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Posts published in “Day: April 28, 2006”

No gay rights initiative in Washington?

April 28, 2006

Some indications that Tim Eyman, Washington's king of the initiative, may be falling short in his effort to put a measure on the ballot to reverse this year's legislative passage of a gay rights bill.

If so, that would be a remarkable failure - up there with the voter rejection of the transportation package initiative last year. But if the numbers released so far are accurate, the proposal seems headed for the reject pile rather than the ballot. A rundown of the stats can be found at the Horse's Ass blog.

Eyman, it should be noted as well, seems more focused on his I-917 measure on the state car tabs rate.

Finkbeiner implications

April 28, 2006

Qualifies as a political stunner, the announcement Friday by Washington state Senator Bill Finkbeiner that he will not run for re-election this year.

Bill FinkbeinerThe implications are large, but of a piece with developments already underway.

The surprise comes in part from the way Finkbeiner, a Republican who has voted conservative enough to become his party's floor leader, seemed this year to tailor his legislative record to his district, on gay rights and other matters. His district, he seemed to suggest, was moving, was less and less conservative, and he had to respond. Usually you don't do that if you're planning to retire anyway.

Republican Representative Toby Nixon, plans to run for Finkbeiner's seat, and Finkbeiner quickly endorsed him.

But the announcement was treated as a big deal - former state Republican Chair Chris Vance called it "That's terrible, terrible news for the Republicans" - and there's something to that view. You get a hint of it in Finkbeiner's quote: "It's always better to go out at the top of your game, and that's where I am now." (more…)