Democrats in the Washington state Senate are working on several measures to protect abortion and contraception access this legislative session. If approved, one resolution would ask voters at the next general election to amend the state's constitution to protect the right to an abortion and the right to access contraception. Other bills proposed so far would do things like remove out-of-pocket insurance costs for abortion, block websites and apps from collecting private health data, and enhance protections for reproductive health care providers who may face legal challenges from other states. "We are working to ensure that everyone can make the choices that are best and right for them," said state Sen. Annette Cleveland, a Democrat who represents Vancouver, in a statement about the reproductive health bills. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
BETTER BIKE PARKING
Anyone who's tried to lock up a bike in downtown Spokane knows: It's difficult. There aren't a lot of options, leading to the inevitable lashing of the frame to a parking meter. This week, Spokane's bicycle advisory board considered an update to city rules regulating two-wheel parking. Currently, the number of bike spots that must be provided is related to the number of car parking spots, the law doesn't differentiate between short- and long-term parking, and has no design guidance. With the new rules, U-racks are preferred, and interior, long-term parking must be provided for tenants and employees in new multifamily residential, office, retail and medical buildings. Multifamily residential and industrial facilities would be exempt from providing short-term parking. Other buildings, such as airports and detention facilities, wouldn't have to provide any bicycle parking. (NICHOLAS DESHAIS)
FREE PRESS
Washington has what's known as a "shield law" that protects reporters from being forced to reveal confidential sources in court. Last week, an appellate court found that those journalistic protections mostly apply to a 2019 agreement between former Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and Spokesman-Review Editor Rob Curley. Former Deputy Jeff Thurman — who was fired in 2019 after an internal investigation alleged that he made racist remarks — was trying to subpoena Curley as part of a defamation lawsuit Thurman filed against the sheriff's office after being fired. (Thurman denies making the racist comment.) According to court documents, Knezovich reached out to Curley in 2019 and asked him to hold off on publishing anything about the investigation until it finished. The appellate court found that Washington's law does protect Curley from disclosing documents or information relating to the agreement, but does not protect the dates and times when the discussion occurred. The decision comes a few weeks after a Superior Court jury ruled that Knezovich did defame Thurman when he announced the results of an internal investigation, and awarded Thurman $19.5 million in damages. Casey Bruner, the attorney representing the Spokesman, says the newspaper is pleased with the decision, and views it as a "step in the right direction for protecting the freedom of the press." (NATE SANFORD)
