Originally published Friday, July 3, 2009 at 2:22 PM
Comments (3)
E-mail article
Print view
Share
Immigration initiative will not make Nov. ballot
Proponents of a state initiative that called for stricter immigration rules failed again to collect enough signatures to make the November ballot.
Proponents of a state initiative that called for stricter immigration rules failed again to collect enough signatures to make the November ballot.
Craig Keller, chairman of Respect Washington, the main group behind the initiative, told the Yakima Herald-Republic that organizers had not counted all the signatures collected, but it was clear they fell short of the amount needed.
The group had until Thursday to return more than 241,000 valid voter signatures to make it on the election ballot. Keller said the group collected less than 100,000.
An identical initiative didn't make the ballot last year. Efforts in 2006 and 2007 for similar initiatives also fell short. But Keller was not dismayed by this year's results.
"I think there's a lot to build on for filing this again next January," he said.
Proposals in the initiate included requiring employers to use the federal government's E-Verify system to check immigration status of workers, and barring illegal immigrants from obtaining a driver's license.
This year, the initiative had been sponsored by Wendell Hannigan, a Yakama Tribe member from White Swan, Wash., a small town in the Yakima Valley.
Hannigan had said his motivation for being the sponsor is his worry that illegal immigration is going unchecked by the federal government. They Yakima Valley has one of the highest concentrations of Hispanic communities in the state. The area's vast agricultural industry has attracted Hispanic farm workers for decades.
Respect Washington tried to use inserts in newspapers to widen their reach. Last month, the group paid newspapers in Yakima, Skagit and Clallam counties to include their petition as an insert.
Ricardo Garcia, who was a founding member of the state's first Spanish-language public radio station, said he wasn't surprised the initiative would not be in the November ballot.
"The initiative lacks compassion, and it's one that the citizens of our state have consistently rejected for that reason," Garcia said.
---
Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakima-herald.com
Copyright © The Seattle Times Company
Seattle Times Fund For The Needy offers opportunity to give
Tugboat sinks in Seattle's waterfront
Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
Danny Westneat: Bonus for supe with a B minus?
Nicole Brodeur: You have more to spare than you think you do

LA Galaxy's David Beckham
Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham talks about the upcoming MLS Cup final during after a team practice.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helen's and Astoria, Ore.
- Italian lead prosecutor argues Knox motive was hatred
- Italian prosecutors request life sentence for UW student
- Man shot in chest on E. Union Street in Capitol Hill
- Washington state wines make annual best-of list
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- Mariners Blog | A Mariners-Tigers swap makes a whole lot of sense for both teams
- Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
- Chase shrugs off loss of CD investors
- Senate vote clears hurdle
232 - Mariners add six to 40-man roster
149 - Tight Senate vote launches health care over hurdle
118 - Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
110 - Palin excitement builds in Tri-Cities
102 - Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
95 - Prosecutor requests life in prison for Amanda Knox
86 - Cutting through breast-cancer confusion
81 - Game thread
68 - New York terror trials will restore faith in rule of law
46
- Washington state wines make annual best-of list
- Nonprofits get creative using Twitter and Facebook to make donation easier
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
- Great places to cross-country ski for free (or almost) in the Methow
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helen's and Astoria, Ore.
- Recipes: Sesame Pork Roast, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce and more
- Banff: powder, peaks & purity
- 175 foster kids in Washington get 'forever families'






