Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Florida

2021-12-09T01:11:03Z

StarSpangledBanner: I added a section about the State government of Florida.

{{USState
|name=Florida
|flag=Flag of Florida.png
|motto="In God We Trust"
|nick=The Sunshine State
|capital=Tallahassee
|language=English
|governor=Ron DeSantis
|gparty=Republican
|senator2=Marco Rubio
|s2party=Republican
|s2phone=(202) 224-3041
|s2email=http://rubio.senate.gov/office_locations.cfm Contact
|senator1=Rick Scott
|s1party=Republican
|s1phone=(202) 224-5274
|s1email=https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/ Contact
|population=22,000,000 (2020)
|date=March 3, 1845 (27th)
}}

'''Florida''' is a state located in the southeastern [[United States]]. It is bound by [[Georgia]] and [[Alabama]] to the north, the [[Gulf of Mexico]] to the west, the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the east, and the [[Straits of Florida]] to the south. Originally a colony of [[Spain]], it was purchased by the U.S. in 1819 and in 1845 became the 27th state to join the Union. The capital of Florida is [[Tallahassee]], and the main metropolitan areas are [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Miami]], St. Petersburg and [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]. Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", and its state tree is the sabal palm. Florida has grown very rapidly, pulling in thousands of hard-working retirees from the cold [[New England]] area, giving it the 3rd largest population of the 50 states.

The state Constitution of Florida, like all of the other 50 states, acknowledges God or our Creator or the ''Sovereign Ruler of the Universe''. It says:
:''We, the people of the State of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, in order to secure its benefits, perfect our government, insure domestic tranquility, maintain public order, and guarantee equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this constitution.''

==History==
See [[History of Florida]]

Florida was first settled by Europeans in 1513, when Spaniard [[Juan Ponce de Leon]] landed near where [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]] stands today. de Leon originally spotted Florida on Easter Sunday, so he named it ''Pascua Florida'', which means "Flowery Easter" in Spanish.<ref>[http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Florida/FloridaNameOrigin.html Florida state name origin]</ref>

For some time, Spain and France ran competing colonies in Florida, with the Spanish eventually expelling the French. [[John Quincy Adams]], serving as the Secretary of State for President [[James Monroe]], negotiated the Adams–Onís Treaty with the Spanish in 1819, purchasing the territory of Florida from Spain.<ref>[http://future.state.gov/when/timeline/1801_timeline/acquisition_of_florida.html Acquisition of Florida]</ref>

Florida seceded from the Union in 1861 and joined the [[Confederate States of America]]; there was little military action in the remote state.
[[Image:Florida ref 2001.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The state of Florida]]
==Economy==
A large sector of Florida's economy is based on the cultivation of citrus fruit. As of 2006, Florida produced 67 percent of the [[United States]]' total citrus fruit. This breaks down to 74 percent of [[oranges]] grown in the US, 58 percent of [[tangerines]] and 54 percent of [[grapefruit]].<ref>[http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Florida/fruit_orange.html Florida state fruit: orange]</ref> The orange blossom is Florida's state flower, the orange is the state fruit and orange juice is the official state beverage.

Tourism is one of the state's largest economic sectors, with over 112 million tourists visiting in 2016 and with 1.4 million people employed in the industry (as of 2016). Particularly popular attractions include the Everglades, Walt Disney World, and Miami's South Beach district.

NASA's presence in Cape Canaveral makes Florida a very good environment for the aerospace industry. Florida is the 4th largest employer of workers in the aerospace industry, with over 23,000 employed.

== State Government ==
Florida has a republican form of government (as guaranteed to every State by Article IV, Section 4 of the United States Constitution) that is modeled on the United States government and has three distinct branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

The head of the executive branch is the Governor of Florida. He is elected by the voters of Florida for a term of four years, and is limited to two consecutive terms. In the State of Florida, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected on the same ticket in the general election. The Governor of Florida exercises the following powers and duties:
He is commander-in-chief of all the military forces of the State.
He takes care that the laws are faithfully executed and commissions all the officers of the State and counties.
He is the chief administrative officer of the State and is responsible for budgeting.
He may initiate judicial proceedings against any executive or administrative officer.
He may request judicial opinions from the Florida Supreme Court.
He calls forth the militia to execute the laws.
He communicates by message with the Legislature.
He fills vacancies.
He may veto bills passed by the Legislature.

