OLYMPIA -- The state Supreme Court says it will wait to see what the special session brings before considering what to do about penalties for the Legislature failing to come up with a plan to improve public schools. But only just.
As expected, Rep. Susan Fagan delivered a letter of resignation to Gov. Jay Inslee today.
OLYMPIA -- Rep. Susan Fagan will resign Friday in the face of ethics violations that House officials have deemed "extremely serious." Fagan, a Pullman Republican, is accused of inflating the reimbursements she got for such expenses as mileage, using state resources for campaigning, and pressuring staff to change reports to inflate payments.
A woman makes $11,614 less than a man, on average, at Spokane City Hall. And while women make up nearly half the city's population, they hold just a quarter of positions in city government. Of the six-figure earners at City Hall, women make up just 12 percent.
The proposed sales tax increase for the Spokane Transit Authority is doing well in the cities of Spokane, Airway Heights, Cheney and Medical Lake, and at Fairchild Air Force Base. But it's getting hammered in much of the Valley and the unincorporated West Plains.
OLYMPIA – The family and friends of a Spokane woman killed by her estranged husband in a murder-suicide last summer, watched Tuesday as the bill they hope will prevent similar tragedies was signed into law.
The Republican commissioner, who is in the midst of a public disagreement over transit funding with colleague Al French, said Tuesday she supports a measure to add two members to the Spokane County Commission.
OLYMPIA -- Legislative leaders met with the governor and his budget chief today in what were variously described as a "useful meeting" and a "good discussion." Don't read that to expect a quick resolution to the dispute over the state budget.
OLYMPIA – There will be some well-deserved grousing for the next couple of days about the Legislature and the things it didn’t do. Chief among them, of course, is not passing budgets. Critics inside and outside the hallowed chambers will be right to say this is the Legislature's chief goal. But they'll be wrong to act all that surprised.
OLYMPIA-- Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill that will blend the state's medical marijuana system into state oversight that currently covers the recreational pot businesses.
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature is moving toward sine die -- or is it tiny die? phony die? -- sometime today, but there may still be deals to be made before the gavel comes down.
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature's regular 105-day session will end Friday, on day 103. The special session will begin next Wednesday, April 29, Gov. Jay Inslee said today.
OLYMPIA -- In what may be the most unusual alignment of political bedfellows of the session, anti-tax initiative maven Tim Eyman told supporters they may need Gov. Jay Inslee to save the state from a massive tax increase proposed by Senate Republicans.
OLYMPIA – A campaign finance reform that supporters said would shine light on “dark money” in politics appears dead after a procedural fight that suggested growing acrimony between the two caucuses in the Senate Wednesday. The Republican leader said the bill still needed study but its prime sponsor said "dark money found a way to kill the bill."
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee wants the Legislature to do more in the special session than satisfy the Supreme Court on public schools and come up with a new transportation package. He wants them to pass some environmental bills, too.
OLYMPIA – A bill to ban therapies that try to change the sexual orientation of homosexual youths is likely dead for this legislative session. Although both chambers gave strong support to some different proposals that would ban certain therapies, the Senate refused Tuesday to go as far as the House and voted down an effort to keep talking.
OLYMPIA -- No official word yet on when a special session would be called, but Gov. Jay Inslee said today one seems likely and he'll be talking to legislative leaders about the details.
OLYMPIA – The chorus for Troy Kelley to resign as state auditor after he was indicted on federal charges Thursday grew louder as last week drew to a close, but any effort to force him out faces significant problems.
OLYMPIA – A proposed change in the way school districts levy property taxes and help pay their teachers was described by Republican supporters as “revenue neutral” when introduced this week. But Democratic opponents counter it’s really a massive property tax on some residents, and a tax break for others.
OLYMPIA -- There's no official announcement yet, but the signs are strong the Legislature is headed to a special session.
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee reiterated his call for State Auditor Troy Kelley to step down, having a letter asking him to resign delivered by hand this morning.
A gathering of right- and left-leaning activists and politicians found common cause Thursday evening as they met in the Spokane City Council chambers to discuss their opposition to an ambitious trade accord between 12 Pacific nations, including the United States. The 20 people gathered to…
OLYMPIA -- Budget talks between House Democrats and Senate Republicans reached an impasse on Wednesday, making it less and less likely the Legislature can find compromises on a $38 billion-plus operating budget before the session is scheduled to end April 26.
OLYMPIA – With the end of the legislative session on the horizon, Democrats and Republicans unveiled different plans Wednesday to pump more state money into public schools, something the state Supreme Court has said they must do.
OLYMPIA -- Only 11 days left in the regular session, but that doesn't mean there are no new ideas floating around. Senate Democrats unveiled a trio of bills that would put more money into schools through a capital gains tax on the upper, upper income and rearrange the levy system. Senate Republicans may have a plan of their on in the afternoon.
The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.
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