"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God?" -- Thomas Jefferson

"And yet the same revolutionary belief for which our forbears fought is still at issue around the globe, the belief that the rights of man come not from generosity of the state but from the hand of God." -- John F. Kennedy

"Because of their belief that power had come from God to each individual, the Framers began the Constitution with the words 'we the people'" -- Newt Gingrich

"There's never been a nation like the United States, ever. It begins with the principles of our founding documents, principles that recognize that our rights come from God, not from our government." -- Marco Rubio


Thursday, January 9, 2014

WashingtonVotes.org announces Olympia news service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:January 9, 2014 Lisa Shin
(206) 937-9691

WashingtonVotes.org announces Olympia news serviceRespected independent website plans to provide as-it-happens reports
on legislative action

OLYMPIA — WashingtonVotes.org, the state’s long-running independent, nonprofit legislative information and tracking website, announced today that it is launching a regular news service that will cover important legislative action in Olympia.

WashingtonVotes.org News, under the leadership of Washington Votes Director Franz Gregory, will provide subscribers and users with reports about committee hearings, executive sessions, floor action and upcoming roll call votes on important bills and amendments, along with timely comments from key players at the state capitol.

“WashingtonVotes.org News will provide a closer look at major legislation on the move in Olympia, including clear and concise bill descriptions, relevant background information and insights from leaders, committee chairmen, other legislators and the governor’s office,” said Dann Mead Smith, president of Washington Policy Center.

WashingtonVotes.org news reports will be provided by experienced analysts who are thoroughly familiar with the legislature’s often obscure and complex ways of getting things done.

“We’ve been watching lawmakers at work for twelve years, and we’ve seen every twist, turn and legislative maneuver there is. Normally our analysts trade information about bill sponsors, hearings, committee action and floor votes among ourselves. Now we will share those insights with readers of WashingtonVotes.org News,” said Gregory.

WashingtonVotes.org News will begin when the legislature convenes for the 2014 session on January 13th. The news service is free and readers can receive reports by clicking the “Subscribe” tab on the WashingtonVotes.org homepage.

More about WashingtonVotes.org
WashingtonVotes.org is a free, independent website that has provided plain-English descriptions and detailed tracking information for every Olympia bill, amendment and roll call vote since 2001.

To date the site has covered nearly 30,000 legislative measures and reported over 10,000 roll call votes. The site has thousands of registered users and has become an important resource for citizens, government officials, lobbyists and lawmakers to keep up to date on detailed committee work and House and Senate floor action.
In addition to WashingtonVotes News, the site will continue to provide the following services:
  • A searchable database of all bills introduced, including bill number, short title, sponsorship and committee assignment since 2001.
  • A direct link to the official state legislative website to provide user access to bill text, committee reports, fiscal impact statements and other bill documents, making it unnecessary for WashingtonVotes.org to summarize every bill introduced.
  • Timely legislative updates of all bill action.
  • Free daily e-mail updates for subscribers.
  • A free Weekly Roll Call service reporting on major bills to news outlets across the state, including the voting records of local lawmakers.
  • Information on how to contact local representatives and see their bill sponsorships and voting records.
  • A comments section that links users to social media.
  • A Scorecard feature that allows users to track legislative votes based on their own criteria.
  • The popular yearly Missed Votes Report showing the attendance record of every Senator and House member during the legislative session. The report provides a section that allows lawmakers to explain why they may have missed certain roll call votes or missed a large number of votes.
WashingtonVotes.org and WashingtonVotes.org News are free public services of Washington Policy Center, an independent, non-profit education and research organization with offices in Seattle, Eastern Washington and Olympia. WPC’s Olympia office is just four blocks from the capitol building.
The purpose of WashingtonVotes.org is to inform Washingtonians about decisions that elected representatives make on their behalf; decisions that affect the lives of every individual and family living in the state.
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