The other elected officers of the executive branch are the Chief Financial Officer, the Attorney General, and the Agriculture Commissioner, who are also elected for four year terms and subject to term limits. In case of a vacancy in the office of Governor, the Lieutenant Governor becomes Governor for the remainder of the term.

The legislative branch consists of the Florida Legislature. The Legislature consists of the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives. Senators serve four year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms, while Representatives serve two year terms and are limited to four consecutive terms. Bills are passed by a majority of each chamber. The Legislature may override the Governor's veto by a two-thirds vote of each chamber.

The Florida Supreme Court, district courts of appeal, circuit courts, an county courts. The Florida Supreme Court is composed of seven justices who are appointed by the Governor and subject to a retention election. Justices may not be seventy-five years old or older.

==Politics==
Florida is a swing state in presidential elections. The South Florida region ([[Miami]], [[Fort Lauderdale]], and [[Palm Beach]], along with the [[Florida Keys]]) along with the [[Tallahassee]] capital area, are heavily Democratic and the urban areas of [[Tampa]] and [[Orlando]] lean Democratic, while the northern parts of the state (especially the panhandle, due to the presence of significant military bases, but excluding the Tallahassee area), rural areas of central Florida, and the southwestern portion of the state ([[Naples]], [[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]], [[Punta Gorda, Florida|Punta Gorda]], and [[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]]) are heavily Republican. The swing state phenomenon was most pronounced during the 2000 presidential election when the margin of victory for eventual winner George W. Bush was a mere 537 votes (triggering a mandatory recount under Florida state law, an ensuing number of lawsuits and judicial rulings, and never-ending speculation as to the real winner).

===2020 Elections===
In the 2020 presidential elections, Floridian Latinos' (mainly devoutly religious [[Cuban-Americans]] who are strongly opposed to [[socialism]]) in the very populous [[Miami-Dade]] area, turned out strongly for [[Donald J. Trump]]. That was after [[Obama]] campaigned in Miami for [[Biden]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/03/us/elections/in-florida-trump-shows-strength-with-latino-voters.html "In Florida, Trump shows strength with Latino voters."] New York Times, Nov.3.2020 ...''Florida, a must-win battleground for President Trump with 29 electoral votes, appeared to be edging toward the president on the strength of his support among Latinos in the Miami area. In populous Miami-Dade, Mr. Trump was overperforming his 2016 vote totals, with 512,000-plus votes so far counted in 2020 compared with about 334,000 total four years ago — an enormous improvement. The Biden campaign had sent former President Barack Obama to Miami on the eve of the election to try to rally supporters to the polls. “The reason why I’m back here in South Florida is that I know some of you have not voted yet,” Mr. Obama had said on Monday. But Mr. Biden was showing strength in other parts of the state, and the margins were too narrow to declare a winner. Mr. Biden, for instance, was leading in Duval County, home of the city of Jacksonville, which Mr. Trump carried in 2016.''</ref>

Next day there was celebration among Cuban-Americans Trump-supporters in Miami.<ref>[https://www.kake.com/story/42866534/trump-supporters-took-to-streets-of-little-havana-after-florida-win "Trump supporters took to streets of Little Havana after Florida win"]. Wednesday, November 4th 2020. (WFOR). Kake.com</ref>

Nicaraguan-American Ana Navarro said next day: Florida... I feel like have been beaten like a piñata...<ref>CNN, Nov.4.2020 7:56 am [https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/11/04/republican-narrative-latino-miami-dade-elexnight-election-2020-navarro-vpx.cnn Time stamp: 00:36]</ref>

==State symbols==
<center>
<gallery perrow="3">
Image:Florida_panther.jpg|The Florida panther is the state's official animal.
Image:Orange_blossom.jpg|The orange blossom is Florida's official flower.
Image: Manatee Keith Ramos WEB.jpg|The manatee is Florida's official marine mammal.
</gallery>
</center>

