OLYMPIA -- A Thurston County judge has settled on ballot language for Initiative 1192, which would prohibit same-sex marriage by defining marriage as a civil contract between a man and a woman. This is not to be confused with Referendum 74, which would prohibit same-sex…
OLYMPIA -- Washington might collect about $96 million more in taxes over the next 17 months than previously projected, which isn't much in a $30 billion budget. Relatively speaking, the revenue forecast is flat. That was good news for Democratic legislators trying to fix a…
OLYMPIA – Washington might get the most optimistic budget outlook in years Thursday when state economists deliver the latest revenue forecast. The demand for state services may be lower and the amount of expected revenue may be higher than last November, signaling a shift of…
The Spokane City Council will hit the road Thursday in a new monthly event meant to spark dialogue on city issues. City Council President Ben Stuckart promised in his campaign for the office last year to hold regular forums outside Monday City Council meetings so…
GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. rally Friday evening at the Spokane Convention Center, and is picking up endorsements in and around Spokane. State Rep. Matt Shea, Spokane County Treasurer Rob Chase, and Republican Central Committeemembers John Christina of Spokane…
OLYMPIA – With the legislative session a little more than halfway through, many Washington residents might have a question or two for their state senator or representatives. Some might have lots of questions. Although many legislators are ensconced in Olympia for the duration, some plan…
Rick Santorum became the first presidential candidate to visit the Inland Northwest, just as national polls shows him emerging as the Republican favorite. In response to questions from the press, Santorum downplayed the polls, noting that he had de-emphasized the same polls in recent weeks…
OLYMPIA -- The proposed ballot measure asking voters whether they support or oppose the same-sex marriage bill is Referendum 74, the Secretary of State's office said today. The proposal had been given the number 73 yesterday, when opponents of the law filed for a referendum…
OLYMPIA – Motion Picture State Tax Exemption, take 2. And, action. The Senate again approved the extension of a tax break for movies and television shows shot in Washington. The exemption, first offered in 2002, expired last year because the House failed to act on…
President Obama has added a stop at the Boeing factory in Everett as part of his Wasington state visit on Friday. Word from the Obama re-election campaign says it's part of the campaign theme of "an economy built to last based on American manufacturing and…
Spokane Mayor David Condon and City Council President Ben Stuckart will appear on a live call-in show on KSPS on Wednesday. KSPS is accepting questions for the duo at cityhall@ksps.org. The show starts at 8 p.m. I'll be on the panel for the show, Talk…
The next time it snows, think twice before tossing snow from a driveway into the street. The Spokane City Council on Monday voted 5-1 to outlaw the dumping of snow into public streets or other public property with the exception of planting strips or snow…
Under the watchful eye of Ronald Reagan's portrait, Rick Santorum holds a press conference in the House Republican Caucus Room OLYMPIA – Looking for a chance to “plant a flag” in Washington for the March 3 precinct caucuses, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum stopped by…
Gov. Chris Gregoire signs the same-sex marriage bill. OLYMPIA — Within hours of Gov. Chris Gregoire signing a historic bill to allow same-sex couples to marry in Washington, opponents filed a referendum that would give voters a chance to endorse or reject it in November.…
OLYMPIA -- The same-sex marriage legislation will be signed at 11:30 a.m. today in a ceremony in the State Reception Room. Gov. Chris Gregoire usually signs bills in her conference room, which has a long table, lots of chairs, and is the site for most…
OLYMPIA – Republican leaders in the Legislature have been uniformly critical of the same-sex marriage bills as the proposals worked their way through the two chambers on what can only be described as the fast track. An issue like this generates lots of buzz, both…
Spokane Mayor David Condon unveiled his 100-day action plan on Friday with only 58 days left to complete his list. Among his promises for within his first 100 days in office: - Providing training to police and firefighters for working with “vulnerable” populations. - Form…
OLYMPIA -- The same-sex marriage legislation will be signed at 11:30 a.m. Monday in a ceremony in the State Reception Room. Gov. Chris Gregoire usually signs bills in her conference room, which has a long table, lots of chairs, and is the site for most…
OLYMPIA – Groups like the Union Gospel Mission could go back to dispensing donated eyeglasses to the poor this summer if legislation to protect charities with such programs comes into a little sharper focus in the Legislature. The House and Senate both passed separate bills…
OLYMPIA – Voters will have to decide this fall whether to legalize marijuana for personal use. The Legislature appears unlikely to vote on, or even debate, the marijuana initiative sent to them. The House and Senate government committees held a joint work session (that's not…
OLYMPIA -- A Vancouver man is challenging the state redistricting plans approved to a special commission and adopted recently by the Legislature. John Milem, who attended almost every meeting of the Washington Redistricting Commission and prepared his own maps for new legislative and congressional boundaries,…
OLYMPIA — By a vote of 55-43, the House passed and sent to Gov. Chris Gregoire Wednesday a bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry in Washington. Gregoire, who called for such legislation late last year, will sign it sometime within the next week.…
OLYMPIA -- The debate in the House on the same-sex marriage bill begins around 1 p.m. and goes until... ...no one's quite sure. But the House has nothing else on the schedule as far as committee hearings this afternoon, and has scheduled a 6 p.m.…
OLYMPIA – Faced with a rapidly growing number of requests for public records, the Spokane School District wants to charge the public for the cost of locating and preparing those records. Mark Anderson, associate superintendent, said District 81 wants to pass on the "reasonable costs"…
OLYMPIA -- The House of Representatives scheduled a debate on the same-sex marriage bill to begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Representatives will be debating SB 6239, the version that passed the Senate last week, rather than a House version of the bill. The two bills…