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Washington: Seattle Sonics

March 3, 2009 - 03:26 pm
NEWS FEED: News Tribune

Seattle still hopes Legislature will ride to its NBA rescue

By Joe Turner

House Bill 2281: Relating to the visitor destination campus act of 2009.

That's what they call a "title-only bill." Please read it. It says almost nothing. It's what lawmakers do when they can't reach agreement about what to do about something, but they know they just might reach agreement later on. And just in case they do reach agreement, they pass a bill that has only a title to meet some self-imposed deadline for taking acting. It makes things easier down the line. (They basically write the rest of the bill (under the title) later on.)

Anyway, that "visitor destination campus" is code for "Seattle Center and Key Arena.

Read More at News Tribune >
There have been 25 comments posted in response to this story.

Thu, 07/10/2008 - 18:24

Gregoire speaks out on Sonics, budget and 'ugly' campaign

By Bryan Bissell, PolitickerWA.com Reporter

Gov. Chris Gregoire held a press availability today in Olympia open to the state press corps. She spoke about the Seattle Sonics' departure to Oklahoma City, the state's projected budget deficit and the negative campaigning so far in the gubernatorial race against Republican Dino Rossi. The Tri-City Herald's Chris Mulick has a recap of the events here.

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There have been 35 comments posted in response to this story.
Wed, 04/16/2008 - 19:13

Murray and Cantwell join the call to delay Sonics vote

By Bryan Bissell, PolitickerWA.com Reporter

Washington's two U.S. Senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, have followed the lead of their stateside Democratic colleagues by calling on the NBA to postpone a vote on whether or not the Seattle Sonics are allowed to move to Oklahoma City at Friday's NBA owner's meeting.

There have been 37 comments posted in response to this story.
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 18:44

State Dem leaders call on NBA to keep Sonics in town

By Bryan Bissell, PolitickerWA.com Reporter

The state's top Democratic officials joined force today to write a letter to NBA commissioner David Stern and all of the NBA owners in an attempt to get them to remove the proposed discussion of a Sonics franchise move at their upcoming owners' meeting in light of the recent revelation of e-mails from the current ownership group which suggest they intended to move the team from the start.

Read the letter below:

 

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There have been 32 comments posted in response to this story.
Thu, 04/10/2008 - 20:28

Gregoire, fired up, soothes Sonics supporters and fans the flames for four more years

By Bryan Bissell, PolitickerWA.com Reporter

SEATTLE -

At the beginning of the today's campaign stop, when state Democratic Party Chair Dwight Pelz spoke to the assembled crowd of about two hundred here at South Seattle Community College, chants of "Four more years" competed against "Save our Sonics".

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There have been 44 comments posted in response to this story.
Thu, 04/10/2008 - 17:57

UPDATED: Save Our Sonics making presence felt at Gregoire event

By Bryan Bissell, PolitickerWA.com Reporter

SEATTLE -

The most prominant interest group here at Gov. Gregoire's final bus tour event isn't one of the traditional Democratic stalwarts like the IBEW or the SEIU. No, today it is S.O.S., Save Our Sonics. The group of fans dedicated to keeping the team in Seattle has come out in force to make a statement to the Governor to call a special session to allocate money for arena renovations.

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There have been 36 comments posted in response to this story.
Wed, 04/02/2008 - 15:38

When Sonics and politics mix, part one

By Bryan Bissell, PolitickerWA.com Reporter

The NBA's Seattle Sonics crept their way into the Washington political landscape earlier this year when a new local ownership group stepped in to try to stop the team's relocation to Oklahoma City by proposing a half-private, half-public solution to renovate Key Arena with an emphasis on the half-public. In order for their plan to even be considered they needed $150M from a combination of city and state coffers. However, presented late in a session that was already struggling to fund its legislative priorities, the plan was not considered before the end of business March 13.

There have been 37 comments posted in response to this story.
Tue, 03/25/2008 - 19:48

Nickels suggests NBA ought to stay in Seattle

By Bryan Bissell, PolitickerWA.com Reporter

At a press conference today to discuss his Pike Market Levy, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels gave the NBA some free advice about the Seattle Sonics and economics.

"We have been home to the NBA for 41 years and we think it's in the NBA's best interest to stay in the 12th largest market in America," Nickels said.

There have been 31 comments posted in response to this story.