“He made the right decision for Eastern Washington today.”

— Kyle Tanner of Premera Watch, a coalition opposed to Premera Blue Cross’ application to convert from a non-profit to a for-profit company, commenting on Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s denial of the request.

“I’m the same person, but I’m not the same person.”

— Lance Sutterlin, describing his efforts to go on with a normal life following a paralyzing accident two years ago.

“The public is excluded from the very nuts and bolts session that has to do with deciding the priorities.”

— Spokane neighborhood activist Jay Cousins, criticizing a city process asking for public feedback about how city revenues should be distributed among a list of priorities.

“There has been no showing that exposure to video games that ‘trivialize violence against law enforcement officers’ is likely to lead to actual violence against such officers.”

— U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in a ruling overturning a Washington state law banning the sale of violent video games to minors.

“If they had read or glanced at the headline of The Spokesman-Review (of July 28, 1985), they would have known that the substance released, Iodine 131, concentrates in the thyroid.”

— Seattle attorney Randy Squires, who is defending Hanford Nuclear Reservation contractors from lawsuits filed by radiation victims known as downwinders, arguing that early media accounts should give his clients protection under the statute of limitations.

“It is a continuation of the political process disguised as science.”

— William Haddad, chairman of Bioenginering Inc., criticizing the U.S. government’s refusal to approve cheaper generic drugs, which the World Health Organization has already approved for Third World AIDS treatment, until they’ve been screened by the Food and Drug Administration.

“After 200 years, it’s time to get along.”

— Stuart Fisk Johnson, president of the Aaron Burr Association, as descendants of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton prepared to re-enact the two men’s historic duel in which Hamilton killed Burr on July 11, 1804.