Back in October, we told you about the Spokane City Council's wish list for the upcoming state legislative session. Topping the list: Give us the money to finally finish the older-than-the-council-members idea of a North-South Freeway. (More about what it will take to get that funding here.) This week, the council finalized the list — a combination of their wishes and the mayor's — and now hands it off to the city's lobbyists heading into the session, which starts Jan. 13.
Greater Spokane Inc., the region's combination chamber of commerce/economic development group, has also finalized its wish list. Spoiler alert: Cash for the North-South Freeway is also GSI's top priority.
Below are both lists. (Note the removal from the city's list of a request to increase punishment for vehicle prowling. That item was added by the mayor, but removed Monday by the council because of worries that such a change could undermine justice reform efforts aimed at reducing the number of nonviolent offenders in jail.)
The city's 2014 legislative priorities:
GSI's 2014 legislative priorities:
