Washington AG Nick Brown sues over Trump citizenship order
An executive order Donald Trump signed Monday seeks to overturn birthright citizenship as guaranteed in the Constitution. Washington’s attorney general is suing to challenge the order.
Nick Brown filed the suit Tuesday in federal court in the state’s western district.
Brown said the birthright provision contained in the 14th Amendment has been law since its approval after the Civil War. In the years since, courts have continued to uphold its principle. It gives citizenship to anyone born in the U.S., even if their parents are not citizens.
"What’s not in the Constitution is anything saying the president has the authority to decide who is granted citizenship," Brown said at a press conference. "Generations of policymakers and lawmakers in this country, from the Supreme Court to Congress, and until now, the executive branch, have upheld this right throughout our history."
Washington legislative Republicans say they disagree with the state’s decision to challenge Trump’s order.
In a call with reporters, House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary said Brown is the wrong person to file the lawsuit.
“He was elected to represent Washington and protect Washington state interests,” Stokesbary said. “We have 12 members of Congress, 10 in the House, two in the Senate. Ten of them are Democrats. It’s surprising to me that Democrats like Nick Brown don’t trust Democrats like Maria Cantwell to stand up for Washington’s interests.”
Brown said he is also filing an emergency motion that seeks to block any federal agency from depriving citizenship of any babies born in Washington.
Spokane County point-in-time count begins today
An annual assay of Spokane’s unsheltered population begins today. The point-in-time count is a national project that seeks to capture the scope of homelessness in communities across America.
Trained volunteers will fan out across Spokane and Spokane Valley, incorporated areas and the unincorporated county. In teams of three to five people, armed with maps of their assigned zones, the canvassers will find and interview unsheltered people.
The information canvassers gather is sent to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Washington Department of Commerce. The point-in-time count’s results inform policy and advocacy, and help determine how much funding the area gets for affordable housing and related needs.
The 2024 count found 2,021 people considered homeless in Spokane County, a 15% decrease from 2023. The number of people in homeless shelters rose. The latter statistic may change in the wake of last October’s closure of the Trent Resource and Assistance Center.
Point-in-time counts are frequently cited as a benchmark when city leaders and providers discuss homelessness, but because of the count’s limitations, its results may be an undercount.
The count ends January 29.
ID minimum pot penalty bill advances
A bill imposing a $300 mandatory minimum fine for simple marijuana possession is on its way to the Senate.
Anyone convicted of possessing fewer than three ounces of weed would pay the fine, which could increase as high as $1,000. They could also serve up to six months in jail.
Republican Rep. Rick Cheatum said he supports any attempt to decrease drug use in Idaho.
"Will this do that? I really don’t know," he said. "But I’m willing to give it a try and make possession of an illegal substance hurt just a little bit more."
But the bill’s few opponents said that it’s overkill.
"Sentencing for possession of marijuana is already strong," Democratic Rep. John Gannon said. "It is already vigorous, and it is already tough in this state."
Under the measure, simple marijuana possession would have stricter minimum penalties than a DUI or sexual exploitation by a medical care provider. The bill sailed through the House 54-14 and now goes to the Senate.
Child care advocates oppose spending delays
A coalition of more than a dozen organizations and child care providers says it plans to rally in Olympia today. They’re concerned about potential state funding delays for early childhood programs and daycare subsidies.
Gov. Bob Ferguson proposed putting off the spending as the state grapples with a $10- to $12-billion budget shortfall.
Sixty-three percent of Washingtonians live in a child care desert, according to the Center for American Progress. Those are areas with more than 50 children under age five that have few or no child care providers.
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Reporting was contributed by Steve Jackson and Doug Nadvornick, Brandon Hollingsworth and James Dawson.