SIGNATURE GATHERS RACE DEADLINE

OLYMPIA - An 11th-hour push for voter signatures may propel several hot
issues to Washington's statewide ballot in November.

Supporters of raising the minimum wage and banning a controversial abortion
procedure planned today to deliver petitions to Secretary of State Ralph
Munro. Sponsors of an initiative allowing the medical use of marijuana
planned to unload their petitions tomorrow.

All three are just ahead of tomorrow's deadline to collect the signatures
of 179,236 voters. Munro recommends collecting in excess of 210,000
signatures to protect against fraudulent or duplicate signatures.

It will take Munro's office several weeks to check a sampling of the
petitions and determine if any qualify for placement on the ballot.

Backers of Initiative 688, a labor-sponsored proposal to raise Washington
state's minimum wage, feared just two weeks ago that they might not make
it. But a surge of some 60,000 signatures put them over the top and
provided a healthy cushion.

"We know we broke 225,000, and we're still counting the rest," campaign
coordinator Judy Krebs said.

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)