A rush to replace blanket primary

[Freddie Stubbs]

Legislators weigh options after court lets old election setup die

By NEIL MODIE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

The U.S. Supreme Court refused yesterday to spare the life of Washington's popular but fatally flawed blanket primary, raising deep uncertainty about what will replace it -- and even whether anything will this year.

State political party leaders met with legislators and election officials yesterday as negotiations over a replacement primary intensified.

"At this point, we don't have a consensus, but we're being forced to find one pretty darn quick," said House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam.

By letting stand, without comment, an appeals court decision throwing out the 69-year-old primary, the Supreme Court dropped a not-unexpected bomb on state legislators, who face adjournment of their 2004 session 16 days from today. Most would rather avoid such a volatile issue in an election year.

more: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/161850_primary24.html