Author: Tim Clouser | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – After months of contention, debate and investigations, the Spokane Valley City Council agreed to sue Councilmember Al Merkel on Tuesday to force him to comply with state law.  The decision follows more than 60 public records requests related to Merkel, which the Valley claims they can’t fully respond to due to his…

(The Center Square) – As small-town publications close shop and communities lose touch, lawmakers are considering a bill to divert $20 million from higher education to support journalists covering civic affairs. Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, proposed Senate Bill 5400 following the launch of a state-funded news fellowship last April. The $2.4 million program facilitated by Washington State University employs several…

(The Center Square) – Spokane announced an expansion of its scattered-site homeless model on Wednesday. A new facility will open downtown next week as the city delays a proposal that could make it harder to site the services.  The city, in partnership with Providence, Empire Health Foundation and Jules Helping Hands, plans to open a…

(The Center Square) – The new year is here, but municipalities still need to finish collecting taxes from the last one. Spokane County is no exception, with sales tax revenue still 1.4% behind initial projections. Municipalities typically collect taxes each quarter, with the most recent data available through October 2024. Randy Bischoff, senior director of Finance &…

(The Center Square) – In less than two weeks, state legislators will convene for the 2025 legislative session, taking action on hundreds of bills, six of which they have already proposed around gun control. There’s still plenty of time to propose more throughout the 105-day session, but three have come out of the state House of Representatives,…

(The Center Square) – After an individual set fire to two Clark County ballot boxes in October, a Republican state lawmaker filed legislation Tuesday that would create a new security camera grant program.  Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, filed two bills on Tuesday: Senate Bill 5010 to create the grant program and Senate Bill 5011 to…

(The Center Square) – Gov. Jay Inslee proposed opening a new juvenile rehabilitation center in Aberdeen on Monday as another Chehalis facility grapples with a 60% increase in its population since 2023. Inslee and the Department of Children, Youth & Families laid out the proposal during a Monday press conference. While touting DCYF’s juvenile facilities, the governor also…

(The Center Square) – As federal COVID-19 pandemic aid dries up and budget deficits mount, cities across the state are asking their legislators to let them tax residents more than the 1% cap on annual property tax increases.  November and December are budget season for a lot of areas, and this year is no different, other…

(The Center Square) – The Washington State University Board of Regents voted Friday to raise tuition by the maximum amount next school year as enrollment has declined roughly 20% since the pandemic. While freshmen enrollment saw slight increases systemwide for the second year in a row this fall, the overall student population decreased by roughly 3%. The regents…