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.
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.
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.
Second or third or tenth times the charm? A flurry of amendments submitted this morning could change the council rules again. And, keep meetings on Mondays.
Popular board member Kim Girard was a strong voice against book bans and for library autonomy during prominent controversies. Mayor Pro Tem Chris Cargill said ‘we need new blood’ on the board, which already had two vacant seats.
A new set of council rules would move the longstanding Monday meetings to Tuesdays, require three sponsors on legislation and allow public comment at committee meetings. But some changes could come at the expense of constituents represented by the conservative council members in the 5-2 minority.
Community policing nonprofit Spokane C.O.P.S. (not the police) could lose their longstanding funding. A closer look at the organization uncovered communication breakdowns with the city, a volunteer with extremist ties and the employment of a Brady-List officer.
There’s a new plan to build 27 miles of low-stress walking and cycling routes by 2027 — aka an Urban Mobility Network. See if the network is coming to your neighborhood.
The boards and commissions that make the county work, what they do, and how members are appointed (it’s really interesting we swear). And, what could change across the county if Al French loses his reelection bid.
