From Our Corner
Holiday Giving Tip: No. 10
Today’s Holiday Giving Tip: Don’t decide right now. It’s hard to tell someone who is raising money for starving families that “you have to think about it” … but the truth is, you do! The most help can be done by taking time to really research a charity and make sure it is using your donations in a way that makes you comfortable. Making an on-the-spot commitment before checking out a charity can be a very bad idea. You want your dollars to have the most impact possible, so research how they… Read more
Holiday Giving Tip No. 8
Today’s Holiday Giving Tip: Spot the big red flags!! There are some big, fat red flags you can watch for that will tell you if a charitable solicitor is not in compliance with the law. These are things like:- Saying things that are deceptive and misleading (red flag!)
- Telling you the contribution is tax deductable when it is not
- Using the names “police,” “sheriff”, or “firefighter” without authorization from those groups
- Calling you before 8 a.m. or… Read more
From Your Corner: Grand Coulee Dam
Image Located on the Columbia River about 90 miles west of Spokane, it’s the largest concrete structure and largest electric-producing facility in the U .S. Photos alone don’t do the Grand Coulee Dam justice. You have to see it in person to appreciate its enormous size and marvel at the challenge of building such a structure that has meant so much to the Columbia Basin. This photo, courtesy of the State Archives, shows the dam during its… Read moreThe road to women's suffrage: 1884
Women’s Suffrage – Rosencrantz vs. Washington Territory, 1884 In 1884, Mollie Rosencrantz was convicted of “running a house of ill fame” in Spokane. She appealed to the Territorial Supreme Court on the grounds that she was convicted by a jury with women on it, and that women did not have the right to sit on juries – and of course, they might be biased in a case such as hers. In light of the law passed in 1883 granting women the right to vote, the Supreme Court ruled that women… Read more
Lawmakers gird for more cuts, face court's K-12 ruling
Washington legislative leaders and Gov. Chris Gregoire, girding for a bruising election-year legislative session that convenes at high noon Monday, got renewed spending pressure from the state Supreme Court on Thursday. Just minutes before the four top caucus leaders and the governor unveiled their priorities and predictions to the annual AP pre-session forum, the high court handed down a long-awaited decision… Read more
The Road to Women's Suffrage: 1883
The Washington Territorial Legislature passed a law enacting women’s suffrage. Governor William Newell signed the bill into law on November 23, 1883. Only Wyoming and Utah Territories had enacted women’s suffrage prior to Washington. Image … Read more
Holiday Giving Tip No. 7
Today’s Holiday Giving Tip: Know where to file your complaints. While we here at the Secretary of State’s Office help provide consumers with lots of information about charities, we aren’t the place to go if you want to report a charity scam or bad practices. But we can tell you where to go! If you feel a charity or commercial fundraiser is operating in a deceptive or illegal manner, contact the Consumer and Business Fair Practice Division of the State Attorney General's Office at 1-800-551-… Read more
“Archives treasure” #2: ferries photos, docs (not docks)
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(Photos courtesy of Washington State Archives.)
One of the unique characteristics of Puget Sound is the fleet of ferry boats used to carry passengers, vehicles and bikes across the sound. In fact, these famous ferry boats have been used to get… Read moreNo initiative to the people will be on ballot this fall
Image For the first year since 1989, an initiative to the people won’t be placed before Washington voters. Friday, July 5, is the deadline for initiative sponsors to submit signatures to our… Read more
Here's how signature check for R-74 works ...
How does the signature check for a referendum work, and what is the impact of a referendum challenge on the effective date of the recently enacted legislation (SB6239) authorizing civil marriage for same-sex couples? The deadline for turning in Referendum 74 petitions to the State Elections Division is Wednesday, June 6. Ordinarily, the marriage bill would be taking effect Thursday, June 7, but if opponents… Read more
Quilts of Valor exhibit on display in July
The Secretary of State’s next office exhibit will salute American combat troops through quilting. Thirteen beautiful handmade quilts created by volunteer quilters from around Washington will be on display in the Secretary of State’s front lobby during the month of July. The office is on the second floor of the Legislative Building in Olympia. The quilts are part of the national Quilts of Valor program. Secretary of State Kim Wyman, who comes from a family of quilters and is the… Read more
May Archives treasure #2: Japanese internment docs
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Over 100 years of Senate group photos
Image(Images courtesy of Washington State Digital Archives)
With the Legislature a month into its scheduled 105-day session, it’s worth taking a look back – or waaay back – at past legislative bodies. Thanks to Washington’s… Read moreSecretary of State
Steve Hobbs
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