Owen Henderson
Morning Edition Host and ReporterOwen Henderson hosts Morning Edition for SPR News, but after he gets off the air each day, he's reporting stories with the rest of the team. Owen is a 2023 graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he studied journalism with minors in Spanish and theater. Before joining the SPR newsroom, he worked as the Weekend Edition host for Illinois Public Media, as well as reporting on the arts and LGBTQ+ issues. Having grown up in the Midwest, he’s excited to get acquainted with the Inland Northwest and all that it has to offer. When he’s not in the newsroom or behind the mic, you can find Owen out on the trails hiking or in his kitchen baking bread.
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Public radio state government reporter Sarah Mizes-Tan summarizes Washington's 2026 legislative session. We hear about new parks and schools projects scheduled for Spokane this year. Spokane author Kathy Colkitt writes about how to be an effective advocate. -
Plus, Ferguson signs law enforcement mask ban, WA crime victim services avoid multimillion-dollar cut, GSI State of the Region speakers urge bipartisanship, ID looks to expand tuition subsidy eligibility, and Zag men advance while Vandals end March Madness run -
Plus, rural Washington hospitals get a lifeline, elections officials raise alarms about the SAVE America Act, the legacy of Cesar Chavez gets a reexamination, the Seattle Sounders cross the Cascades and March Madness begins for the Zags and Vandals., -
Plus, West Plains cities look to protect groundwater from further PFAS contamination, Gov. Little signs more spending rescissions, ID legislators consider whether to keep ethics investigations secret and Spokane Schools and Parks lay out first projects funded by voter-approved measures. -
Plus, fewer people are using Spokane's homelessness services, a parking tax clears City Council, the ID House passes another transgender bathroom ban, and the NBA eyes a return to Washington. -
Plus, wildfire prevention can change how much snowpack turns into useful water, rural homeowners could get some relief from rising insurance premiums and how tax policies are shaping housing development in Spokane. -
Plus, the Washington legislature closes out a contentious session while Idaho lawmakers reject some spending cuts while deregulating short term rentals and requiring teachers to notify parents of transgender kids. -
Four-term Rep. Jenny Graham (R-Spokane) will be leaving the state legislature after the 2026 term. She sat down with SPR's Owen Henderson to talk about her legacy, one of her biggest controversies, what she's learned, and what comes next. -
Plus, severe weather hits the Inland Northwest. And a YouTube "cottage industry" is forcing Spokane County to consider charging fees for police body cam footage. -
The directors behind the documentary "Reservation Redemption," Brenda Fisher and Blake Pickens, share the story of Herbert "Chief" Rice, Jr., ahead of their film's first-ever showings at the Spokane International Film Festival.
