Spokane bans virtual cryptocurrency kiosks
The Spokane City Council passed an ordinance on Monday night that prohibits kiosks from operating in the city.
Virtual currency kiosks look like ATMs and are typically located in convenience stores. They allow you to transfer real cash into any virtual wallet.
Spokane Police Detective Tim Schwering says that scammers from countries like North Korea and Russia use these machines as conduits to foreign bank accounts.
“People are being told it’s the IRS, the Spokane Police Department, you name it. And they’re scamming people saying they need to move their money into cryptocurrency in order to protect it. And by the time the money is into the cryptocurrency machine, it’s already too late," he told the council.
It’s nearly impossible to get any frauded money back.
“This is a national issue that people are talking about, as well as the state. I’m very proud of Spokane being the first in the state to address this issue," he said.
In 2023, the FBI reported that Washington lost nearly $142 million to scams at cryptocurrency kiosks.
Spokane is just the second city in the country to ban these kiosks. The first city was Stillwater, Minnesota, which passed a ban in April.
Spokane County approves money for programs that aid response to mental health calls
The Spokane County Commissioners have voted to join a program that will pair behavioral health professionals with firefighters to respond to calls that involve people having mental health crises.
The board voted yesterday to partner with the Spokane Fire Department and Frontier Behavioral Health. They will form one-on-one teams, one first responder and one mental health professional. The goal is to respond to mental health crises in the field and steer patients away from hospital emergency rooms to places that will provide more appropriate care.
“It gives first responders who are out there every day dealing with behavioral health crises in the community more resources, more tools, more expertise to be able to respond and to, hopefully, get some people connected with help who are in need of that," said Commissioner Chris Jordan.
The county says it will contribute up to $650,000, using some of its Medicaid funds, along with county mental health sales tax dollars, to help fund the program.
The commissioners also voted to help expand an existing program that treats people with opioid addictions and crises. It’s known as the Sobering Triage and Transitions program, or STaT.
The board will direct another $400,000 of the county’s share of opioid settlement funds to expand the program that’s operated by Spokane Treatment and Recovery Services. That boosts the county’s share of the program to $600,000 a year.
The city of Spokane is contributing $400,000 to help fund the program next year.
County Commission Chairwoman Mary Kuney says the money will essentially double the program’s capacity.
Personnel notes: Spokane County prosecutor, SFCC president
Spokane County’s next prosecuting attorney will be Preston McCollam.
The county commissioners yesterday appointed McCollam to replace longtime prosecutor Larry Haskell, who is retiring this summer. McCollam is the office’s chief criminal deputy prosecutor. He will assume the job on July 19 and hold it until the fall 2026 election.
Spokane Falls Community College President Kimberlee Messina has resigned to become chancellor at the City College of San Francisco.
Messina took over as SFCC's chief executive in 2019 and led the institution through the COVID pandemic. Spokane Colleges will begin a search for a new president. Until that person takes over, the college’s vice president of student affairs, Patrick McEachern, will serve as interim president.
Washington EV plans to go ahead, despite headwinds at the federal level
A bump in the road ahead, but not a U-turn. That’s how some climate policy experts in Washington see the Trump administration’s move last week to overturn California’s vehicle-emissions standards.
Washington is one of 11 states that follow California’s rules and are suing to keep them intact. But even if they don’t succeed in the courts, the state will still push forward with its transition to electric vehicles.
It has to, in order to meet state mandates for emissions reductions, says Josh Grandbouche, a zero-emissions vehicle specialist at the Washington state Department of Ecology. He says the market is speaking very clearly.
"EVs have grown year over year in all of the weight segments in Washington a lot faster than we see across the nation. Washingtonians and Washington businesses want these vehicles, so we're going to keep figuring out how to make it happen," he said.
Currently, the future of federal tax credits for EVs is uncertain. But Washington has revenue from its Clean Fuels Standard and the Climate Commitment Act that it could use for rebates.
"This sort of step back from the federal government is going to be a bump in the road, but it's certainly not going to be a U turn in our transition to electric vehicles," said Michael Mann, executive director of the nonprofit Clean and Prosperous Washington.
He says even without California’s lead, there’s enough momentum to keep things going in Washington.
“We may see one or two less vehicles in the marketplace, but there's already a substantial variety of vehicles for people to choose from now," Mann said.
Last year, EVs and plug-in hybrids made up 20 % of new car sales in Washington. By state law, Washington must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 45% below 1990 levels, by 2030.
Idaho governor warns agency about possible cutbacks
Idaho Governor Brad Little is instructing state agencies to prepare for the possibility of mid-year budget cuts.
The Idaho Capital Sun reports state tax revenue is about $140 million less than expected, though the state is still expected to finish its fiscal year on June 30 with a surplus.
Idaho Education News reports agency directors have been told they may have to hold back parts of their budget as the governor’s office watches how the national economy affects Idaho. The governor has also instructed agencies that, though the economy is still growing, that next year's budget will likely not be much larger than this year's. His office says agency directors will need permission from the governor to propose initiatives that require new money.
Oregon lawmakers approve baseball stadium money
If Major League Baseball decides to add two teams, Portland plans to be ready. The Oregon Legislature has approved a bill to sell up to $800 million in bonds to help pay for a Major League Baseball stadium in Portland. The bonds would be paid for with income taxes on player and team staff salaries.
The latest vote came in the state Senate, which passed it with a bipartisan vote. The bill now heads to Gov. Tina Kotek. She is expected to sign it.
There’s no guarantee Portland will get a team. The league is still figuring out whether to expand from 30 to 32 teams and which cities would be the best fit.
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Reporting contributed by Eliza Billingham, Doug Nadvornick, Ryan Suppe and Bryce Dole.