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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Ellen Dennis

Ellen Dennis

Current Position: statehouse reporter

Ellen Dennis came to The Spokesman-Review in June 2023. She is the legislative reporter in our Olympia Bureau covering Washington state legislature. Ellen previously worked as the public safety reporter for the Everett Herald.

Email
ellend@spokesman.com
Phone
(206) 486-5723

All Stories

News >  WA Government

One Bob to rule them all: Two of the three candidates for governor named Bob Ferguson drop out of Washington’s race

Drama that ensued last week when three people named Bob Ferguson all filed campaigns to run for Washington’s governor appeared to have boiled over Monday when two of the trio of Bobs dropped out of the race. On Monday afternoon, state attorney general Bob Ferguson issued a public statement in which he threatened to take legal action if the other two people by the same name did not withdraw their candidacies by the deadline later that day.
News >  Transportation

Getting There: Most Washington IDs won’t fly in a year, state officials say, urging people to get their enhanced licenses for airplane travel

In one year, a standard driver's license or state-issued ID card will no longer be adequate identification for Washington residents to board an airplane, state officials announced last week.Instead, people 18 and older will need to bring an enhanced driver’s license or ID card, U.S. Passport, Tribal ID, Military ID, green card, or another approved identification document with them to the airport.
News >  WA Government

‘Overcoming reefer madness’: Feds appear poised to ease restrictions on weed. Here’s how the change could impact Washington.

The U.S. government is moving toward reclassifying marijuana as a less harmful drug, a federal spokesperson confirmed this week. If finalized, this change in classification by the U.S. Department of Justice would federally recognize the medical use of cannabis. It would not federally legalize the drug for recreational use, however.
News >  WA Government

State Republican Party convention erupts in chaos after GOP leaders try to stop governor endorsement vote

Roughly 1,800 delegates showed up to the three-day political gathering at the Spokane Convention Center, marking the annual event’s highest turnout in history, officials said. The GOP’s attempt to forgo making an endorsement in the governor’s race came after news broke that gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird was convicted in 1993 of a misdemeanor for lying on a credit card application.
News >  Agriculture

Are potatoes vegetables? Yes, but a national committee is hashing out that classification

On Friday, U.S. Senators from Washington and Idaho joined a group of 12 other national lawmakers to send a letter to that advisory committee, urging it to keep potatoes classified as vegetables. The letter was addressed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary Thomas Vilsack and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra.