Lauren Rendahl

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News >  K-12 education

Two Spokane-area school districts receive Purple Star Award for support of military families

Mon., April 29, 2024

Two local school districts have received the 2024 Purple Star Award, a recognition honoring their support and commitment to military families.

News >  WA Government

Court commissioner rules Washington high-capacity magazine ban will stay in effect

UPDATED: Thu., April 25, 2024

High-capacity magazine sales will remain illegal in Washington, a state Supreme Court Commissioner ruled Thursday after the law was initially deemed unconstitutional earlier this month.

News >  WA Government

Electric vehicle rebate program launches soon in Washington

UPDATED: Wed., April 24, 2024

Gov. Jay Inslee and state officials unveiled a $45 million rebate program on Tuesday to help low-income Washingtonians purchase or lease electric vehicles.

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News >  Weather

Warm weather and low snowpack leads to Washington drought emergency

UPDATED: Tue., April 16, 2024

The Washington State Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency Tuesday, citing this year’s low snowpack and dry forecasts.

News >  Agriculture

How do you name them apples? WSU seeks public input on what to name its new variety

UPDATED: Thu., April 11, 2024

Are you an apple lover or someone who's good at coming up with creative names? Then enter WSU's contest to name their newest apple variety bred right here in Washington state. 

Sports

NAIA ruling to ban transgender women from competing in sports will affect Inland Northwest colleges

UPDATED: Tue., April 9, 2024

A pair of colleges in the Inland Northwest whose sports teams are overseen by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics face a new reality: transgender athletes will soon be banned from competing on women’s teams.

News >  Transportation

Spokane County to get millions of dollars from feds for bus upkeep

UPDATED: Mon., April 8, 2024

The money is part of a $20.5 billion investment announced this month by the Federal Transit Administration to bolster public transport across the country under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. $388 million of that funding will go to Washington state in the form of grants.

News >  K-12 education

Washington school districts are poised to start swapping out their diesel buses for electric under new law

Sun., April 7, 2024

Bid farewell to the familiar rumble of a school bus engine and the subtle aroma of diesel in the air and say hello to a fleet of clean and quiet zero-emission buses.

News >  WA Government

Rep. Leonard Christian announces his run for state Senate seat being vacated by Padden

UPDATED: Thu., April 4, 2024

State Rep. Leonard Christian announced his candidacy Thursday for a state Senate seat being vacated by veteran lawmaker and fellow Republican Sen. Mike Padden.

News >  WA Government

Longtime Spokane Valley state Sen. Mike Padden says he won’t run for re-election

UPDATED: Thu., April 4, 2024

The Republican leader on the Senate Law and Justice Committee is leaving the Legislature behind after serving for nearly 3 decades. He was first elected in 1980 to represent Eastern Washington's 4th legislative district in the House. He went on to hold his seat there for 15 years. In 1995, he served as the House majority floor leader.

News >  WA Government

Bipartisanship rises in Washington Legislature

Sun., March 31, 2024

New data finds that Washington state lawmakers prioritize working together rather than passing bills along party lines, as the majority of bills passed during this year's session received bipartisan support. 

News >  WA Government

Inslee signs billion-dollar budgets for the final time during his run as governor

UPDATED: Fri., March 29, 2024

Surrounded by lawmakers and many Washingtonians, Gov. Jay Inslee signed the state's supplemental operating and capital budgets on Friday. 2024 marks his final year as governor. 

News >  WA Government

Inslee signs slew of bills boosting gun restrictions in Washington

UPDATED: Wed., March 27, 2024

In a push to combat gun violence across the state, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bundle of gun-related bills on Tuesday, including that requires gun owners to report a missing or stolen firearm to police within 24 hours. 

News >  WA Government

Co-living residential housing is coming to Washington after Inslee signs bill into law

UPDATED: Mon., March 25, 2024

A new law allows co-living residential units to be built in cities and counties across Washington, where tenants would share a kitchen and communal space while renting out individual rooms. 

News >  Local government

Thrive International teams with Spokane Public Library to create affordable housing

UPDATED: Wed., March 20, 2024

Thrive International is in the process of purchasing a piece of vacant land in northeast Spokane from the Spokane Public Library with plans to develop at least 45 units of affordable housing by 2025. 

News >  WA Government

Inslee signs a bundle of bills advocating for Washington tribes and fighting opioid epidemic

UPDATED: Tue., March 19, 2024

As tribal communities are among the hardest hit by Washington's opioid epidemic, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a suite of bills fighting the crisis and advocating for tribes on Tuesday. 

News >  WA Government

Inslee signs bill creating criminal penalties for distribution of AI fabricated intimate images

Tue., March 19, 2024

Those who knowingly share digitally altered sexually explicit photos can now face criminal charges under a bill Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law. That law will also allow victims to sue people who share fabricated intimate images. 

News >  WA Government

Inslee and Governor of Kyiv Oblast sign Sister State Agreement

UPDATED: Fri., March 15, 2024

Washington became the first state to commit to a Sister State Agreement with a region in Ukraine on Friday, continuing its public support for Ukraine during the Russian invasion. 

News >  K-12 education

Multiple bills seeking to mandate school curriculum failed. Here’s what they proposed

UPDATED: Thu., March 14, 2024

The legislature passed some 350 bills during the 2024 session but let five bills mandating school curriculum in different subject areas lapse. Here's a look at the proposed curriculum requirements that didn't become state law.

News >  WA Government

Inslee updates hate crime law, expands powers of physician assistants, boosts money paid to those leaving prison, recognizes Lunar New Year

UPDATED: Thu., March 14, 2024

OLYMPIA – During the past two months, state legislators in Olympia passed a stack of 359 bills that Gov. Jay Inslee has been working through signing into law this week.

News >  Pacific NW

Daylight saving time begins Sunday; efforts to outlaw the switch have failed in recent years

UPDATED: Sat., March 9, 2024

Most people want to end the twice-yearly switch, but recent legislation to permanently stay on either standard or daylight saving time hasn't been able to become federal or state law.  

News >  WA Government

Washington’s 2024 legislative session wrapped up Thursday. Here’s a look at how the day went

UPDATED: Fri., March 8, 2024

Thursday marked the final day of the state’s 68th annual legislative session, commonly called ‘sine die,’ the Latin term for ‘without a day.’ Legislators in Olympia had to finish up all lawmaking business for the year before returning to their respective districts across the state until they convene again in 2025.

News >  WA Government

Hogtying people soon to be outlawed in Washington; Spokane police already abandoned controversial practice

UPDATED: Fri., March 8, 2024

Hog-tying could soon be banned by law with a bill headed for the governor’s desk that would prohibit law enforcement from using it as a restraint method, though Spokane police have already moved away from the practice. 

News >  WA Government

Legislation aims to increase access to lifesaving allergy medication in schools

Thu., March 7, 2024

A bill headed for the Govenor's desk would allow schools to keep stock of epinephrine autoinjectors and vials, although Spokane County schools are already allowed to house additional autoinjectors under a standing order from the county's health officer. 

News >  WA Government

Washingtonians do not – and will not – have to pay personal income tax with initiative passed by the Legislature

UPDATED: Mon., March 4, 2024

An initiative prohibiting the state or any local governments to impose personal income tax has passed through the legislature and will soon become law, even though Washingtonians haven't paid personal income tax in years.