Jonathan Brunt

The Spokane City Council on Monday likely violated state law by meeting during an anthrax scare, which closed City Hall to the public. Firefighters and police were called to City Hall just prior to the council meeting’s scheduled 3:30 p.m. start after an employee found white powder in a package of office supplies. City spokeswoman Marlene Feist announced at 3:25 p.m. that the session would go on even though the public was no longer allowed to enter City Hall.

A party for the cast-aside Democrats

The campaign of Republican legislative candidate Shelly O’Quinn, which claimed in e-mails to GOP officials that polls showed her “blowing away the competition,” acknowledged Thursday that no such specific polling exists. The revelation came after a complaint was filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission, questioning why O’Quinn’s campaign hadn’t listed polling expenses even though O’Quinn’s campaign manager had boasted about poll data in e-mails. Polling expenses must be reported under state law.

White, Chadez, Billig and Apple take stands on budget cuts

A Spokane Valley roofing business is accusing legislative candidate and Spokane City Councilman Bob Apple of not paying for nearly $9,000 in supplies. But Apple says it’s really Systems Roofers Supply Inc. that owes him money. He says the company, owned by MacArthur Co., is slandering him in the midst of an election.

A legislative candidate who moved into the Spokane-area district she wants to represent just months before filing notice that she would run is dismissing as a nonissue criticism questioning her short-term residency. Shelly O’Quinn, who grew up in Spokane Valley, moved to a South Hill rental home with her family in April 2009. In September, she filed notice with the state Public Disclosure Commission that she was running for the 6th Legislative District House seat now held by Democrat John Driscoll.

More than 120 city employees could face pink slips at the end of the year unless city unions agree to concessions or the City Council increases taxes, officials warned Tuesday. Two months after proposing a budget with more than 40 layoffs, Spokane Mayor Mary Verner told the Spokane City Council in a budgeting strategy session that faltering sales taxes and other factors could result in a 9 percent across-the-board cut to fill a possible $12 million hole.

More than 120 city employees could face pink slips at the end of the year unless city unions agree to concessions or the City Council increases taxes, officials warned Tuesday. Two months after proposing a budget with more than 40 layoffs, Spokane Mayor Mary Verner told the Spokane City Council in budgeting strategy session that faltering sales taxes and other factors could result in a 9 percent across-the-board cut to fill a possible $12 million hole.

City voters won’t need to add an extra stamp to mail back their ballots in the November election. The Spokane City Council on Monday voted 4-3 to delay sending more than a dozen City Charter changes to the ballot.

Ahern, Driscoll give their views on police oversight, global warming, abortion

It’s one of the most contested primaries in Eastern Washington, but voters won’t get a chance to see a debate of the candidates for the state House seat representing the 6th Legislative District before the Aug. 17 primary. The one debate that was scheduled for incumbent Democrat John Driscoll and Republicans Shelly O’Quinn and John Ahern was canceled after Driscoll and Ahern decided not to participate. Unlike her opponents, O’Quinn has refused to participate in video interviews on campaign issues with The Spokesman-Review.

It’s the case of the unknown videographer, and it highlights the tension between the campaigns of legislative candidates John Ahern and Shelly O’Quinn. A low-tech video of O’Quinn speaking to the Friday Morning Republican Breakfast Club was posted on YouTube in early May. O’Quinn said she was unaware she was being recorded.

Two years ago John Driscoll beat four-term incumbent state Rep. John Ahern by only 72 votes. This year, the two face off again in the August primary, along with political newcomer Shelly O’Quinn in a three-way primary that has been one of the most contentious for local Republicans.

Two newcomers to politics say it’s time for a change in the state House seat held by veteran Democrat Timm Ormsby. But Ormsby, who has held the 3rd District position since 2003, points to his experience and says having spent most of his life in Spokane, he’s intimately knowledgeable of how the state can assist what is often labeled Washington’s poorest legislative district.

Speculation that Rep. Alex Wood might retire after more than a decade representing central Spokane in the state House of Representatives sparked vast interest in the seat among Democrats. After all, the 3rd Legislative District is Eastern Washington’s most reliably Democratic district.

It’s one of the most contested primaries in Eastern Washington, but voters won’t get a chance to see a debate of the candidates for the state House seat representing the 6th Legislative District before the Aug. 17 primary.

Gregoire's office says governor missed Spokane budget hearing to give speech at global health forum

O'Quinn video on YouTube causes stir in GOP

Much of Thursday’s state hearing in Spokane aimed at finding solutions to the state’s financial turmoil would do little to balance a two-year state budget that’s expected to be $3 billion out of whack. Among the requests from the 43 people who testified at the fourth and final in a series of hearings sponsored by the Office of Financial Management: Don’t cut money that pays to educate our youth. Don’t cut jobs of parole officers who keep an eye on violent offenders. Don’t cut money that keeps the elderly in their own homes. Don’t cut budgets that prevent people with disabilities from becoming homeless. Don’t cut park grants. Don’t cut benefits of state workers. Don’t cut programs that help keep mentally ill people stable and out of trouble. Don’t cut money aimed at revitalizing rural communities. Don’t make community college inaccessible by forcing higher tuition. Don’t cut environmental agencies that help keep water safe.