==Elected officials==
===Federal===
*Sen. [[Rick Scott]] (R)
*Sen. [[Marco Rubio]] (R)
*Rep. [[Matt Gaetz]] [R, FL–1]
*Rep. [[Neal Dunn]] [R, FL–2]
*Rep. [[Kat Cammack]] [R, FL–3]
*Rep. [[John Rutherford]] [R, FL–4]
*Rep. [[Al Lawson]] [D, FL–5]
*Rep. [[Michael Waltz]] [R, FL–6]
*Rep. [[Stephanie Murphy]] [D, FL–7]
*Rep. [[Bill Posey]] [R, FL–8]
*Rep. [[Darren Soto]] [D, FL–9]
*Rep. [[Val Demings]] [D, FL–10]
*Rep. [[Daniel Webster]] [R, FL–11]
*Rep. [[Gus M. Bilirakis]] [R, FL–12]
*Rep. [[Charlie Crist]] [D, FL–13]
*Rep. [[Kathy Castor]] [D, FL–14]
*Rep. [[Scott Franklin]] [R, FL–15]
*Rep. [[Vern Buchanan]] [R, FL–16]
*Rep. [[Greg Steube]] [R, FL–17]
*Rep. [[Brian Mast]] [R, FL–18]
*Rep. [[Byron Donalds]] [R, FL–19]
*Rep. [[Alcee L. Hastings]] [D, FL–20]
*Rep. [[Lois Frankel]] [D, FL–21]
*Rep. [[Ted Deutch]] [D, FL–22]
*Rep. [[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]] [D, FL–23]
*Rep. [[Frederica Wilson]] [D, FL–24]
*Rep. [[Mario Diaz-Balart]] [R, FL–25]
*Rep. [[Carlos Giménez]] [R, FL–26]
*Rep. [[Maria Elvira Salazar]] [R, FL–27]

===Statewide===
*Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] (R)
*Lt. Governor [[Jeanette Nunez]] (R)
*Chief Financial Officer [[Jimmy Patronis ]] (R)
*Attorney General [[Ashley Moody]] (R)
*Agriculture Commissioner [[Nikki Fried]] (D)

==Metropolitan Areas==
*[[Daytona Beach]]
*[[Deltona, Florida|Deltona]]
*[[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]]
*[[Fort Walton Beach]]
*[[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]]
*[[Homosassa Springs]]
*[[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]]
*[[Lakeland, Florida|Lakeland]]
*[[Miami]]
*[[Naples, Florida|Naples]]
*[[Ocala, Florida|Ocala]]
*[[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]
*[[Panama City, Florida|Panama City]]
*[[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]]
*[[Port St. Lucie, Florida|Port St. Lucie]]
*[[Punta Gorda, Florida|Punta Gorda]]
*[[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]]
*[[Sebring, Florida|Sebring]]
*[[Tallahassee]]
*[[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]]
*[[Titusville, Florida|Titusville]]
*[[Vero Beach, Florida|Vero Beach]]

== References ==
<references/>
<ref>Constitution of the State of Florida</ref>

{{USstates}}

[[Category:Florida]]
[[Category:Purple States]]
[[Category:East Coast of the United States]]
[[Category:Eastern United States]]
[[Category:The South]]
[[Category:Southern United States]]
[[Category:Gulf Coast of the United States]]
[[Category:Southeastern United States]]
[[Category:Regions of the United States]]
[[Category:United States Geography]]
[[Category:United States of America]]
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Red States]]

Florida

2021-12-09T01:09:27Z

StarSpangledBanner: I added a section about the State government of Florida.

{{USState
|name=Florida
|flag=Flag of Florida.png
|motto="In God We Trust"
|nick=The Sunshine State
|capital=Tallahassee
|language=English
|governor=Ron DeSantis
|gparty=Republican
|senator2=Marco Rubio
|s2party=Republican
|s2phone=(202) 224-3041
|s2email=http://rubio.senate.gov/office_locations.cfm Contact
|senator1=Rick Scott
|s1party=Republican
|s1phone=(202) 224-5274
|s1email=https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/ Contact
|population=22,000,000 (2020)
|date=March 3, 1845 (27th)
}}

'''Florida''' is a state located in the southeastern [[United States]]. It is bound by [[Georgia]] and [[Alabama]] to the north, the [[Gulf of Mexico]] to the west, the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the east, and the [[Straits of Florida]] to the south. Originally a colony of [[Spain]], it was purchased by the U.S. in 1819 and in 1845 became the 27th state to join the Union. The capital of Florida is [[Tallahassee]], and the main metropolitan areas are [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Miami]], St. Petersburg and [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]. Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", and its state tree is the sabal palm. Florida has grown very rapidly, pulling in thousands of hard-working retirees from the cold [[New England]] area, giving it the 3rd largest population of the 50 states.

