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Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Re-elect the incumbents in the 6th Legislative District

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 20, 2020

Looking to cement their majority in the Legislature, Democrats are spending big in 6th Legislative District races. The Democratic candidates for Positions 1 and 2 have raised more than $350,000 combined this year, more than double what the Republican incumbents have raised.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Choose three incumbents and one challenger in down-ticket statewide races

Sun., Oct. 18, 2020

With Election Day rapidly approaching, we offer recommendations in four races for statewide offices that often don’t get the attention they deserve: superintendent of public instruction, auditor, treasurer and commissioner of public lands. Three incumbents deserve reelection. One does not.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Re-elect all three Democratic 3rd District incumbents

Wed., Oct. 14, 2020

In Washington’s 3rd Legislative District, three incumbents are asking voters for another term. We recommend voters oblige them. Sen. Andy Billig, Rep. Marcus Riccelli and Rep. Timm Ormsby have done well by the district, and their opponents don’t offer compelling reasons to change course.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: McMorris Rodgers deserves another term in House

Sun., Oct. 11, 2020

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers has represented Washington’s sprawling 5th Congressional District since 2005. We recommend voters send her back for another term.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Re-elect Kerns and Kuney for Spokane County Commission

Sun., Oct. 4, 2020

Two of the three Spokane County commissioners are up for re-election, and each faces a strong challenger. Criminal justice reform, the county budget in a pandemic-induced recession, assistance for economic victims of COVID-19, open union negotiations and more will demand the attention of the winners.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Vote yes for sex ed and long-term care investments

Sun., Sept. 27, 2020

It’s a refreshingly light year for ballot measures, and only two of them actually do anything. Referendum 90 would require sex education in public schools. And Senate Joint Resolution 8212 would allow the state’s new Long-Term Care Trust Fund to invest in the stock market. We recommend a yes vote on each.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Voters should step out from under Shea’s shadow in the 4th

UPDATED: Tue., Sept. 22, 2020

Matt Shea isn’t on the ballot this year, but his shadow hangs over the races in the 4th Legislative District. Shea is the disgraced former state representative who resigned this year after a scathing investigation all but accused him of treason. Yet in some corners of the district, people hang onto his most outlandish and belligerent ideas. It’s time for moderate, sensible voters to make a clean break from them.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Washington must not forget Malden and Pine City

Sun., Sept. 13, 2020

Our hearts go out to the residents of Malden, Pine City and other communities devastated by the wildfires sweeping the West.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Help Spokane renters without worrying where their landlords live

Sun., Sept. 6, 2020

If you live in Spokane and lost income because of the COVID-19 pandemic, you might be eligible for rental assistance. The city is distributing money from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The hitch? Your landlord must live in the city, too, or have a “principal place of business in Spokane.”

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Court is in session thanks to creative county collaboration

Sun., Aug. 30, 2020

In ordinary times, a community’s fairgrounds would be an extremely unlikely setting for a civil or criminal trial. These aren’t ordinary times. Thanks to a bit of creative thinking by local officials, “All rise!” may soon replace “Step right up!” at the Spokane County Fairgrounds & Expo Center.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: COVID didn’t cause the need for a county clerk tech upgrade

Sun., Aug. 23, 2020

Spokane County received $90 million under the federal CARES Act. That money is meant to help the community adapt to and rebound from the pandemic. It’s not supposed to be a slush fund for projects unrelated to COVID-19 such as implementing an electronic filing system at the county clerk’s office.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Overdue pandemic relief for undocumented immigrants

Sun., Aug. 16, 2020

Congress has gone on vacation without passing the next round of pandemic relief.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: It’s time to fluoridate Spokane’s water

Sun., Aug. 9, 2020

Three public health advocates recently kicked a hornets’ nest when they asked Spokane City Council to add fluoride to the city’s drinking water. Let the hornets buzz. Council should add fluoride to the city’s water to improve the dental health of all residents.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Judge kneecaps press independence in Seattle

Sun., July 26, 2020

A judge in King County last week not only made journalists’ jobs harder, but he put them in danger on the streets. Higher courts should immediately intervene to ensure that a free press can continue to function without serving a dual role as unwilling police informant.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Advice for primary voters

UPDATED: Tue., July 21, 2020

Washington voters have begun receiving their ballots for the Aug. 4 Washington state primary. As they scan the many contested primary races, they should think strategically about their votes.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Show your support for local news

Sun., July 12, 2020

Local news faces unprecedented challenges. First the internet changed everything. Then hedge funds started buying up newspapers and vivisecting them for profit. Now a pandemic has slashed an already-strained advertising model. If local newspapers are to survive and serve their communities, they need help, help like the Local Journalism Sustainability Act.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: State attorney general advances the conversation about race and law enforcement

UPDATED: Fri., July 3, 2020

Americans are engaged in a long-overdue conversation about race and policing. Last week, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson waded into it with some smart proposals about tracking police use of deadly force and better recognizing and responding to bias crimes.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Search nationally for a new Spokane schools superintendent

Sun., June 28, 2020

Spokane Public Schools superintendent Shelley Redinger is departing to Richland. Replacing her successfully will require a national search done transparently and with meaningful public engagement.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Wear a mask in public

Sun., June 21, 2020

As Spokane County and all of Washington lurches toward full reopening, all residents must help curb the spread of COVID-19. If people take sensible precautions and participate in contact tracing, communities will be on a path toward economic and social reinvigoration. If not, the state will relapse into a rapidly spreading pandemic.

Opinion > Editorial

Editorial: Send Spokane Police Guild contract back for more work

Sun., June 14, 2020

Send Spokane Police Guild contract back for more workWith protests and national attention shining fresh scrutiny on the role of police in community safety, this is either the best or worst time possible for the Spokane Police Guild to seek a new contract. It’s great if you’re a believer in reform, government oversight and prudent fiscal policy. It’s not so great if you’re a cop looking for a raise and minimal watchdogging.

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