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

Spin Control archive for Sept. 2013

MONDAY, SEPT. 30, 2013

Pelz stepping down as state Dem leader

Dwight Pelz, a former state senator and King County councilman, will step down as chairman of the state Democratic Party in February. Pelz notified party officials Monday that he plans to resign after eight years as chairman, allowing the central committee to pick a new…

Continue reading this post »



SATURDAY, SEPT. 28, 2013

Sunday spin: A problem with caucus PACs

OLYMPIA – The political tempest blowing through the Puget Sound last week is the cautionary tale of Michael King and his apparent raids on the treasuries of political action committees set up to elect Democrats to the state Senate. King was charged last week with…

Continue reading this post »

THURSDAY, SEPT. 26, 2013

Fast Food Bandit loses appeal

Spokane’s alleged Fast Food Bandit won’t get a new trial because of a problem with the instructions the jury received before it convicted him of robbery and kidnapping in 2003. Benjamin B. Brockie was accused by police of being responsible for a string of fast-food…

Continue reading this post »

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25, 2013

I-522 fight over pet food 

The opening salvo in the battle over the proposal to label genetically modified foods includes ammunition that hit the mark last year in California: Food you buy for Rover would have to be labeled if it contains those products, recent commercials for opponents say, but…

Continue reading this post »


TUESDAY, SEPT. 24, 2013

Chances to interact with your elected officials

People interested in talking to their elected officials, asking them what they are thinking -- or "What were you THINKING? -- will have several chances in the coming weeks. On the schedule so far: Today: 3rd Legislative District delegation holds "mobile office" meeting for the…

Continue reading this post »

MONDAY, SEPT. 23, 2013


Transportation hearing moves to CV High

A Senate committee's hearings to let the public suggest what to do about the state's transportation problems are proving so popular that the Spokane session is being moved to a bigger venue. The Transportation Committee's "feedback forum" will be at the Central Valley High School…

Continue reading this post »

FRIDAY, SEPT. 20, 2013

Encroachment as a political pawn? 

Alarm over potential Fairchild encroachment is being sounded so often and by so many and over so much these days that it's at risk of becoming a bad Spokane punch line. Don't like the new paint job on your neighbor's house? Argue that it creates…

Continue reading this post »

TUESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2013

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee announces an agreement with the longshoreman's union to remove pickets from the tunnel project in Seattle to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct. (Jim Camden)

Pickets come down at tunnel dig

Inslee says digging to resume soon. OLYMPIA -- The longshoremen's union removed pickets from the site of Seattle's tunnel dig this morning at the request of Gov. Jay Inslee, which could allow the digging to resume in a few days. The work stoppage on one…

Continue reading this post »

SUNDAY, SEPT. 15, 2013

Sunday Spin 2: Which crows are those?

Fearing the long arm of the federal government, the Washington State Liquor Control Board said Friday it was changing the way it would measure the distance between schools and legal pot stores. Instead of 1,000 feet on the most common route of travel, it will…

Continue reading this post »

SATURDAY, SEPT. 14, 2013

Sunday spin: Inslee enters Twitter universe

OLYMPIA – It is impossible these days to criticize any experiment to merge politics with social media without sounding like a 21st Century Luddite, or at least some cranky octogenarian telling teenagers to turn down their music and get off the lawn. Social media, after…

Continue reading this post »


FRIDAY, SEPT. 13, 2013

Proposed pot store rules change again 

OLYMPIA -- Under pressure from the federal government, the state agency trying to develop regulations for legal marijuana stores is again changing a rule regarding how far they must be from schools and playgrounds. Stores selling recreational marijuana to adults must be at least 1,000…

Continue reading this post »


THURSDAY, SEPT. 12, 2013

ResultsWA Town Hall: How tweet was it?

OLYMPIA -- Gov Jay Inslee and about a dozen state officials tried to answer questions and get suggestions about improved state government over Twitter this morning. Thanks, Gov. Good morning and welcome to today's town hall. What do you want to know about #ResultsWA? http://t.co/cNSGOca6DI…

Continue reading this post »



WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11, 2013

More congressional reax on Syria speech 

After President Obama gave his speech on Syria last night, there was a scramble to get reaction from the region's congressional delegation, and fit it into the tight space in this morning's Spokesman-Review. We wound up with a shortened version of the reaction. For a…

Continue reading this post »

TUESDAY, SEPT. 10, 2013

State could try to close pot dispensaries 

OLYMPIA — State officials may crack down on medical marijuana dispensaries next year, even as it licenses other businesses to grow, process and sell the drug for recreational uses. The state’s 15-year-old medical marijuana law was never intended to allow people to make a profit…

Continue reading this post »



Inslee, U.S. attorneys meet on pot

OLYMPIA -- Washington and federal officials had what's being called a "standard followup" meeting this morning about the new policy on state-legal marijuana. Nothing earth-shattering to report, apparently. Gov. Jay Inslee, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and U.S. Attorneys Mike Ormsby and Jenny Durkan has…

Continue reading this post »

SATURDAY, SEPT. 7, 2013

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



Blog Archives

Sept. 2013
30 28 26 25 24
23 20 17 15 14
13 12 11 10 07
06 05 04 03