The state Constitution of Florida, like all of the other 50 states, acknowledges God or our Creator or the ''Sovereign Ruler of the Universe''. It says:
:''We, the people of the State of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, in order to secure its benefits, perfect our government, insure domestic tranquility, maintain public order, and guarantee equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this constitution.''

==History==
See [[History of Florida]]

Florida was first settled by Europeans in 1513, when Spaniard [[Juan Ponce de Leon]] landed near where [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]] stands today. de Leon originally spotted Florida on Easter Sunday, so he named it ''Pascua Florida'', which means "Flowery Easter" in Spanish.<ref>[http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Florida/FloridaNameOrigin.html Florida state name origin]</ref>

For some time, Spain and France ran competing colonies in Florida, with the Spanish eventually expelling the French. [[John Quincy Adams]], serving as the Secretary of State for President [[James Monroe]], negotiated the Adams–Onís Treaty with the Spanish in 1819, purchasing the territory of Florida from Spain.<ref>[http://future.state.gov/when/timeline/1801_timeline/acquisition_of_florida.html Acquisition of Florida]</ref>

Florida seceded from the Union in 1861 and joined the [[Confederate States of America]]; there was little military action in the remote state.
[[Image:Florida ref 2001.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The state of Florida]]
==Economy==
A large sector of Florida's economy is based on the cultivation of citrus fruit. As of 2006, Florida produced 67 percent of the [[United States]]' total citrus fruit. This breaks down to 74 percent of [[oranges]] grown in the US, 58 percent of [[tangerines]] and 54 percent of [[grapefruit]].<ref>[http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Florida/fruit_orange.html Florida state fruit: orange]</ref> The orange blossom is Florida's state flower, the orange is the state fruit and orange juice is the official state beverage.

Tourism is one of the state's largest economic sectors, with over 112 million tourists visiting in 2016 and with 1.4 million people employed in the industry (as of 2016). Particularly popular attractions include the Everglades, Walt Disney World, and Miami's South Beach district.

NASA's presence in Cape Canaveral makes Florida a very good environment for the aerospace industry. Florida is the 4th largest employer of workers in the aerospace industry, with over 23,000 employed.

'''State Government'''
Florida has a republican form of government (as guaranteed to every State by Article IV, Section 4 of the United States Constitution) that is modeled on the United States government and has three distinct branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

The head of the executive branch is the Governor of Florida. He is elected by the voters of Florida for a term of four years, and is limited to two consecutive terms. In the State of Florida, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected on the same ticket in the general election. The Governor of Florida exercises the following powers and duties:
He is commander-in-chief of all the military forces of the State.
He takes care that the laws are faithfully executed and commissions all the officers of the State and counties.
He is the chief administrative officer of the State and is responsible for budgeting.
He may initiate judicial proceedings against any executive or administrative officer.
He may request judicial opinions from the Florida Supreme Court.
He calls forth the militia to execute the laws.
He communicates by message with the Legislature.
He fills vacancies.
He may veto bills passed by the Legislature.

The other elected officers of the executive branch are the Chief Financial Officer, the Attorney General, and the Agriculture Commissioner, who are also elected for four year terms and subject to term limits. In case of a vacancy in the office of Governor, the Lieutenant Governor becomes Governor for the remainder of the term.

The legislative branch consists of the Florida Legislature. The Legislature consists of the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives. Senators serve four year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms, while Representatives serve two year terms and are limited to four consecutive terms. Bills are passed by a majority of each chamber. The Legislature may override the Governor's veto by a two-thirds vote of each chamber.

The Florida Supreme Court, district courts of appeal, circuit courts, an county courts. The Florida Supreme Court is composed of seven justices who are appointed by the Governor and subject to a retention election. Justices may not be seventy-five years old or older.

==Politics==
Florida is a swing state in presidential elections. The South Florida region ([[Miami]], [[Fort Lauderdale]], and [[Palm Beach]], along with the [[Florida Keys]]) along with the [[Tallahassee]] capital area, are heavily Democratic and the urban areas of [[Tampa]] and [[Orlando]] lean Democratic, while the northern parts of the state (especially the panhandle, due to the presence of significant military bases, but excluding the Tallahassee area), rural areas of central Florida, and the southwestern portion of the state ([[Naples]], [[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]], [[Punta Gorda, Florida|Punta Gorda]], and [[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]]) are heavily Republican. The swing state phenomenon was most pronounced during the 2000 presidential election when the margin of victory for eventual winner George W. Bush was a mere 537 votes (triggering a mandatory recount under Florida state law, an ensuing number of lawsuits and judicial rulings, and never-ending speculation as to the real winner).

