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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control archive for Jan. 1, 2013

MONDAY, OCT. 14, 2013

This map shows the business tax structures for all the states. (The Tax Foundation)

WA No. 6 for good biz tax structure

Washington state has the sixth best structure for business taxes in the country, the Tax Foundation said. In its annual report on state tax "climates", the foundation gave Washington high marks...as it usually does. This may surprise people who have heard the business community complain…

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OLYMPIA -- Members of public employees' unions gather on the walkway over Capitol Boulevard to protest the federal government's partial shutdown and demand Congress end it. (Jim Camden)

Shutdown protest

OLYMPIA -- Members of the public employees' unions gathered on the arched walkway over Capitol Boulevard at lunchtime today with signs calling for an end to the federal government's partial shutdown.

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Parking meter holiday in Spokane

Columbus Day may not be as big of a holiday as it once was: Fewer people have the day off with pay. There aren't any local parades. The weather's a bit nippy for picnics. And then there's that whole legacy question about whether we should…

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SUNDAY, OCT. 13, 2013

Ballots in the mail this week

Nearly 4 million Washington voters will be mailed ballots this week as county elections offices begin sending them to the post office on Wednesday. Voter information pamphlets should also be arriving, if they haven’t already. Unlike the primary, which was kind of hit or miss…

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Sunday spin2: Tourism folks, take note

A look at the Official Records most days shows some same-sex couples from other states come to Spokane to get married, and some gay rights advocates have suggested there’s a chance to capitalize on Washington’s status as one of a handful of states that allow…

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SATURDAY, OCT. 12, 2013

Sunday spin: I-517 seeking attention

OLYMPIA – Supporters of Initiative 517, which may be struggling as the other initiative on the November ballot, tried to get some traction last week with what they said is a “shocking trend” in Washington politics. This fight for attention is a tough one .…

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THURSDAY, OCT. 10, 2013

Nearing an end to the landline phone era?

OLYMPIA – If you want the surest sign that telephone that hanging on your wall or resting on your desk is on the way out, this may be it: Washington regulators may soon allow CenturyLink, the state’s biggest provider of home phone service, to charge…

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WEDNESDAY, OCT. 9, 2013

McMorris Rodgers part of negotiating team on shutdown

Time Magazine is reporting Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, has been selected by House Speaker John Boehner to negotiate Thursday with President Barack Obama on the partial federal government shutdown. Obama originally invited all members of the House of Representatives to 1600 W. Pennsylvania Ave.…

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OLYMPIA -- Carol Holt, Robert Martin and Barbara King (seated, left to right) count petitions for I-594,  a gun control initiative, while Kate Ayres carries counted stacks to a storage box in the Secretary of State's elections division office. (Jim Camden)

I-594 sponsors turn in 250K signatures

Carol Holt, Robert Martin and Barbara King count petitions whild Kate Ayers shuttles stacks of I-594 to a storage box. OLYMPIA — Sponsors of a proposal to expand background checks for gun purchases turned in 250,000 signatures Wednesday to qualify it as an initiative to…

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TUESDAY, OCT. 8, 2013


Parker hosting human trafficking meeting

A legislator, a member of a youth volunteer organization and a major league pitcher will host a town hall meeting on human trafficking Wednesday evening in North Spokane. Rep. Kevin Parker, R-Spokane, said the meeting is designed to discuss what the state is doing to…

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MONDAY, OCT. 7, 2013

Health benefits website running smoother

OLYMPIA – More than 165,000 people have visited Washington’s website designed to help them find medical insurance, and about 9,400 individuals or families have enrolled in some type of plan. After some computer problems in the opening days that resulted in long delays for both…

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This map, from Cook's Political Report, shows the districts of House Republicans who signed a letter calling for defunding of Obamacare (Cook's Political Report)

A bloc against Obamacare

One reason the shutdown remains so intractable is a core of House Republicans who signalled in August they wanted to eliminate the federal health care reforms. In a letter to Speaker John Boehner, 80 House Republicans said they supported using the "power of the purse"…

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WEDNESDAY, OCT. 2, 2013



Shutdown cancels WA Guard weekend training

Washington National Guard units canceled monthly training this weekend because of the federal government shutdown. A Guard spokeswoman said some 8,000 members of Army and Air Guard units across Washington will forego their drill weekend -- and the paycheck from the federal government that goes…

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MONDAY, SEPT. 30, 2013

Pelz stepping down as state Dem leader

Dwight Pelz, a former state senator and King County councilman, will step down as chairman of the state Democratic Party in February. Pelz notified party officials Monday that he plans to resign after eight years as chairman, allowing the central committee to pick a new…

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SATURDAY, SEPT. 28, 2013

Sunday spin: A problem with caucus PACs

OLYMPIA – The political tempest blowing through the Puget Sound last week is the cautionary tale of Michael King and his apparent raids on the treasuries of political action committees set up to elect Democrats to the state Senate. King was charged last week with…

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 26, 2013

Fast Food Bandit loses appeal

Spokane’s alleged Fast Food Bandit won’t get a new trial because of a problem with the instructions the jury received before it convicted him of robbery and kidnapping in 2003. Benjamin B. Brockie was accused by police of being responsible for a string of fast-food…

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WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25, 2013

I-522 fight over pet food

The opening salvo in the battle over the proposal to label genetically modified foods includes ammunition that hit the mark last year in California: Food you buy for Rover would have to be labeled if it contains those products, recent commercials for opponents say, but…

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The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.



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