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Posts published in “Day: November 9, 2014”

Candidates and ballot measure

idaho RANDY
STAPILUS
 
Washington

Across the nation, election night 2014 was hailed (or decried, depending on perspective) as a Republican romp, and a few watchers called it a conservative triumph.

The first part was unquestionably true: With few exceptions (such as to Washington's south in Oregon and California) Republicans did extremely well nationwide, and while their gains in Washington were not enormous in size, they were significant.

Translating that to gains for conservatism is a more problematic matter. Most of the winning Republicans, in Washington and in many other places, did not campaign on down-the-line conservatism. Perhaps clearer however was the matter of the ballot issues.

A string of minimum-wage issues passed, severa in red states, around the country. Oregon and Alaska (and Washington, D.C.) passed legal pot measures mirroring Washington and Colorado from two years ago.

And in Washington . . . Voters turned their backs on the Measure 591, which would “prohibit government agencies from confiscating guns or other firearms from citizens without due process, or from requiring background checks on firearm recipients unless a uniform national standard is required.” It lost decisively.

Instead, the same cadre of voters which boosted Republican totals backed a measure specifically calling for more extensive background checks for gun sales.

The voters also narrowly – and apparently, since a recount may happen – passed a measure restricting school classroom sizes, a measure with little financial backup, so little that even Democratic Governor Jay Inslee said he voted against it.

So on two distinct issues the voters – the same voters helping out Republicans – went to the left of where most Democratic elected officials were willing to go.
Ponder that for a bit as you plot out the opening moves of election cycle 2016.

On the front pages

news

Here’s what public affairs news made the front page of newspapers in the Northwest today, excluding local crime, features and sports stories. (Newspaper names contracted with location)

Debate rises over firefighter pay (Boise Statesman)
Two in guard chopper crash were experienced pilots (Boise Statesman, Nampa Press Tribune)
Idaho having difficulty filling teacher ranks (Boise Statesman)
Future still unclear for Dubois shee station (IF Post Register)
Looking at state public defense system (TF Times News, Lewiston Tribune)
About sexual misconduct charges at juvenile center (Nampa Press Tribune)
Figuring out crop losses from summer (TF Times News)

School land for possible YMCA sale appraised (Eugene Register Guard)
Crater Lake crayfish menace newts (KF Herald & News)
Legislature edges a bit to the left (KF Herald & News)
How things change with pot legalization (Portland Oregonian)

20-year Kitsap prosecutoe defeated (Bremerton Sun)
Longview still struggles with tap water troubles (Longview News)
Washington celebrates statehood 125 years (Olympian)
Chambers close to edge in partisan power (Olympian)
Highway 101 widened to 4 lanes Sequim-Port Angeles (Port Angeles News)
Navy say no action on digital warfare for a while (Port Angeles News)
Reviewing affordable care act a year later (Seattle Times)
Looking at rural doctor shortages (Spokane Spokesman)
Did Vancouver port violate closed meeting law? (Vancouver Columbian)
Republicans do well in Clark in this election (Vancouver Columbian)
Looking ahead to 2015 legislature (Yakima Herald Republic)
Gun show people uneasy with I-594 (Yakima Herald Republic)