Voters support supermajority for tax increases
November 13, 2012
The measure backed by anti-tax advocate Tim Eyman, Initiative 1185, reinforces existing state law requiring any tax increases imposed by the Legislature to receive approval from a two-thirds majority in each legislative chamber or approved by a majority of voters.
The measure requires majority legislative approval for additional or increased fees.
Washington voters approved a two-thirds legislative majority for taxes in 1993, 1998, 2007 and 2010. The measure on the Nov. 6 ballot garnered support from more than 60 percent of voters statewide.
In turnaround, voters OK charter schools in Washington
November 13, 2012
Supporters of charter school Initiative 1240 declared victory Nov. 10, as the measure hovered at about 50 percent support and elections officials statewide continued to count ballots.
The measure aims to allow up to 40 charter schools statewide in the next five years, though the high-performing Issaquah School District is not a likely candidate for such a school.
Opponents said charter schools in other states have a mixed track record and could siphon dollars from other public schools.
Maria Cantwell discusses jobs, stumps for votes in Gilman Village
November 13, 2012
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell focused on the economy and education during a campaign stop at Issaquah’s Gilman Village early Nov. 2, and urged voters to return ballots by the Election Day deadline.
Maria Cantwell
Cantwell’s 26-city “Jobs for Washington” bus tour across the state stopped at the Issaquah Coffee Co. In remarks to a group of sign-toting Democrats and local dignitaries, she emphasized efforts to aid small businesses since the economy collapsed in 2008.
“In my opinion, a lot of money went to Wall Street and the five big banks, and Main Street got the short end of the stick,” she said. “Well, we worked hard to try to correct that by passing a new bill to help support community banks who would lend to small business. In fact, that program helped banks from Issaquah to Bellingham increase their lending to small businesses by as much as 24 percent.”
Cantwell said Eastside residents — and a workforce defined by Boeing engineers and Microsoft programmers — value quality education.
Issaquah drop box buzzes as voters return ballots, shatter records
November 13, 2012
Cathy Gulezian, of Maple Valley (left), watches sons Brady, 2, and Dylan, 4, place ballots for her and husband Ken in a ballot drop box attended by King County Elections workers Michele Phelps and Jon Gentry at Issaquah City Hall on Nov. 6. By Greg Farrar
The ballot drop box outside Issaquah City Hall transformed into a nucleus of activity as Election Day stretched into night, and voters raced to deposit ballots before the 8 p.m. deadline.
King County Elections staffers, dressed in aprons the same shade as traffic cones, directed voters to the secure box. The elections office opened the box last month and, as the ballot deadline approached and after post offices closed, more and more ballot-toting voters arrived.
“Unlike during tax season, the post office does not stay open longer hours for voting,” Lynne Miller, a King County Elections spokeswoman, said just before 7 p.m. Nov. 6.
Elections staffers used atomic clocks to determine the precise 8 p.m. deadline at ballot drop box sites countywide.
King County Elections forecast 87 percent turnout countywide — a hike from the 84 percent record set in 2008. (The county relied on a combination of mail ballots and polling sites in the last presidential election.)
Students choose Barack Obama, Jay Inslee in mock election
November 13, 2012
NEW — 8 a.m. Nov. 13, 2012
Students statewide and in the Issaquah School District chose the same candidates as grown-up voters — Barack Obama for president and Jay Inslee for governor.
The exercise included 38,848 students statewide, including classes at Cascade Ridge Elementary, Endeavour Elementary, Sunset Elementary, Pine Lake Middle and Issaquah High schools in the Issaquah School District. The number of students participating statewide shattered the record for participation — about 18,000 students — set in 2008.
Students cast ballots online from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2, and then Secretary of State Sam Reed’s office posted the results online. The results in the statewide Student Mock Election reflected the outcome in the real election, albeit with different margins.
Deadline looms to remove roadside political signs
November 12, 2012
NEW — 10 a.m. Nov. 12, 2012
Election Day is done, but political signs continue to linger along roadsides and in yards.
The state Department of Transportation reminds landowners to remove the signs from private property along state highways.
State law allows political signs on property visible from state highways, but the signs must come down 10 days after the general election, and the 10-day period ends Friday.
Otherwise, failure to remove the political signs after being notified by the Department of Transportation can result in a misdemeanor.
Pat O’Leary, Department of Transportation highway advertising program manager, said illegal signs do not pop up often and landowners often do a good job on removal after Election Day.
Brad Toft concedes state Senate race to Mark Mullet
November 9, 2012
NEW — 10:05 a.m. Nov. 9, 2012
Less than 24 hours after urging supporters to wait for more election results, Snoqualmie Republican Brad Toft conceded a hard-fought state Senate race to Issaquah City Councilman Mark Mullet early Friday.
Toft could not overcome the lead Mullet, a Democrat, posted on election night, and then continued to maintain as subsequent results arrived. In the most recent results released Thursday by King County Elections, Toft trailed Mullet, 54 percent to 46 percent, out of 50,681 ballots tallied.
“There’s a disappointment in what happened, but the cause goes on,” Toft said in a message to campaign supporters Friday.
Mullet declared victory after the initial election results landed Tuesday, and then disputed Toft’s assertions about a possible turnaround in subsequent days.
King County voters renew levy for police fingerprint services
November 8, 2012
NEW — 5 p.m. Nov. 8, 2012
King County voters overwhelmingly approved a $118.9 million property tax levy to continue funding criminal fingerprint identification services for local law enforcement agencies, including the Issaquah Police Department.
Proposition 1 asked voters to keep the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or AFIS, in operation through 2018. The system provides criminal fingerprint identification services to the King County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies.
The proposed renewal levy rate is 5.92 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, or about $20.72 per year for a $350,000 home.
Issaquah officers used information from AFIS 2,100 times last year to determine if a jail inmate was evading a warrant, concealing a criminal record or using a false identity.
Investigators use the AFIS database to match fingerprints and palmprints to criminal suspects. The system is managed by the sheriff’s office.
Brad Toft: State Senate race is too close to call, despite Mark Mullet’s lead
November 8, 2012
NEW — 12:10 p.m. Nov. 8, 2012
The contest for the 5th Legislative District state Senate seat is too close to call, Snoqualmie Republican Brad Toft said Thursday, despite a 3,307-vote lead for Issaquah Democrat Mark Mullet.
The race attracted attention in recent weeks for the insults the candidates lobbed at one another and, for a time, observers said the match-up could determine state Senate control. However, Republicans did not gain enough seats on Election Day to crack the Democrats’ majority in the chamber.
Mullet held about 54 percent — or 23,216 votes — to Toft’s 46 percent — or 19,909 votes — among more than 43,000 ballots counted in the race so far.
King County Elections is scheduled to release additional results at 4:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Mark Mullet maintains state Senate lead over Brad Toft
November 7, 2012
NEW — 6:50 p.m. Nov. 7, 2012
Issaquah Democrat Mark Mullet maintained a lead of more than 3,000 votes over Snoqualmie Republican Brad Toft in the latest round of results, as the candidates awaited resolution in the 5th Legislative District state Senate race.
Mullet held about 54 percent — or 23,216 votes — to Toft’s 46 percent — or 19,909 votes — among more than 43,000 ballots counted in the race so far.
The total released at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday added 4,012 ballots to the 39,174 ballots tallied in the race on Election Day.
Mullet, owner of Zeeks Pizza in the Issaquah Highlands and a city councilman, declared victory during a party at the restaurant, moments after the initial results landed Tuesday.
