OLYMPIA -- Beavers making a nuisance of themselves in Western Washington could be relocated to Eastern Washington areas that need their help in damming streams, but the furry critters from Eastern Washington couldn't be shipped west under a bill approved Wednesday by the Senate. Seems…
Eastern Washington Republicans might know the “who” for their precinct caucuses this weekend. Three of the four presidential hopefuls have stopped in Spokane over the last three weeks, and all of them have been debating and campaigning for months. Caucus goers might also know the…
OLYMPIA -- Democratic freshmen in the House called this morning for tax reforms ranging from a state capital gains tax to an end to sales tax exemptions for out-of-state shoppers. At a press conference, a dozen first-term Democratic reps also said they'd like the Office…
Two GOP presidential candidates who already held events in the Inland Northwest this month are headed back, Spokane County GOP Chairman Matthew Pederson announced today. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum will hold a rally at noon Thursday at New Life Assembly Church, 10920 E. Sprague…
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature has approved setting aside July 27 as Korean War Veterans' Armistice Day. Today the Senate voted 48-0 on HB 2138, a bill which earlier passed the House 95-0. Why July 27? That's the day in 1953 the armistice was signed after…
No. 6 in line? McMorris Rodgers at a recent press conference. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is ranked No. 6 on a list of 10 possible Republican vice presidential candidates by a GOP leaning election blog, Race 4 2012. It describes her as "the biggest potential…
OLYMPIA – With all the examples of disharmony in the Legislature, it’s nice to tell a tale of folks with different agendas finding common ground and working together. Although it doesn’t involve such high-profile issues as taxes or budgets or gay marriage or abortion, there…
Gingrich answers questions at an Olympia press conference. OLYMPIA -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he thinks allowing same-sex couples to marry is wrong, but the path Washington is taking to change its law is right. Voters should have a chance to decide the…
OLYMPIA -- With two weeks left in the 2012 session, and the Senate's budget proposal still about four days away from being released, some legislators are expressing doubt that they will leave town on time. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown said Thursday, however, she thought…
OLYMPIA – In this year’s volatile Republican presidential campaign, Mitt Romney’s success in the March 3 Washington caucuses may depend on how well he does in the two contests earlier in the week, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the chairwoman of his state campaign, said…
OLYMPIA -- Opponents of same-sex marriage don't like the ballot language that Attorney General Rob McKenna has written for the referendum to overturn the law signed last week. In a motion filed this week in Thurston County Superior Court, Preserve Marriage Washington argues that the…
Josh Romney, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s son, spoke to about 75 people at CenterPlace in Spokane Valley on Tuesday. Romney, 36, is the third of Romney’s five sons. He’s a real estate investor who lives in Salt Lake City. He said his dad will…
OLYMPIA -- House Democrats offered a budget plan that doesn't call for a state tax increase and doesn't make some of the cuts to public schools and state services that Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed in November. The school year wouldn't be shorter. The money the…
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will hold a campaign rally downtown Spokane on Thursday afternoon. His Washington campaign coordinator said Gingrich will be at The Bing Theater at 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. It was earlier described…
Jaydra Cope at the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee hearing. OLYMPIA – Jaydra Cope of Spokane sat patiently through a legislative hearing Monday on federal health care reform as Republicans and Democrats sparred over sections of the law and insurance companies differed over…
OLYMPIA -- You never know who will show up in the "wings" of the Senate or House chambers. That's the area behind the curtains, off the main floor, where members come and go, chat, discuss legislation. On Monday, two former legislators who have now gone…
Sen. Patty Murray, in the state Senate wings on Monday. Sen. Patty Murray is getting some mileage out of a recent e-mail she sent out as head of the group that raises money to elect or re-elect Democrats to the Senate. In it, Murray denounces…
Although Wednesday is technically (although not actually*) Washington's Birthday, today is President's Day. It's a day we give a holiday to most government workers, banks, some parking meters and mail delivery. Congress gets the day off, despite the Separation of Powers. The Washington Legislature does…
With presidential candidates making their quadrennial stops in the Inland Northwest ahead of the caucuses, Republican voters might be wondering how to pick among the four remaining candidates. After all, none of the four has very strong connections to the region, or has spent much…
Mitt Romney doesn’t have a campaign stop in the Inland Northwest yet, but one of his sons, Josh, is attending a campaign meet and greet, plus caucus training, at 12:15 Tuesday at Center Place in the Spokane Valley.
After his rally Friday night, Paul took questions from the media, which was almost entirely from local outlets. (The NBC cameraman told me that he's the last member of the national press who still is following Paul regularly.)
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul may not have won a state primary yet, but he remains a favorite to win Spokane County. A standing-room-only crowd of about 2,300 shouted their support for Paul during his 45-minute speech Friday evening at the Spokane Convention Center. Paul…
OLYMPIA -- It's Day 40 of the Legislative session, which means the regular session is two-thirds over at day's end. House Republicans will be releasing their budget proposal at noon, which might best be described as an alt-budget to the spending plan that will move…
With the race for the Republican nomination for president heating up and candidate Ron Paul headed to Spokane, Spokane Mayor David Condon said he doesn't plan to endorse a candidate. "I'm not going to get involved in national politics," he said. Condon said he hasn't…
OLYMPIA -- A Thurston County judge has settled on ballot language for Initiative 1192, which would prohibit same-sex marriage by defining marriage as a civil contract between a man and a woman. This is not to be confused with Referendum 74, which would prohibit same-sex…
The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.
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