Guest Opinion

By Crystal Pyrak, M.D.

A June 18 announcement by the Biden administration that it plans to create a Columbia River Task Force led by political appointees at the White House Council on Environmental Quality has reignited the long-simmering dispute over the future of hydroelectric power in the Columbia River Basin.

By Mark Harmsworth

My mom grew up in Glenrose, and she tells this story of her brothers waking up on winter mornings with black soot around their nostrils. Her brothers slept in the basement a few feet from the coal furnace, which emitted soot particles that my uncles would breathe in during the night. Thirty-some years later, my sister and I would sleep in that same basement when visiting my grandparents, but we did not wake up with soot on our faces. My grandparents had updated to an electric furnace.

By Robin Hills Von Davies

Natural gas delivers warmth and comfort to more than a million Washington homes. It also is the lifeblood of thousands of restaurants and businesses. Natural gas is a critical piece of our state’s energy grid, supplementing renewables like hydro power, solar and wind.

By Rob McCann

From the iconic apples of Wenatchee to the rich wines of Walla Walla, Washington’s agricultural prowess extends far beyond local farmers’ markets. Our farms and ranches feed millions and contribute to food security and safety in an ever-changing global landscape, underscoring the critical need for a robust and inclusive Farm Bill to support this essential industry.

By Elizabeth New

By Jay Manning and Uriel Iniguez

By Kevin Decker, Jane Ellsworth and Judy Rohrer

By Hilary Godwin and André Ritter

By Mary Coltrane

By Dr. Francisco R. Velázquez and Kirsten Duncan

Washington House Speaker Laurie Jinkins has been the chief proponent of the claim that Washington legislators are entitled to a personal “legislative privilege” that allows them to conceal some records that would otherwise be public. But the Tacoma Democrat is avoiding testifying in court about how that so-called privilege would work.

Just shy of 65% of customers are struggling to pay their monthly energy bills, according to the Washington State Department of Commerce. Natural gas is a cost-effective heating solution, heating homes at about one-third the cost of electric heating.

At last, Congress has produced a national data privacy bill, the American Privacy Rights Act. As the owners of a Spokane-based software firm and small business marketing agency, we see bill as a step in the right direction. We’ve advocated for a national privacy law for several years, and even recently met with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., to express our opinion. Ideally, such legislation would offer consumers meaningful privacy protection and small businesses clear, comprehensive rules to help them thrive in today’s digital economy.

By Susan Kane-Ronning

A great quality of Spokane and the Inland Empire is the respect we have for military service. My father embodied this. He was born in Spokane, served in the Army Air Corps in World War II and went on to a career in the Air Force, including several tours at Fairchild. He retired to a house in the Valley that was also my childhood home. As I write, the Lilac Festival is underway with its annual Armed Forces Torchlight Parade, honoring our military.