Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control archive for Feb. 2011

MONDAY, FEB. 28, 2011

WA Lege Day 50: The green grass of home 

OLYMPIA – Washington homeowners would be restricted from putting fertilizer with phosphorus on healthy lawns under a bill that passed the House Monday. Despite complaints from Republicans that homeowners are able to decide what fertilizer to put on their grass or that restrictions will send…

Continue reading this post »



WA Lege Day 50: Lots of floor action

OLYMPIA -- Both chambers will be voting today on legislation that managed to make it through committees. The House started powering though relatively non-controversial bills shortly after 10 a.m., and the Senate followed soon afterward with a resolution recognizing the YMCA. (Random side comment: How…

Continue reading this post »

SUNDAY, FEB. 27, 2011

FRIDAY, FEB. 25, 2011

Snow at the state Capitol on Feb. 25, 2011. (Jim Camden/The Spokesman-Review)

WA Lege Day 47: The razzing continues 

OLYMPIA -- Spokane-area freshmen senators continue to get razzed even when they aren't making their first floor speeches. More senior members were joking around the Sen. Andy Hill, R-Redmond, during the vote on his first bill, when they observed it was hard to tell all…

Continue reading this post »


THURSDAY, FEB. 24, 2011

WA Lege Day 46: Baumgartner hazed as 'too sexy'

OLYMPIA -- The Senate passed Spokane Republican Mike Baumgartner's first bill easily Thursday, but not before the traditional hazing of a freshman member. As sponsor of SB 5500, Baumgartner got to move for its passage late Thursday morning, and decided to address head-on a source…

Continue reading this post »


WEDNESDAY, FEB. 23, 2011



TUESDAY, FEB. 22, 2011



WA Lege Day 44: Cleaning up voting rule?

OLYMPIA -- The House and Senate both have actual floor sessions today, considering some bills that have come out of committees. Among the first to move is SJR 8205, a possible constitutional amendment that would be on the fall ballot, a technical or "housekeeping" change…

Continue reading this post »

MONDAY, FEB. 21, 2011

WA Lege Day 43: Bills bite dust on cut-off day

OLYMPIA -- Fourteen year-olds can probably forget about voting in this year's school board races. English may be the language everyone in the state uses for official events and documents but it’s unlikely to be declared the state’s "official language." The death penalty will likely…

Continue reading this post »


Presidents Day Trivia

In honor of Presidents Day, here is some Oval Office worthy trivia. Before President's Day, the U.S. used to have Washington's Birthday as a federal holiday. What's Washington's real birthday? The faces of what four presidents are carved onto Mount Rushmore? What four state capitals…

Continue reading this post »


Allen will challenge Rush for City Council 23 

Former City Councilman Mike Allen announced last week that he is entering the race to challenge Richard Rush in hopes of once again representing south Spokane. Allen, a former Eastern Washington University administrator, was named to the council to replace Mary Verner after she was…

Continue reading this post »


Presidents Day or Congress's Week

Happy Presidents Day, which should take on extra special meaning considering the wishes come from the only state named for a president. Most government offices are closed, which seems a bit odd concerning the day honors the 44 people who have been at the top…

Continue reading this post »



FRIDAY, FEB. 18, 2011

WA Lege Day 40: Gov signs short-term budget

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire signed most of the supplemental budget designed to keep Washington from slipping into red ink by June 30, using her veto pen for several sections that added back $6.4 million of spending. She said she liked the Legislative spending plan…

Continue reading this post »




WA Lege Day 40: Senate passes budget

OLYMPIA -- The state Senate passed a supplemental budget this morning that cuts about $242 million from planned state spending through the end of June. With little debate, the Senate gave 37-10 approval to the spending plan, which helps ease but doesn't completely solve the…

Continue reading this post »


Members of  the EWU Eagles football team stand for applause from the House of Representatives and members of the gallery. (Jim Camden/staff writer)

WA Lege Day 40: EWU Eagles honored

OLYMPIA-- With a resolution that read like a sports page account of their come-from-behind Division I football championship win, the Senate honored the Eastern Washington University Eagles during this morning's session. Members of the team held the NCAA trophy high and stood with EWU President…

Continue reading this post »

The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.



Blog Archives

Feb. 2011
28 27 25 24 23
22 21 18 17 16
15 14 12 11 10
09 08 07 05 04
03 02 01