===2020 Elections===
In the 2020 presidential elections, Floridian Latinos' (mainly devoutly religious [[Cuban-Americans]] who are strongly opposed to [[socialism]]) in the very populous [[Miami-Dade]] area, turned out strongly for [[Donald J. Trump]]. That was after [[Obama]] campaigned in Miami for [[Biden]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/03/us/elections/in-florida-trump-shows-strength-with-latino-voters.html "In Florida, Trump shows strength with Latino voters."] New York Times, Nov.3.2020 ...''Florida, a must-win battleground for President Trump with 29 electoral votes, appeared to be edging toward the president on the strength of his support among Latinos in the Miami area. In populous Miami-Dade, Mr. Trump was overperforming his 2016 vote totals, with 512,000-plus votes so far counted in 2020 compared with about 334,000 total four years ago — an enormous improvement. The Biden campaign had sent former President Barack Obama to Miami on the eve of the election to try to rally supporters to the polls. “The reason why I’m back here in South Florida is that I know some of you have not voted yet,” Mr. Obama had said on Monday. But Mr. Biden was showing strength in other parts of the state, and the margins were too narrow to declare a winner. Mr. Biden, for instance, was leading in Duval County, home of the city of Jacksonville, which Mr. Trump carried in 2016.''</ref>

Next day there was celebration among Cuban-Americans Trump-supporters in Miami.<ref>[https://www.kake.com/story/42866534/trump-supporters-took-to-streets-of-little-havana-after-florida-win "Trump supporters took to streets of Little Havana after Florida win"]. Wednesday, November 4th 2020. (WFOR). Kake.com</ref>

Nicaraguan-American Ana Navarro said next day: Florida... I feel like have been beaten like a piñata...<ref>CNN, Nov.4.2020 7:56 am [https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/11/04/republican-narrative-latino-miami-dade-elexnight-election-2020-navarro-vpx.cnn Time stamp: 00:36]</ref>

==State symbols==
<center>
<gallery perrow="3">
Image:Florida_panther.jpg|The Florida panther is the state's official animal.
Image:Orange_blossom.jpg|The orange blossom is Florida's official flower.
Image: Manatee Keith Ramos WEB.jpg|The manatee is Florida's official marine mammal.
</gallery>
</center>

==Elected officials==
===Federal===
*Sen. [[Rick Scott]] (R)
*Sen. [[Marco Rubio]] (R)
*Rep. [[Matt Gaetz]] [R, FL–1]
*Rep. [[Neal Dunn]] [R, FL–2]
*Rep. [[Kat Cammack]] [R, FL–3]
*Rep. [[John Rutherford]] [R, FL–4]
*Rep. [[Al Lawson]] [D, FL–5]
*Rep. [[Michael Waltz]] [R, FL–6]
*Rep. [[Stephanie Murphy]] [D, FL–7]
*Rep. [[Bill Posey]] [R, FL–8]
*Rep. [[Darren Soto]] [D, FL–9]
*Rep. [[Val Demings]] [D, FL–10]
*Rep. [[Daniel Webster]] [R, FL–11]
*Rep. [[Gus M. Bilirakis]] [R, FL–12]
*Rep. [[Charlie Crist]] [D, FL–13]
*Rep. [[Kathy Castor]] [D, FL–14]
*Rep. [[Scott Franklin]] [R, FL–15]
*Rep. [[Vern Buchanan]] [R, FL–16]
*Rep. [[Greg Steube]] [R, FL–17]
*Rep. [[Brian Mast]] [R, FL–18]
*Rep. [[Byron Donalds]] [R, FL–19]
*Rep. [[Alcee L. Hastings]] [D, FL–20]
*Rep. [[Lois Frankel]] [D, FL–21]
*Rep. [[Ted Deutch]] [D, FL–22]
*Rep. [[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]] [D, FL–23]
*Rep. [[Frederica Wilson]] [D, FL–24]
*Rep. [[Mario Diaz-Balart]] [R, FL–25]
*Rep. [[Carlos Giménez]] [R, FL–26]
*Rep. [[Maria Elvira Salazar]] [R, FL–27]

===Statewide===
*Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] (R)
*Lt. Governor [[Jeanette Nunez]] (R)
*Chief Financial Officer [[Jimmy Patronis ]] (R)
*Attorney General [[Ashley Moody]] (R)
*Agriculture Commissioner [[Nikki Fried]] (D)

