Today's headlines:
- Washington governor Bob Ferguson signs into law two bills sponsored by Northeast Washington legislators. One bill could help rural healthcare; the other encourages veterans to be more inclusive.
- Ferguson appoints an attorney with no judge experience to be the newest justice on the Washington Supreme Court.
- Stevens County is struggling to pay for its ambulance service—and tariffs aren't helping.
- Spokane's city council changes its meeting procedures to allow more public comment opportunities.
- Six Inland Northwest college basketball teams still have dreams of dancing.
Plus, Rep. Jenny Graham (R-Spokane) has announced she won't run for re-election. In the midst of her final legislative session, she talks with SPR's Owen Henderson about why she's leaving and what she's leaving behind.
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SPR News Today is a production of Spokane Public Radio.
Reporting contributed by Doug Nadvornick, Monica Carrillo-Casas, Eliza Billingham, and Owen Henderson.
Eliza Billingham provides digital support.
Doug Nadvornick hosted and produced this show.
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The Spokane City Council is changing its rules to make it easier for constituents to be part of their decision making process.
As SPR’s Eliza Billingham reports, the rule changes came on the same night the council honored one of their most dedicated, and sometimes overlooked, weekly attendees.
Council meetings will soon start with “express lane” testimonies--that is, someone can speak for three minutes at the top of the hour about anything on that night’s agenda, waive their right to any other comments, and leave.
Council members believe that will make it easier for busy people to still get their voices heard.
Council will also space out hearings so that the public has a chance to testify on any amendments days before the council is set to vote.
The council passed a whole series of convoluted rule changes unanimously. Multiple members, including Michael Cathcart, commented on the compromise each council member made to finalize something he believes will be good for the public.
CATHCART: “I think this is a meaningful change that gives us the ability to take everything in before really, truly being forced to make up our minds on a number of items.”
But the evening started with an unusual and touching moment.
Council president Betsy Wilkerson read a salutation to John Alder, a regular council attendee who died at the end of February.
Alder testified most Monday nights, plus kept tabs on lots of other public meetings.
His pastor received the salutation on Alder’s behalf. He said right now it isn’t clear who will claim Alder’s body, but he was thrilled there were so many in the chamber who would claim Alder as one of their own.
I’m Eliza Billingham, reporting.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has begun a bill-signing spree as lawmakers send him waves of legislation before adjourning on Thursday.
Two bills were sponsored by 7th District House members Andrew Engell and Hunter Abell.
Engell’s legislation gives mid-level health providers more authority to oversee radiological procedures, so that doctors don’t have to be present. Ferguson says the bill will help rural patients receive easier access to things such as MRIs.
Bob Ferguson: “The law currently requires supervision from a physician for many radiologic procedures involving injections. House Bill 2113 expands the types of licensed professionals who can supervise these important procedures and allows for virtual supervision.
That gives physician assistants and nurse practitioners authority they didn’t have before.
Representative Hunter Abell’s bill would reconfigure the membership of the state’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee to include add four at-large members. The goal is to ensure a wider range of veterans and families get to serve, including Native American and female veterans.
Washington’s newest state Supreme Court justice is Seattle lawyer Theo Angelis.
Angelis was named by Governor Bob Ferguson yesterday to fill the vacancy left when Justice Barbara Madsen leaves the court next month.
Angelis works for the firm K and L Gates. He specializes in intellectual property law, representing tech firms in the U-S and China, mostly in federal court.
Ferguson says Angelis will become the court’s first justice of Middle Eastern descent. Angelis says his father came from Greece and his mother’s family from Turkey. He says they taught him that public service is important.
Theo Angelis: “I do have a deep sense of justice and the rule of law because of my family history, but it’s been informed by so many things I have done. I’m so pleased with the diversity of this court, of experience, of background, and I hope to contribute to it.”
Angelis will take his seat on the bench in early April.
Madsen is retiring after 33 years on the bench. According to Washington State Courts, she was the third woman to serve on the Washington Supreme Court and the first to be elected.
The Stevens County ambulance system continues to face financial pains.
SPR’s rural reporter and Murrow News Fellow Monica Carrillo-Casas has more.
The county’s agencies have described the EMS system as a “patchwork” of coordinated services. They include Chewelah Rural Ambulance, Deer Park
Ambulance and the Stevens County Sheriff’s Ambulance. They all bring a bit of money to the table, but it’s not enough.
There is no dedicated funding for their services.
Earlier this year, Deer Park Ambulance posted on Facebook hoping community members would donate to help with ambulance repair costs.
Director of Operations Amber Jones says the ambulance service spent $18,000 just to replace an engine. Buying a new ambulance, Jones says, is out of the question.
In addition, over the last two years, she says supplies have gone up almost 20% driven in part by tariffs.
Despite financial pressures, Jones says there are no changes to the county’s EMS system for the time being. Jones and multiple representatives of the county’s services are looking for a more stable funding source.
She has been in contact with the county’s representatives, she says and even approached state legislators for potential funding. But the future is still unclear.
The Stevens County Commissioners did not respond to several requests for comment on the issue.
I’m Monica Carrillo-Casas reporting.
Six Inland Northwest college basketball teams are still alive in their respective conference tournaments.
The men’s and women’s teams from Gonzaga, Eastern Washington and Idaho all won their respective games yesterday.
In Las Vegas, the Gonzaga men beat Oregon State, 65-56, to reach the final in the West Coast Conference. Tonight the Bulldogs will play Santa Clara, which beat the Zags’ big rival, St. Mary’s, last night. Tip off is 6 o’clock.
The Gonzaga women are also in the conference final. The Zags thumped Santa Clara, 88-60, to qualify for the right to play Oregon State. Game time is 1 o’clock. The winner goes to the NCAA tournament.
In Boise, the Eastern Washington men jumped to a big halftime lead and held on to beat Weber State, 84-79. Eastern has advanced to the Big Sky semifinals to play Idaho. Game time is 8:30 pm. The winner will play the winner of the Montana-Portland State game in the final tomorrow night.
The Eastern women came from behind in the final quarter to upset Northern Colorado, 55-53. The Eagles will play the second seed, Montana State, today at 1:30, in the semifinal. In the other semifinal is the Big Sky’s top seed, Idaho, which will play Sacramento State this morning at 11.
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Jenny Graham has served as one of Spokane County’s legislators for the last 8 years, but last month, she announced she won’t be seeking another term in the Washington House of Representatives.
SPR’s Owen Henderson spoke with her about her tenure representing District 6 in Olympia.
OH: Public safety and victim advocacy have been some of your biggest focuses during your time as a lawmaker, and I know we're still in the middle of a rather contentious legislative session, but as you start to look back at the rest of your work in Olympia, what are you most proud of?
JENNY GRAHAM: Well, I believe that my legacy will be, and already is, that I do stand up for the voice of crime victims, and what I've seen in the last eight years that I've been there, you know, unfortunately, is that it is a toxic work environment, not only for lawmakers like me, but for crime victims.
SPR News Today is a production of Spokane Public Radio.
Reporting today was contributed by Eliza Billingham, Monica Carrillo-Casas, Owen Henderson and, me, Doug Nadvornick.
Eliza Billingham provided online support. Thanks for listening.
This is SPR News.
