Government

• Government

Spokane could soon become a shield city for queer people.

A new ordinance would include Two-Spirit people in the city’s human rights code, double up on state shield protections and ensure city employees’ insurance covers gender-affirming and reproductive healthcare.

By Erin Sellers

/ 16 Apr 2025

• Government

‘The City of Spokane Valley is not a sanctuary city.’ City resolution that wishes to help feds is toothless

Since the city can’t legally tell the cops to break state immigration law, they passed a resolution saying they really want to.

By Aaron Hedge

/ 4 Apr 2025

• Government

How a Washington city’s war with its own council member could chip away at public records access

Legislative proposal would allow agencies to withhold the occupations of whistleblowers in investigations from public records.

By Daniel Walters

/ 26 Mar 2025

• Government

2025 remix: Your representatives want to hear from you — really

Washington Legislative Session 2025: How to contact your state legislators to tell them what you want them to do.

By Valerie Osier

/ 20 Feb 2025

• Government

Solidarity, if not sanctuary

The Spokane City Council showed their solidarity with the immigrant community by promising to continue to follow state law, but opposition feared it created a false sense of security.

By Erin Sellers

/ 11 Feb 2025

• Government

No two impact areas are created equal

Impact areas downtown will target drug paraphernalia and single-serve alcohol in an effort to decrease crime and overdoses.

By Erin Sellers

/ 7 Feb 2025

• Government

Commissioner French pledges to sell family stock in ‘forever chemicals’ manufacturers

The county commissioner, who says the investments belonged to his mother and were willed to him, has been the target of outcry in public meetings over nondisclosure of PFAS contamination.

By Aaron Hedge

/ 4 Feb 2025

• Government

Immigration officials are arresting people in Washington and warehousing them in Idaho

At least four people arrested in Spokane County, one for unlawful border crossing, were transported and held for several days at the Kootenai County Jail.

By Aaron Hedge and Luke Baumgarten

/ 31 Jan 2025

• Government

The teens are alright

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.

By Erin Sellers

/ 28 Jan 2025

• Government

On day one, Trump pits his administration against transgender people

Trump's administration will likely run into legal trouble as it implements policies on federal identity documents and housing in federal prisons.

By Orion Rummler and Kate Sosin

/ 24 Jan 2025

• Government

Anti-Haitian hate pops off on city government social channels

As Donald Trump is inaugurated president, echoes of his anti-Haitian campaign rhetoric are reverberating in Spokane.

By Aaron Hedge

/ 20 Jan 2025

• Government

After arguments, new Liberty Lake Library trustees confirmed

Additional Context: To fill all seats, the city council must appoint one more board member after it ousted popular trustee Kim Girard early this month.

By Aaron Hedge

/ 23 Dec 2024