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

Governor

Related Coverage, Page 5

Gov candidates playing up endorsements

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Initiative or no, federal law trumps state on marijuana

Suppose voters decided that they’ve had it with federal drug rules that make marijuana an illegal substance akin to heroin or cocaine, and they change Washington state law to make marijuana legal. Not in all instances, not for everyone, not at any time. But for adults, in regulated quantities, for limited uses.

Gov debate: Who’ll bring more change?

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McKenna to Inslee: two-thirds majority

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Gov debate question 4: Coal trains

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Gov debate Question 3: Education

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Question 3: What will you do about Medicaid

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Governor’s debate: Could be a slight delay.

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Gov debate at 8 p.m.

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Gov debate tonight at WSU-Vancouver

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McKenna lays out schools plan

Washington could spend more money on its public schools and colleges by limiting the growth in other state expenses and changing the way some property taxes are collected, a gubernatorial candidate said Tuesday. Republican hopeful Rob McKenna released new details of his plans to increase spending on education, with an extra $1.25 billion for public schools and $437 million for colleges in the first two years of his tenure if he wins the Nov. 6 election.

Spin Control: Value of debate debate debatable

A sign that Washington’s campaign season remains in the doldrums despite the fact that ballots are in voters’ hands – or at least languishing under a pile of junk mail on some counter – arrived last week with the announcement two gubernatorial debates had been scheduled. One will be in Vancouver at the end of August and another in Yakima in early October. This is great news, not solely because putting Jay Inslee and Rob McKenna on the same stage is instructive for voters and good theater for political junkies. These are also two places that often have little chance to get up close and personal with gubernatorial candidates, let alone host a debate.

Spin Control: Social media leads to inane politics

It’s not clear yet whether this year’s campaign staffs are hell-bent on testing Marshall McLuhan’s theorem that “the medium is the message” or are so enamored with high tech that they think it’s the be-all and end-all of politics. Last week, a member of Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna’s campaign went from paid staffer to suspended staffer to fired staffer in the span of three days. Kathlyn Ehls had typed messages into Twitter that called for Asian-Americans to “learn English” and senior citizens who walk too slowly across the street in front of her vehicle to “get a wheelchair.”

McKenna raises more than Inslee

OLYMPIA – With less than four months to go before Election Day, Republican Rob McKenna holds a $900,000 cash advantage in Washington’s race for governor. New campaign finance reports filed this week show that McKenna has $3.7 million available to spend while Democratic opponent Jay Inslee has $2.8 million. Inslee burned through a large chunk of his cash in recent weeks with a television ad blitz that he used to introduce himself to voters.