10:30 am
As scripted, a partial veto. Gov. Locke vetoed the 'Top 2' section of the primary election bill, SB6453. This gets the Republican and Democrat party bosses off the hook - a huge favor to them by Gov. Locke. The legislature sent him a bill that was worded for this partial veto.

Locke's press release puts positive spin on his action - and labels the 'Top 2' as "unconstitutional" without being specific. I'll tell you the specific - that the two political parties could successfully sue to prevent candidates from labeling themselves as Democrat or Republican. This was intentional by the legislature and with the Governor's consent. A poison pill that the governor wanted in the bill and he can now cite as a reason for vetoing the 'Top 2' section of the bill.

The 'Montana System' section of the bill that Locke has signed into law will allow the party bosses to get control of our election process. This website has been correct in assessing this bill's fate. We citizens will get the government we allow to be pushed in our faces. We can either decide we really don't value democracy that much or we can work to defeat this dysfunctional primary process.

8:00 am
At 10 am this morning. Gov. Locke will "act" on SB6453, the new primary election bill passed by the state legislature. With that will start five months of political turmoil and confusion - no matter what he does. Locke, the legislature and the bosses of the Republican and Democrat parties worked together in March to create a dysfunctional election bill - a bill that is designed to not work as written. I have fully explained this process in posts here dating back to Feb 24 when the US Supreme Court made final the requirement that we reform our state primary election process.

Today another part of this charade plays out. Our state officials are playing with our basic rights to exercise democracy in their attempt to rig our elections and keep power for themselves and away from us citizens and voters. All six representatives from Whatcom County to Olympia participated - whether they voted for or against SB6453. Not one of them will speak out and tell us the bill is a fraud. Shame on each of them.

Secretary of State Sam Reed deserves credit for his speaking out for democracy. He will be key to our efforts to restore democracy this summer. The Washington State Grange is also ready to work for democracy. And this website will do what it can.