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

In brief: Chickenpox to keep 35 students at home

The Spokesman-Review

Thirty-five Garfield Elementary School students will be forced to stay home today, and possibly pulled from school for as long as three weeks, due to an outbreak of chickenpox at the north Spokane school.

Acting on a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Spokane Regional Health District told district officials to keep home students and staff without an updated vaccination or recorded immunity to varicella – the virus that causes the disease.

So far, nine cases of chickenpox have been reported at the school, affecting four classrooms, said health district spokeswoman Julie Graham. An outbreak constitutes two or more cases.

Immunizations are required for registration in public schools, but parents can claim religious or personal exemptions, school officials said.

– Sara Leaming

Olympia

Governor to sign laws in Spokane

Gov. Chris Gregoire will be in Spokane today, signing more than a dozen bills into law.

Among them: A bill giving a tax break to aerospace companies, one to lower fees and allow on-site tasting at small liquor distilleries like Spokane’s Dry Fly Distilling, and one to give a tax break to groups that help weatherize homes.

The aerospace bill, SB 6828, would save companies more than $2.2 million a year in taxes.

The bill-signing will start at 10:45 a.m. in the Gilkey conference room at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, 2316 W. First Ave.

– Richard Roesler

Group totes legislators’ votes

The Legislature called the roll to vote 1,226 times last session, but not every lawmaker voted every time.

A study by the Washington Policy Center shows that seven legislators missed more than 100 votes, while 57 didn’t miss any.

Sen. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, missed 74 roll call votes. Brown told the center it was a result of her duties as Senate majority leader, particularly with negotiations at the end of the session. She was usually nearby, and available to cast a vote if the count was close, she said.

Rep. Steve Hailey, R-Mesa, missed more than 600 votes while undergoing cancer treatment.

Some other legislators explained that they had colds, flu or other maladies, or family obligations like funerals that coincided with busy voting days.

Some, including Rep. Bob Sump, R-Republic, who missed 146 roll call votes, declined the center’s request to offer an explanation.

Among the Eastern Washington legislators who voted every time: Sens. Chris Marr and Mark Schoeler; and Reps. John Ahern, Don Barlow, Joel Kretz, Timm Ormsby, David Schmick and Alex Wood.

– Jim Camden

Boise

Idaho float-home bill includes arbitration

Float-home owners faced with steep rent increases could go into binding arbitration with Idaho marina owners, under legislation that won final passage in the House Wednesday on a 64-4 vote.

All of North Idaho’s representatives voted in favor of the bill, which earlier passed the Senate and now goes to the governor’s desk.

It passed over objections from two Bayview marina owners.

Gov. Butch Otter and other members of the Land Board had requested the bill to clarify disputes between float-home and marina owners, so Otter is likely to sign the bill into law.

– Betsy Z. Russell