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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control archive for March 2014

MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014


OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee signs a bill designating the official state oyster, with a plate of them on the table with the bill. (Jim Camden)

Bills, bills and a plate of oysters

OLYMPIA – Children will have to have lawyers before a court can sever their parents’ rights. Juveniles will have more protection against self-incrimination in Washington. Marijuana growers won’t get tax breaks that other farmers get. People who sign local initiative petitions more than once will…

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FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2014


Has the Dream of the '90s found its way to Spokane? 

Spokane's latest push to expand urban farming opportunities had at least one councilman wondering if TV sketch comedians Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein might be lurking nearby. "Sometimes when I'm reading this ordinance I feel like I've landed in an episode of "Portlandia,'" Councilman Mike…

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THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2014


OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee begins signing more than four dozen bills Thursday morning in his office conference room. (Jim Camden)

Inslee signing boatload of bills

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee is scheduled to sign more than four dozens of bills this morning, including: -- a bill to raise fees on vehicle tab replacements and transfers for people who do that online or at county auditors' offices to help pay for…

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014


Robocall may have prompted death threat

Robocalls may be annoying, particularly during campaign season, but for Rep. Kevin Parker, one apparently prompted a death threat. The Spokane Republican contacted the Washington State Patrol this week after someone left a message on his office voice mail with graphic threats to him and…

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TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014


Senators' per diem pay going up 33%

OLYMPIA -- State senators will be able to collect an extra $30 a day for expenses during legislative sessions under a rule approved Tuesday by a committee of their members. The Senate Facilities and Operations Committee voted 4-3 to raise the allowance for daily expenses…

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MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2014

FEMA gives Oso mudslide emergency declaration

OLYMPIA -- The Federal Emergency Management Administration issued a verbal declaration that makes the area around the Snohomish County mudslide eligible for immediate assistance. Gov. Jay Inslee received assurance from FEMA this morning that it will issue a limited emergency declaration for the mudslide area…

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SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014

FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

WA Supreme Court decision on Yates

OLYMPIA -- The Washington Supreme Court handed serial killer Robert Yates what could be a pyrrhic victory in his appeal of his 408-year sentence for 13 murders and one attempted murder. Yes, the court said in a 7-2 ruling, the two 20-year-sentences for a pair…

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014

Immigrant protections added to labor law

OLYMPIA – Washington employers who threaten their immigrant employees with deportation or the destruction of their documents while forcing them to work can be charged with a felony. A new law signed Wednesday stiffens the penalties for coercing workers into forced labor, adding to existing…

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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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