OH, HAPPY DAY! In a 6–3 decision released only minutes ago, the Washington State Supreme Court finally rendered a momentous verdict in League of Education Voters et al. v. State of Washington, et. al, finding the two-thirds requirement at the heart of Tim Eyman’s I‑601 clones — also present in I‑601 itself — to be unconstitutional. […]
Tag: Strong Commonwealth
Posted inBreaking News, Economic Security, Legislative Advocacy, Policy Topics
U.S. House passes H.R. 8, reinstating tax cuts and extending aid for the unemployed
By a vote of two hundred and fifty seven to one hundred and sixty-seven, the United States House of Representatives has passed H.R. 8, making permanent the Bush tax cuts for those making less than $400,000 a year, extending aid to the uneployed, and delaying the automatic reductions to federal expenditures that were set to […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Legislative Advocacy, Open Government, Party Politics, Policy Topics
Rodney Tom to constituents: “I believe my credentials as a Democrat are rock solid”
Since announcing on Monday that he has decided to join with Tim Sheldon in engineering a new Republican majority in the Washington State Senate, Medina’s Rodney Tom has been fielding phone calls and emails from unhappy Democratic constituents in the 48th District who have told him in no uncertain terms that they regard his actions […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Elections, Policy Topics
Initiative 1185: An attack on democracy
Proponents of I‑1185, including its primary sponsor Tim Eyman, would have voters believe the issue this initiative would address is taxes. In fact, the issue is democracy — specifically, an attack on democracy and majority rule, funded by powerful corporations and promoted by the far right. Since California approved Proposition 13 in 1978, creating a requirement that […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Elections, Litigation, Policy Topics
Frank Blethen’s Seattle Times tells Supreme Court to bring back Tim Eyman’s I‑1053
Well, that didn’t take long. Less than seventy-two hours after the Supreme Court heard oral argument in League of Education Voters v. State of Washington (the legal challenge to Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1053), Frank Blethen’s Seattle Times released an editorial telling the Supreme Court to bring back Tim Eyman’s I‑1053, which was struck down in May […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Elections, Policy Topics
Seattle Chamber of Commerce announces opposition to AWB and Tim Eyman’s I‑1185
Great news: Earlier today, the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce announced that after careful consideration, it has decided to join the opposition to Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1185, which would reimpose the unconstitutional two-thirds vote requirement to raise revenue on the state Legislature. The decision is significant because the primary financial force behind I‑1185 is the […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Elections, Media & Culture, Policy Topics
Let’s put Washington’s history of public votes on supermajority requirements in full context
Yesterday evening, as I was scanning headlines on Pacific NW Portal, an article by Seattle Times reporter Andrew Garber caught my eye. I clicked through to read it, and the following headline and summary appeared on my screen: Voters may make it tougher for Legislature to raise taxes — again Tim Eyman has another initiative on […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Policy Topics
House Republicans formally block payroll tax break “compromise” bill from consideration
As expected, in a series of votes earlier today, House Republicans formally blocked legislation overwhelmingly approved by the U.S. Senate a few days ago that would temporarily extend the one-year payroll tax break enacted by Congress last year (S. Amdt. 1465 to H.R. 3630) for another two months. The House’s action threatens the compromise on […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Policy Topics
Fitch threatens to downgrade America’s credit unless deficit accord is reached by 2013
Following in the footsteps of Standard & Poor’s, which downgraded U.S. credit to AA back in August, another one of the big three Wall Street rating firms has decided to play the ultimatum game, after Congress’ “supercommittee” failed to agree on a plan to implement spending cuts last week. Fitch Ratings gave the United States until […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Policy Topics
Governor Chris Gregoire calls special session to deal with latest revenue shortfall
Governor Chris Gregoire will call a special session of the Legislature beginning the Monday after Thanksgiving to deal with Washington’s latest revenue shortfall, her office confirmed this morning. The session could go for as long as thirty days. “Congressional gridlock, the European debt crisis and high unemployment continue to take their toll on consumer confidence and […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Education, Policy Topics
Seattle Times, Eyman donors launch P.R. campaign to urge that universities be funded
As if we needed more proof that the Seattle Times Company is run by a guy with a Jekyll-and-Hyde esque personality, publisher Frank Blethen announced yesterday that the company his family controls will be orchestrating a yearlong public relations blitz called the Greater good Campaign. The purpose of this public relations blitz — and no, […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Policy Topics
Warren Buffett scolds the D.C. establishment: “Stop coddling the super-rich”
Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest men in the world and one of the U.S.‘s most successful investors, has a must-read guest column in the New York Times this morning which takes America’s political leadership to task for not asking the nation’s wealthiest families to pay their fair share in membership dues to our country. […]