==Metropolitan Areas==
*[[Daytona Beach]]
*[[Deltona, Florida|Deltona]]
*[[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]]
*[[Fort Walton Beach]]
*[[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]]
*[[Homosassa Springs]]
*[[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]]
*[[Lakeland, Florida|Lakeland]]
*[[Miami]]
*[[Naples, Florida|Naples]]
*[[Ocala, Florida|Ocala]]
*[[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]
*[[Panama City, Florida|Panama City]]
*[[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]]
*[[Port St. Lucie, Florida|Port St. Lucie]]
*[[Punta Gorda, Florida|Punta Gorda]]
*[[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]]
*[[Sebring, Florida|Sebring]]
*[[Tallahassee]]
*[[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]]
*[[Titusville, Florida|Titusville]]
*[[Vero Beach, Florida|Vero Beach]]

== References ==
<references/>
<ref>Constitution of the State of Florida</ref>

{{USstates}}

[[Category:Florida]]
[[Category:Purple States]]
[[Category:East Coast of the United States]]
[[Category:Eastern United States]]
[[Category:The South]]
[[Category:Southern United States]]
[[Category:Gulf Coast of the United States]]
[[Category:Southeastern United States]]
[[Category:Regions of the United States]]
[[Category:United States Geography]]
[[Category:United States of America]]
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Red States]]

Washington

2021-12-09T00:45:26Z

StarSpangledBanner: I made brief factual changes.

: <small>'''''For the United States Capital, see [[Washington, D.C.]]'''''</small>
: <small>'''''For the U.S. President see [[George Washington]]'''''</small>

----
{{USState
|name=Washington
|flag=Flag of Washington.png
|motto= "Al-ki" (bye and bye)
|nick=The Evergreen State
|capital=Olympia
|language=None
|governor=Jay Inslee
|gparty=Democrat
|senator2=Maria Cantwell
|s2party=Democrat
|s2phone=(202) 224-3441
|s2email=http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/ Contact
|senator1=Patty Murray
|s1party=Democrat
|s1phone=(202) 224-2621
|s1email=http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm Contact
|population=7,700,000 (2020)
|date=November 11, 1889 (42nd)
}}
'''Washington''', often referred to as Washington State, was the forty-second state to enter into the Union, on Nov. 11, 1889. The state is named after the first president [[George Washington]]. Its capital is [[Olympia]], and its largest city is [[Seattle]]. It is located at the extreme northwest corner of the 48 contiguous [[America]]n states. This [[Democrat]]-dominated state was the location of an early outbreak of the [[coronavirus]] [[COVID-19]] in early 2020 in a nursing home.

The state Constitution of Washington, like all of the other 50 states, acknowledges God or our Creator or the ''Sovereign Ruler of the Universe''. It says:
:''We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this constitution.

== Geography ==

The state has a notably wide variety of terrain and boasts of three national parks. The western edge of Washington borders the Pacific Ocean and has the only temperate rain forests in the country, the Hoh, Queets, and Quinault. The Olympic Mountains rise from sea level to nearly 8,000 feet in elevation. Puget Sound, gouged by the Vashon sheet in the last ice age, brings ocean access to ports far inland. The Cascade Mountain Range bisects the state from north to south and contains several large volcanoes, both active and dormant. The eastern half of Washington is much drier, with a continental climate and much farmland irrigated by Columbia River dams and irrigation works constructed in the time of the New Deal.

==Politics==

Washington was the first state to allow women to vote in local elections, since 1855.

The 2004 election created controversy due to a virtual tie between candidates [[conservative]] [[Republican]] [[Dino Rossi]] and [[liberal]] [[Democrat]] [[Christine Gregoire]]. Rossi won both the original election and the first recount, but the second recount gave the election to Christine Gregoire by a mere 129 votes.[http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=webguvrace30&date=20041230&query=2004+election+Rossi+results] Controversially, on the second "recount," more votes were counted than ballots were cast in Washington state.

Since 2007, Washington has offered [[domestic partnership]]s, which are similar to [[same sex marriage]].<ref>[http://www.miamiherald.com/692/story/1298544.html The ''Miami Herald'' Online]</ref>

In 2009, Washington was the first state in the United States to affirm civil unions by a public vote (Ref. 71). In 2012, they continued this continued this trajectory by fully implementing marriage equality by a vote of the people. The same year, they fully legalized marijuana possession.

