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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Ellen Dennis

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News >  Nation

Local law experts hope Supreme Court provides a more clear answer in Colorado case centering on Trump eligibility

Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case challenging former President Donald Trump’s eligibility to hold office again. Through more than two hours of oral arguments, the court’s nine justices appeared poised to reject the effort to ban the Republican presidential front-runner from a state ballot on allegations that he engaged in insurrection. Late last year, the Colorado Supreme Court made an unprecedented ruling to remove Trump from the state’s Republican primary ballot. On Thursday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case.

News >  WA Government

State lawmaker proposes heat pump grant to help homeowners rebuild in wake of Spokane County fires

A state budget committee on Monday voted in unanimous support of a proposed grant program to sustainably rebuild structures lost in wildfires around Washington. Inspired by the devastation the Gray and Oregon Road fires brought to Spokane County, the bill was born out of a monthslong debate among eastern Washington residents over changes to building code in the state that take effect next month. The state Building Code Council announced those changes last year.
News >  WA Government

Providence hospitals in Washington to forgive thousands of medical debts in charity care lawsuit

Providence Medical Group and affiliated hospitals in Washington must pay back millions of dollars to patients who were illegally and “aggressively” deceived, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Feb. 1. A resolution filed in King County Superior Court requires the 14 Providence-affiliated hospitals in the state to refund more than $155 million payments illegally collected from low-income patients. $137 million of that sum will go to pay off illegally collected medical debt. Another $20 million will go to patients who were charged for doctor visits, despite qualifying for free or reduced-cost health care.
News >  WA Government

As elections loom in the age of AI, Washington officials look for answers

On Jan, 30, Gov. Jay Inslee signed an executive order requiring state agencies to make guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence that mimics the human brain to create new pictures, words, sounds and videos. Known as generative AI, this form of creative artificial intelligence now plays a role in pretty much any space where people use smartphones or can access the internet. Questions about the morality and safety of AI’s place in classrooms, courtrooms, or driving cars have been a key issue in this year's state legislative session.
News >  WA Government

Effort to repeal Washington’s capital gains tax advances toward November ballot

On Tuesday, the Secretary of State’s Office announced that organizers of an effort to repeal the capital gains tax collected enough signatures to put the initiative on the November election ballot. The program instituted a 7% tax on the sale or exchange of long-term capital assets like stocks, bonds and some other types of investments exceeding the value of $250,000.
News >  WA Government

Proposed law would make hundreds of Washington prisoners eligible for resentencing if they are serving time for juvenile records

In 2023, the state Legislature passed a law that abolished the state from adding extra prison time onto an adult’s sentence for his or her juvenile adjudications. But the law only applied to newly-convicted people, meaning people serving time for adult felonies still have to serve extra time in some cases if they have a past juvenile record. The state’s House Committee on Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry on Monday held a hearing about a proposed bill sponsored by Rep. Stearns that would make last year’s law retroactively apply to currently incarcerated people and in most cases require the state to afford those people a resentencing hearing.
News >  WA Government

‘It’s impossible’: 6 months after devastating fires, Medical Lake officials ask Washington government for more aid

On Thursday, a state legislative committee unanimously advanced a proposed law that would require the Washington Military Department to create and oversee a program for long-term community recovery from disasters such as the Gray and Oregon Road fires. But Spokane County still needs serious financial support to rebuild the town it lost.
News >  WA Government

State certifies ballot measure that would overturn Washington’s carbon auction market

On Jan. 16, the Secretary of State’s Office announced that organizers of an effort to repeal the two-year-old Climate Commitment Act collected enough signatures for their initiative to make it onto the November ballot. The climate law required the state’s biggest polluters, such as power companies and oil refineries, to start paying for their greenhouse gas emissions through buying allowances in auctions. So far the auctions have raised an estimated $1.8 billion.