Today launches the 21-day pre-primary-election period during which independent expenditures -- typically ads done without the consent, coordination or control of a candidate -- must be reported within 24 hours.Since the candidates themselves are at arms-length to these ads, they're often the nastiest of an…
Gov. Chris Gregoire, who was appalled when the state pharmacy board earlier this year proposed allowing druggists, out of religious objections, to deny women morning-after birth control pills, has proposed an alternative.The board had proposed a so-called "refuse and refer" rule, allowing pharmacists to decline…
SurveyUSA, in poll sponsored by Seattle's KING TV, found that incumbent Justice Susan Owens is well in the lead in the five-way race for her seat. In a poll of 279 likely primary voters, the firm found 28 percent favoring Owens, while the four other…
Republican Senate candidate Mike McGavick has posted an "open letter" on his campaign website, apparently to pre-empt reporters or opposition researchers from seizing on past transgressions.It starts out:What’s wrong with politics today? The candidates and the incumbents spend their time attacking each other’s personal character…
Although cautioning that "three months of data (is) insufficient to draw conclusions," the state Department of Revenue says that sales by bars and taverns dipped during the first three months after the new state smoking ban took effect.Gross business income reported by taverns and bars…
Washington initiative pitchman Tim Eyman's sole surviving ballot measure may be on life-support at this point*, but his peers in other states have been busy this year. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 59 citizen initiatives are on state ballots across…
The business-backed Washington Policy Center, the same group that puts together Washingtonvotes.org, has issued a 300-page "Policy Guide" for the state. The recommendations -- on taxes, health care, energy, etc. -- will find a lot more favor with Republicans than with the Democrats who control…
Gerry Alexander, the 70-year-old chief justice of the state Supreme Court, happened to have the bad luck to schedule his campaign endorsement interview with Seattle newspaper The Stranger on the day after the high court -- including Alexander -- narrowly upheld the state ban on…
A closely-watched Senate primary 3,000 miles away has given a morale boost to Washington Greens.As Joe Lieberman last night conceded the Connecticut Democratic primary to anti-war challenger Ned Lamont, Seattle resident Aaron Dixon was sending out a press release warning that "Progressives are through with…
"It's a bees' nest. I didn't know it would be...There's PAC money involved, and allegations of skullduggery." ---Norman Ericson, a veteran administrative law judge in Olympia who picked this interesting year to throw his hat into a five-way race for a state Supreme Court seat.Want…