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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control archive for Jan. 1, 2014

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014


Smile when you call it "weed" 

OLYMPIA – “Weed” is not an official weed, at least not in Washington, not now. So says the state Noxious Weed Control Board, which recently discussed whether various forms of cannabis, from recreational marijuana to industrial hemp, should be considered for its list of plants…

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Pot possession prosecutions plummet

OLYMPIA -- Prosecutions of adults for misdemeanor possession of marijuana have practically dropped off the charts since the passage of Initiative 502, the ACLU of Washington said today. Data from the Administrative Office of the Court says there were 7,964 such prosecutions in 2009. That…

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TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

As Palouse Falls. . . 

OLYMPIA – Palouse Falls is officially the state water fall. In a ceremony this afternoon with the Eastern Washington falls as a backdrop and dozens of Washtucna Elementary students around the table, Gov. Jay Inslee signed the bill that bestows the title on the geologic…

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MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2014


Justice Jim Johnson to step down

OLYMPIA -- State Supreme Court will lose one of its more conservative members next month as Justice Jim Johnson announce today he will retire at the end of April. Jim Johnson -- the court has also has Justice Charles Johnson -- is a former state…

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SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2014

WA Lege 2014: The done and the undone 

OLYMPIA – The Legislature closed up shop with seven minutes before its constitutionally mandated midnight stopping time Thursday, ending a short session that was short on expectations, and many would argue, short on accomplishments. After passing an updated operating budget that even supporters said contained…

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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014


OLYMPIA -- Gov Jay Inslee and his wife Trudy watch action on the floor of the Senate on the last evening of the legislative session. (Jim Camden)

Down to the wire

Gov. Jay Inslee and his wife Trudi watch floor action in the Senate on the last night of the session. OLYMPIA -- With time running out, the Legislature agreed to let military veterans attend Washington's public college on in-state tuition, and extended a fee on…

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Supplemental budget passes

OLYMPIA -- Barely six hours after it was unveiled to the public, the Legislature passed the 2014 supplemental budget and sent it to Gov. Jay Inslee. The budget passed the House 85-13, and the Senate 48-1. For a full report, go inside the blog.

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Stick a fork in the medical pot bills

OLYMPIA --Washington's two marijuana systems -- an older one for medical patients and a new one for "recreational use" by adults --may remain separate at least for another year. Legislators involved in negotiations over proposals to merge the two as Washington gets its new legal…

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Budget deal released

OLYMPIA -- A supplemental budget that raises no taxes, offers no new tax loopholes and provides no state-funded raises for teachers is expected to be pushed through the Legislature today on a fast track. Budget negotiators unveiled their negotiated spending plan to the public at…

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WA Lege Day 60: Final day?

OLYMPIA -- On the last day of the regular session, the Legislature has a few things on its plate: A supplemental operating budget, which apparently will be shown to members around 10 a.m., and to the public around noon. It will have to pass in…

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014

House passes end of Innovate WA bill

OLYMPIA -- The latest version of a bill to end the Innovate Washington program passed the House 97-0 Wednesday evening. In the latest iteration, the Spokane-based agency becomes a program in the state Commerce Department that ends on June 30, 2015. In the meantime, it…

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No budget rollout until Thursday

OLYMPIA -- The Legislature will start the last day of its scheduled session without showing the public its supplemental budget. The budget, which is the update of the biennial budget passed last year, is said to be close, with only relatively small things in the…

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OLYMPIA-- Sen. Mark Schoesler, center, discusses what's ahead for the final day of the Legislature at a press conference with Rep. Dan Kristiansen and Sen. Linda Evans Parlette. (Jim Camden)

Transpo package is dead 

Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler talks about what will and won't happen during the remainder of the session at a press conference with House Republican Leader Dan Kristiansen and Senate Republican Caucus Chairwoman Linda Evans Parlette. OLYMPIA -- Good news for Spokane motorists: You won't…

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Budget still 'A work in progress'

OLYMPIA -- Here's a bad sign for anyone expecting the Legislature to conclude its business by midnight Thursday: Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler this morning described the supplemental budget, and two controversial bills, as "a work in progress." Budget leaders of both chambers have been…

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WA Lege Day 59: Final day, minus one

OLYMPIA -- The penultimate day of the session, or Sine Die Eve, dawned without an announcement on a deal for a supplemental budget, or all the things that might go with it, such as a plan to add statewide student tests to teacher evaluations or…

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TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

Drone bill heads to Inslee 

OLYMPIA – State and local law enforcement agencies would need specific approval from their elected officials to buy drones, and a search warrant to use an unmanned surveillance aircraft for much of the information they might collect, under a bill that passed today. . .…

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Should GU v. UW basketball game become law?

OLYMPIA — State law would make the Huskies play the Zags in basketball every year under a proposal introduced Tuesday by a Spokane senator. Considering there’s barely time left int the legislative session to negotiate a budget, getting a vote in both chambers on the…

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