Washington state has consistently been a [[blue state]] since 1988, with the last winning [[Republican]] being [[Ronald Wilson Reagan]].

===Anarchism===
For nearly a month, starting in June 2020, the City of Seattle permitted [[anarchist]]s and [[activist]]s to seize six square blocks of the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, naming their new enclave the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” (CHAZ) and then the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” (CHOP). [[Law enforcement]] and fire fighters were precluded from entering the territory. The Seattle Police Department was ordered to abandon their precinct within the CHOP. Person-related crime in the CHOP increased 525% from the same period of time in the same area the year before, including by Mayor [[Jenny Durkan]]’s own count “two additional homicides, 6 additional robberies, and 16 additional aggravated assaults (to include 2 additional non-fatal shootings).” The CHOP was allowed to stand for nearly a month, during which time two teenagers were shot and killed in the zone. The Seattle City Council, Mayor Jenny Durkan, and Washington Governor [[Jay Inslee]] publicly rejected [[federal]] involvement in law enforcement activities within the city of Seattle.<ref>https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-identifies-new-york-city-portland-and-seattle-jurisdictions-permitting</ref>

===2020 Leftist insurrection===
[[File:Occupied-seattle-1.jpg|right|350px|thumb|[[Marxist]] insurrectionists set up check points and border walls in Occupied Seattle. Residents were [[extortion|extorted]] and forced to pay protection money.]]
:{{See also|2020 Antifa riots}}
After two straight nights of violence, the Seattle Police Department abandoned its east precinct building. Forty-eights hours after [[Marxist]] insurgents occupied a 7 square block area including a [[police]] station, extorting protection money from businesses and employers to allow them to continue operating, [[Democrat]] Gov. [[Jay Inslee]] claimed to have no knowledge of the imminent danger to the lives and property of citizens and taxpayers.

Several hundred demonstrators, led by Seattle City Council [[Socialist Alternative]]<ref>Socialist Alternative is a [[Trotsky]]ite organization.</ref> Kshama Sawant, occupied City Hall calling for the resignation of Democrat mayor [[Jenny Durkan]] and the [[defund the police|defunding of the Seattle Police Department]] after a march from the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Sawant was backed by [[Democratic Socialists of America]] (DSA).<ref>https://keywiki.org/File:Zshama.PNG</ref> The DSA provided logisitcal support for the [[riot]]s.<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/the-communist-origins-of-the-antifa-extremist-group_2282816.html</ref> Sawant called for the importance of Black LGBTQIA+ women and other issues. At City Hall another speaker decried Sawant’s cooptation of the movement to push her own agenda.
{{quotebox-float|“Please stop using [[Black Lives Matter]] for your political campaigns....I’m really sorry, I want to tax [[Amazon.com|Amazon]] too, I want to do all these things too, but this is not a movement for you to be politically active, for you to be [[politically correct]], and for you to gain all these votes. Please stop taking advantage of us.”}}
The speaker noted the whiteness of many speakers at recent protests. Protesters left City Hall chanting “Defund SPD” and headed back to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), where protesters watched ''13th'', a documentary on the [[The New Jim Crow]].

A two-hour rally of an estimated 2,000 protesters gathered in the rain for a community meeting hosted by Sawant.
{{quotebox|“What we’ve defeated here is the political establishment of this city....You can never have zero police and an elimination of racism and oppression on the basis of capitalism."}}
A 30-point list of demands was published. “We demand the de-gentrification of Seattle, starting with rent control," etc.

Community members were subjected to barricades set up by the protesters with some armed individuals running them as checkpoints in the neighborhood,” a police spokesman said. “While they have a constitutionally protected right to bear arms there is no legal right for those arms to be used to intimidate community members.” Residents described a small number of people armed with rifles who have been seen serving as guards. Many businesses and residential buildings in the so called C.H.A.Z. hired private security staff. The entire area was lawless, and residents were left to fend for themselves. A social media posting from inside the occupied territory read,
{{quotebox|"Due to the police not being able to respond for fear of reprisal and the shear amount of police resources required that makes it possible to have any presents in our area, residents needed to have an emergency plan that does not involve 911. Whether it is contacting friends, family or driving someone or yourself to the emergency room. You can still call 911 for help with planning and dealing with emergencies, but they may ask that you attempt to make your way to one of their other locations or possibly deal with a significant delayed response.<ref>https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2020/06/sawant-and-protesters-briefly-occupy-seattle-city-hall-as-capitol-hill-autonomous-zone-grows/</ref>}}
The Occupied Seattle Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone offered no social and mental health care for victims of the occupation.

