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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control Jim Camden

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

A handful of demonstrators gathered on the north steps of the Capitol on April 5, 2011 to protest proposed budget cuts to state programs. (Jim Camden/The Spokesman-Review)

Wa Lege Day 86: Rain dampens protests

Protesters gather on the north steps of the Capitol Tuesday at noon. OLYMPIA -- Tuesday is the start of several days of protests over proposed cuts in the state budget. Organizers had promised to bring a couple hundred to the Capital from around Olympia, but…

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SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2011

Budget protests coming to Olympia

OLYMPIA – When the party that’s in becomes the party that’s out, one can expect an increase of unhappy people coalescing and demonstrating against the new order. But if one is aligned with the party that’s in, and those leaders aren’t doing what one thinks…

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FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011



WA Lege Day 82=April Fool's Day

OLYMPIA -- First day of April rolls around and reporters tend to hold their breath, wondering what sort of silliness might they be sent by fax, e-mail, voicemail, Twitter, Facebook...So many delivery systems, so little time. First such missive came early this morning from Sen.…

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WA Lege Day 82: Museum bill on hold

OLYMPIA -- A plan to rearrange state cultural agencies and find money for the Museum of Arts and Culture is on hold today after a House committee couldn't be sure it had the votes to pass amendments for it. Rep. Sam Hunt, chairman of the…

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011

Groups promise large protests next week

OLYMPIA -- A coalition of labor unions, church groups, social service workers and progressive organizations plan to bring thousands of protesters to the state capital next week for a series of escalating demonstrations against budget cuts. They'll try to put pressure on state legislators, who…

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011


TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2011

Senate passes $100 fee for electric vehicles

OLYMPIA --A proposed $100 fee on electric vehicles, to help pay for road construction and maintenance from which those cars benefit without paying gasoline taxes, passed the Senate today after a ruling that it needed only a simple majority. SB 5251 would require electric car…

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The sounds of marching, charging feet...

Several marches and demonstrations are on the calendar in the coming days, and the summer's not even here*. Here's a quick list: March to Demand Peace and Promote Justice 3 p.m. Sunday Starts at Veterans Memorial Arena, ends at Riverfront Park. Organizers say it will…

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WA Lege Day 79: Another deadline

OLYMPIA -- It's another cut off day in the Legislature, in which appropriations bills have to get out of their committees today or risk oblivion. That doesn't count for bills in the Ways and Means or Capital committees, but the various other spending committees are…

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MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011

Poster of Geraldine Ferraro from the 1984 presidential campaign (Jim Camden/Spokesman-Review)

When Ferraro did Spokane

It was just days after the 1984 Democratic National Convention, when she'd been named the first woman vice presidential candidate on a major party's ticket, that Geraldine Ferraro did Spokane. For those who can't remember back that far, think back to 2008, when another relatively…

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FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011


Cherry blossoms starting to bloom at the Washington state Capitol campus, March 25, 2011. (Jim Camden/The Spokesman-Review)

WA Lege Day 75: Workers comp is 100

OLYMPIA -- There's an air of TGIF around the Capitol, with light schedules in committees and some morning floor activity. The Senate has a resolution commemorating the 100th anniversary of the state's Workers Compensation System. Democrats may be eager to wish it many happy returns…

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THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2011

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2011



MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2011

WA Gasoline tax: We're No. 6

That's what the Tax Foundation says, anyway. Washington's 37.5 cents per gallon tax on gasoline ranks behind: California (46.6 cents), New York (44.6 cents), Hawaii (44.4 cents), Connecticut (41.9 cents) and Illinois (39 cents), the foundation reported last year. Idaho and Oregon are tied for…

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Jim Camden
Jim Camden joined The Spokesman-Review in 1981 and retired in 2021. He is currently the political and state government correspondent covering Washington state.

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