Last day of in-person registration for voters not currently registered in Washington State for the November 3 General Election is Monday October 26. Last day for mail in and online voter registrations for the 11/3 General Election was Monday October 5.
Vote by Mail 38 of Washington's 39 counties vote by mail. Pierce County still maintains poll sites. Click here to find out more about voting by mail.
Filed: 05/04/2009 Sponsor
Mr. Lawrence Stickney
P.O. Box 501
Arlington, WA 98223
Phone: 360-631-1894
lstickney@valuesaction.org
Ballot Title
Statement of Subject: The legislature passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 concerning rights and responsibilities of state-registered domestic partners [and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill].
Concise Description: This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.
Ballot Measure Summary
Same-sex couples, or any couple that includes one person age sixty-two or older, may register as a domestic partnership with the state. Registered domestic partnerships are not marriages, and marriage is prohibited except between one man and one woman. This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations of registered domestic partners and their families to include all rights, responsibilities, and obligations granted by or imposed by state law on married couples and their families. Certified to Ballot on September 2, 2009View Complete Text
Reaction to Referendum 71 Ed Murray, who sponsored the initial domestic partnership legislation in 2007, stated: "While it's regrettable that a referendum is being filed to undo the progress we made this session to treat gay and lesbian families the same as married families, I don't believe that voters will decide in November to take away rights from anyone…"
Organizations favoring the original legislation and opposing putting the issue up for referendum, such as Equal Rights Washington and Washington Families Standing Together, led the 'Decline to Sign' campaign, urging voters not to sign the petitions to put the referendum on the November 2009 ballot.
Confusion surrounding Referendum 71 Since the Washington State law mandates that when an existing law is put up for a referendum, voters must either "approve" to confirm the law or "reject" to oppose it. Therefore, the movement to allow the bill to be enacted WITHOUT a referendum was called "Decline to Sign" and urged people to oppose Referendum 71, by NOT signing the petition. Hence, at that time, people who wanted to repeal the law were 'pro-71' and those who wanted the law to stand where 'anti-71'. However, once the petition to place Referendum 71 on the ballot was found to be valid, the labeling becomes confusing. The ballot wording is such that voters vote in the affirmative to approve the law to approve domestic partnership or in the negative to reject the referendum (and domestic partnership).
The public has only two weeks left to nominate their favorite community-centric corporations for Washington’s highest civics award.
Today Secretary of State Sam Reed reminded the public that March 15 is the deadline to nominate businesses for a Corporations for Communities Spring Award. The Corporations for Communities program was launched in 2009 by Reed as a way to recognize exceptional Washington businesses that demonstrate a commitment to giving in order to improve local or regional social and environmental conditions. Twice a year, Reed selects one large and one small corporation from among the public nominations to receive a National Association of Secretaries of State Medallion, which is the highest civics honor awarded by the state.
"This is an opportunity to encourage standout corporations that are choosing to make their community a priority,” said Reed. “Particularly in these tough economic times, it’s important to cheer on businesses that are going above and beyond to make a difference in Washington.”
Last fall, KING 5 Television and Auburn’s Composite Solutions were picked from a statewide pool of nominees as Corporations for Communities Fall Award recipients. Winners for the 2010 Spring Awards cycle will be announced in April.
We are in the midst of a difficult legislative session, as lawmakers try to balance a major budget hold. But even as state government agencies are required to cut back, my agency is not hunkering down. Instead we are working harder and looking for creative ways to do more with less so we can keep providing excellent services and programs to the public.
Take a look at what we’re doing now, and learn what’s coming up next.
Agency directors, statewide elected officials and legislators joined Wednesday to celebrate some of the best and most creative employees Washington’s state government has to offer.
Secretary of State Sam Reed and State Auditor Brian Sonntag hosted the annual Innovations in State Government Awards in the Capitol Rotunda, a ceremony to honor state employees for their innovative ideas and reward some of the year’s best. The Employee Suggestion and Teamwork Incentive programs saved $836,859 in 2009 alone.
“Undoubtedly, state employees are the key to the success of this program,” Reed said. “Their innovation and creativity have saved the state millions in taxpayer dollars.”
Thirty-two employees, including two Teamwork Incentive Program teams and seven agency evaluators, were honored. The Office of the State Actuary won Agency of the Year honors for helping save over a dozen agencies $220,000, proving that even smaller departments can make significant impacts in saving the state money.
The Fremont Abbey Arts Center
The project is curated by a not-for-profit non-religious Washington state arts corporation, and in consultation with the Fremont Arts Council.
