on Friday, August 9, by progressive groups—Defend Washington and Washington Conservation Action Education Fund—against Secretary of State Steve Hobbs that aimed to invalidate all seven citizen-initiated initiatives of which three were passed by the legislature into law earlier this year in March, and four to be […]
Complaints by progressive groups against Let’s Go Washington won’t be sent to AG’s office
OLYMPIA—The state Public Disclosure Commission decided Thursday, July 25, to retain jurisdiction on a complaint alleging Let’s Go Washington and its founder Brian Heywood violated campaign finance laws in the course of gathering signatures for six initiatives last year. An alliance of progressive groups, which filed the complaint a year ago and is now opposing three of […]
Sheriff’s Office publishes new vehicular pursuit standards to its policy manual
SNOHOMISH COUNTY—Last Thursday the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office added policy 307 to its Law Enforcement Policy Manual which details the agency’s approach to how it will conduct a vehicular pursuit moving forward. In that policy, specifically section 307.3.1, Deputies are authorized to initiate a vehicular pursuit when it is “reasonable to believe” that a suspect, […]
County approves ballot measure to expand Port of Everett boundary
EVERETT—On March 12, 2024, the Snohomish County Council unanimously approved a motion to place the petition by the Port of Everett for boundary enlargement on the August 2024 primary ballot. Council action follows a historic first by the Port of Everett Commission, which on December 19, 2023, unanimously passed Resolution No. 1220 directing Port staff […]
Washington State Legislature passed a record high number of citizen initiatives in 2024
The Washington State Legislature adjourned this year’s legislative session on March 7 passing three citizen-initiated initiatives into law—the most ever for a single year. From 1912, when the state’s initiative process was established, to 2023, just six Initiatives to the Legislature (ITLs) have received legislative approval. With three approved this year, the total increases to […]
First three Let’s Go Washington initiatives pass the legislature and now law
OLYMPIA—Three of six Let’s Go Washington landmark initiatives to the legislature passed both chambers of the Washington State Senate and House on Monday, March 4, and will become law in 90 days after the Legislature adjourns on March 7—no signature by Governor Jay Inslee is needed. The three initiatives that did not receive public hearings […]
Legislature holds hearing on initiative concerning personal income tax
OLYMPIA—The Senate Ways and Means Committee and the House Finance Committee held a joint public hearing to discuss a citizen initiative, I-2111, concerning personal income tax, in the John L. O’Brien building in Olympia Tuesday, February 27. The joint meeting was chaired by Representative April Berg (D-Mill Creek). There was a total of 181 testifiers […]
