This November, Spokane voters will decide if they want to ban people from camping within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds and day care centers — regardless of shelter availability. The measure is a citizen's initiative created by Brian Hansen, a local attorney who argues that it will protect children. The initiative collected more than the required 2,624 signatures, and this week the City Council unanimously voted to place it on the Nov. 7 ballot. "We can't vote no, whether we like it or not," said Council member Karen Stratton. The signature-gathering efforts were funded by Larry Stone, a local developer, political donor and homeless shelter landlord. Several public commenters expressed concern about the law running afoul of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' Martin v. Boise ruling preventing cities from enforcing camping bans without shelter space — which has remained in effect since the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in 2019. On Monday, Stratton called attention to the fact that one of the public commenters who spoke in favor of the initiative works for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. "Sometimes people will speak, and they have alternative motives," Stratton said. (NATE SANFORD)
SOCKEYE SUIT
Environmental groups have given 60 days' notice that they plan to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and seek an order to breach the four Lower Snake River dams. The groups — Columbia Riverkeeper, Idaho Conservation League, Idaho Rivers United and the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association — hope to prevent the extinction of Snake River sockeye. In recent summers, water behind the dams has grown too hot for adult salmon to survive on their way upstream to spawn. In July, water behind all eight dams on the lower Snake and lower Columbia rivers exceeded the 68 degree threshold where salmon start to suffer. The groups argue that the Corps is violating the Endangered Species Act by killing fish with the continued operation of the Snake River dams. If the Corps doesn't honor "its commitment to develop a credible plan to restore abundant Snake River salmon," the groups say they'll ask a judge to order "all necessary relief" to cool the river, "up to and including dam removal." (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
VACATED SEAT
While most elected officials are ... elected, some have the opportunity to bypass that requirement. After Spokane School Board Director Riley Smith tendered a three-day resignation notice less than two years after being sworn in, the district was left scrambling to fill the vacancy. Because Smith submitted his resignation after the candidate filing period for this year's election, the position must be filled by appointment until the 2025 election cycle. School board races across the county are brimming with candidates, yet Tara Luedke, the executive assistant to the superintendent and School Board, says she's only received one application since the application window opened July 17. Interested parties have until 4:30 pm, Aug. 16, to submit an application. Current school board directors tentatively plan to make a decision at an Aug. 23 meeting, Luedke says. Whoever is offered the seat is set to be sworn in 90 days after Smith's effective date of resignation — Sept. 14, 2023. (COLTON RASANEN)
