OLYMPIA -- If the Legislature were a transcontinental flight, someone would be telling the pilot "We're past the point of no return." Dramatic as that sounds, it's really just the point when you are closer to the place you're landing than the place you left.…
The Spokane Ethics Commission on Wednesday dismissed complaints against two City Council members who were accused of improperly using city resources to promote their positions on propositions on the ballot in last month’s special election. Council President Ben Stuckart and Councilwoman Amber Waldref acknowledged that…
OLYMPIA -- The state should reduce its Supreme Court by four members to save money, Sen. Mike Baumgartner says. In a bill introduced today with two Republican colleagues, the Spokane legislator said the state could save as much as $2 million a year by reducing…
Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich asked the Legislature last month to change the laws to make it harder for cops who get fired for breaking the law to be reinstated by an arbitrator. Police organizations argued that the current systyem works just fined. A Senate…
OLYMPIA -- The Senate voted unanimously this morning to expand the time a person can be charged with sex crimes against a minor. Under Senate Bill 5100, a suspect in a sexual assault, molestation, incest of indecent liberties case could be charged at any time…
OLYMPIA – The Senate tried to strengthen laws against human trafficking Monday, approving a pair of bills that would crack down on sex crimes involving minors. In the first of two unanimous votes, the Senate agreed to add a fine of up to $5,000 on…
If you're tired of hearing about the sequester from the Sunday morning talk shows, consider the explanation from Saturday Night Live.
OLYMPIA -- The legislative session hits the big Five-Oh today, and has floor sessions scheduled throughout the day. No committee hearings at all, just caucus meetings, debates and votes. Might even have evening sessions. Lists of bills coming up for votes will be expected as…
OLYMPIA –As most of official Olympia repeatedly hit the “refresh” button Thursday morning on their computers to catch the state Supremes’ decision on tax supermajorities as soon as possible, a handful of legislators got a briefing on something with the potential for far more impact…
Happy Birthday to WA. Happy Birthday to WA. Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday to WA. You can sing that today to mark the 160th anniversary of this part of the Northwest becoming Washington. The Secretary of State's office informs us that on this day…
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers gets time on "Political Capital with Al Hunt" tonight to defend House Republicans' approach to the nation's budget problems and lay the blame on Senate Democrats and President Obama. The show airs first at 6 p.m. Pacific tonight on Bloomberg TV,…
OLYMPIA -- It's another cut-off day in the Legislature. . . which does not mean we'll be seeing legislators walking around in old jeans that have been shortened to shorts. This is the day that bills with some kind of fiscal impact must get out…
The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.
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