Erin moved here from ID to attend Gonzaga and fell in love with Spokane. They are a queer storyteller, and when they’re not pounding Red Bulls and typing frantically, you can find her on and off stage at local theatres. | erin(at)rangemedia.co
Five local teens made the long trek down to Olympia to lobby state legislators for policies to shield transgender students, update reproductive care Medicaid rates and protect people who lose pregnancies from criminal prosecution.
CIVICS: Plus, improvements in education outcomes for Spokane’s Indigenous students, more Al Merkel controversy in the Valley and the city is funding more bed space for homeless people in weather emergencies.
Spokane County precincts that voted against the 2024 election initiative — that would’ve killed the cap-and-trade programs in Washington and cut transit funding across the state — aligned almost exactly with the boundaries of the Spokane Transit Authority’s service area.
Employees at the local Planned Parenthood are considering unionization over what they characterize as low pay and bad working conditions. The CEO is paying a union-busting firm the equivalent of 17 medical assistants’ hourly wages to persuade them not to.
The TLDR on a night full of surprises. Spokane City Council passed a $2.5 billion budget, extended the nonprofit C.O.P.S. contract, chose their rules and committee assignments and decided what they will push Olympia for.