[[File:Seatle Police Rattlesnake.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Seattle Police fly [[Gadsden flag]] protesting [[fascist]] [[vaccine mandate]]s.]]

===Defund the Police===
:{{See also|Defund the Police}}
[[BLM]] and Antifa racists set fires at the Seattle juvenile detention facility. 21 police officers were injured.<ref>https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/07/26/seattle-police-declare-protests-a-riot-after-fires-erupt-21-cops-injured-youth-center-set-ablaze-951572</ref> The Seattle Chief of Police warned citizens that the police could not protect them after the [[Democrat]] city council [[politburo]] defunded [[riot]]-control measures.<ref>https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/07/seattle-police-chief-warns-city-cops-unable-protect-property-antifa-blm-riots-thanks-city-council-barring-crowd-control-tools/</ref>

==Elected Officials==
===Federal===
*Sen. [[Patty Murray]] (D)
*Sen. [[Maria Cantwell]] (D)
*Rep. [[Suzan Delbene]] [D, WA–01]
*Rep. [[Rick Larsen]] [D, WA–02]
*Rep. [[Jaime Herrera Beutler]] [R, WA–03]
*Rep. [[Dan Newhouse]] [R, WA–04]
*Rep. [[Cathy McMorris Rodgers]] [R, WA–05]
*Rep. [[Derek Kilmer]] [D, WA–06]
*Rep. [[Pramila Jayapal]] [D, WA–07]
*Rep. [[Kim Schrier]] [D, WA–08]
*Rep. [[Adam Smith (politician)|Adam Smith]] [D, WA–09]
*Rep. [[Marilyn Strickland]] [D, WA–10]

===Statewide===
*Governor Jay Inslee (D)
*Lt. Governor [[Denny Heck]] (D)
*Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D)
*Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D)
*State Auditor Pat McCarthy
*State Treasurer Duane Davidson

==Notable people from Washington==
*[[Paul Allen]], co-founder of [[Microsoft]] and despoiler of skylines.[http://www.emplive.org/]
*[[Glenn Beck]], [[conservative]] [[talk radio]] [[host]] and [[television]] [[anchor]] [[employee|employed]] by [[Fox News]].
*[[Bob Barker]], host of the long-running game show ''The Price is Right'', was born in Darrington.
*[[Harry P. Cain]], U.S. senator, 1946-1953
*[[Kurt Cobain]], lead singer of the influential grunge band [[Nirvana (Band)|Nirvana]], was from Aberdeen.
*[[Bill Gates]], co-founder of [[Microsoft]] and the world's richest man as of 2007, lives in Medina.
*[[Slade Gorton]], [[Moderate Republican]] U.S. Senator from 1981 to 1987 and 1989 to 2001
*[[Jimi Hendrix]], an influential rock guitarist of the late 1960s, was born in Seattle
*[[Henry Jackson]], U.S. Senator, 1953-1983
*[[Arthur B. Langlie]], three-term Republican governor
*[[Gary Larson]], cartoonist known for his strip ''The Far Side'', was born in Tacoma.
*[[Warren Magnuson]], U.S. senator, 1944 to 1981
*[[Rob Maness]], Louisiana Republican and Tea Party figure, born in Fort Lewis in 1961.
*[[Bill Nye]], engineer best known for his children's television series ''Bill Nye the Science Guy'', studied at Washington State University in Pullman.
*[[Dixy Lee Ray]], governor from 1977 to 1981; last chairman of the [[Atomic Energy Commission]]
*[[Chief Sealth]], a Native American leader who converted to [[Roman Catholicism]], lent his name to the city of Seattle.
*[[John Spellman]], Moderate Republican governor from 1981 to 1985
*[[John Stockton]], the all-time [[NBA]] leader in assists and steals, was born and raised in Spokane.
*[[Ted Bundy]], serial killer, grew up in Tacoma and attended University of Washington.
*[[Gary Ridgeway]], serial killer.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{USstates}}

[[Category:States of the United States]]
[[Category:Western United States]]
[[Category:Washington]]
[[Category:Blue States]]
[[Category:West Coast of the United States]]
[[Category:Pacific Northwest]]