Ron Jackson, long-time Valley sports coach and sometime Valley political activist, passed away last week at age 83. With wife Sally, Ron was a mainstay of Democratic politics in the Spokane Valley, something that wasn’t rare when they got started many decades ago but required…
OLYMPIA — State workers will not be licensing medical marijuana growers or dispensaries, and patients will not be able to sign onto a registry that could save them from arrest. Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed most of a bill this afternoon that would have established a…
OLYMPIA -- The state employees union joined the fray over the medical marijuana bill, urging Gov. Chris Gregoire in a letter today to veto it. The letter from Greg Devereaux, executive director of the Washington Federation of State Employees, said the law would put them…
OLYMPIA -- There is nothing to preview for today's activity in the special session. That's because there's nothing happening. Nothing, as in zero, nil, null, nada, zilch, zip, zippo, goose egg, bupkis...we could go on, but you probably get the point. The Senate recessed Thursday…
OLYMPIA – A legislative proposal to release some inmates a few months early as a budget-saving measure is a bad idea, prison officials warned Thursday. The state already ordered early release for many non-violent, low-risk inmates in previous years as a way to help balance…
OLYMPIA -- Federal agents are unlikely to arrest state workers for regulating medical marijuana, despite warnings from two federal prosecutors, a constitutional law expert told Gov. Chris Gregoire Thursday. Hugh Spitzer, a University of Washington law professor and one of the state's top constitutional scholars,…
The Daily Show - Believe It or Believe It - Obama Releases Long-Form Birth Certificate Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook Jon Stewart skewers both the birther conspiracy and the news media covering it.
OLYMPIA -- The seemingly leisurely pace continues here, with some floor action expected in the Senate but bupkis on tap for the House. Senate Ways and Means Committee has a hearing this morning on changes to the Department of Corrections that allows for some early…
OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire threatened Wednesday to veto most, and possibly all, of a bill that would set up state oversight of medical marijuana operations. The bill received final approval from the Senate last week, but federal prosecutors in Spokane and Seattle had earlier…
It was with some regret that I heard Wednesday morning that President Obama has released his birth certificate. There is no issue that is better for generating comments for this website than whether Obama was born in the USA, and I am sad to see…
OLYMPIA -- The Senate approved a $100 per year fee on electric cars, a move supporters say will help those vehicles share the cost of road repairs covered by gasoline taxes. SB 5251 didn't pass both chambers in the same version during the regular session,…
OLYMPIA -- The Senate had a quick startup this morning then went into caucus, where the honorables are expected to spend some time before returning for floor votes "later in the day", folks from the Senate Democratic offices said. No committee hearings until tomorrow, when…
Chris Bowen, who ran a strange and unsuccessful campaign for state representative in 2008, is confident he'll win his next race. Bowen, 33, has filed to run for Bob Apple's seat on the Spokane City Council. "At the end of the day, this is my…
OLYMPIA -- Washington state could save about $4.5 million over the next two years by supplying more women with better birth control, a Senate panel was told Tuesday. But a critic of the proposal to spend more state money on a family planning program suggested…
OLYMPIA -- The state may wait a day to pay public schools about $253 million this summer, and the schools would either have to do the same to their creditors or borrow money, as a way to make the budget balance at the end of…
OLYMPIA -- After a three-day Easter break, the Legislature gets back to work today for the start of the Special Session. The Senate got started at 1 p.m., taking up a handful of bills that got kicked back to them when time ran out last…
Legislators talk a lot. Sometimes, they come up with things that make one wonder if there should be a new television reality series, “$#@! Our Lawmakers Say.” They make interesting analogies, like Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, did last week while waxing effusive over the Senate’s…
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature will quit sometime today and return for a special session on the budget at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Gov. Chris Gregoire, standing with the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate, said this afternoon they had reached agreement on when…
OLYMPIA — The House passed and sent to the governor a $9 billion transportation bill that includes money for roads, bridges and ferry projects for the next two years. Included in 47-page summary of projects on the bill will cover are $72 million to continue…
OLYMPIA -- This is scheduled to be the last day of the 105-day regular session, and the announcement of the first day of the special session of undetermined length. Gov. Chris Gregoire's office expects to announce the start date for a special session sometime today,…
OLYMPIA -- The Senate gave final passage this morning to a bill that attempts to regulate medical marijuana production and sales, setting up a possible showdown with the governor, who opposes provisions for state employees regulating different aspects of the system. On a 27-21 vote,…
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature is moving toward its temporary adjournment today, trying to pass as many bills as possible on which both chambers agree. And the House may have a bit of fireworks over a bill on which there isn't universal agreement, SB 5566, which…
OLYMPIA – One of the people gathered around the table as Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the bill outlawing “motorcycle profiling” last week may have been a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang who once killed a Portland police officer. The above photo of the event…
OLYMPIA – The Legislature is expected to adjourn its regular session Friday afternoon without passing final general operating, transportation or capital projects budgets. It will return, but when and for how long, state officials couldn’t predict Wednesday. Gov. Chris Gregoire said she’s reluctant to call…