Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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The Legislature has adjourned for the year. We wrapped up our voting late Tuesday night, on the 20th day of an overtime session that would not have been necessary if my leadership counterparts in the House of Representatives had simply followed the rules about preparing a budget proposal. Now that the 2016 legislative session has ended, the scoring has begun. Groups representing business, labor, environmental and other interests will look at voting records and decide who deserves their praise. Newspaper editorials are...
While the speed limits on our roads may be inconvenient at times, they exist for a reason. You can complain that the speed limit is too restrictive (and bills to raise speed limits on certain roads have been introduced during this legislative term) but that’s no excuse for ignoring the law. A 2012 state law places a limit on government spending. Not only does the budget have to balance for the two-year cycle it covers (2015-17, currently), but the spending level it sets also can’t exceed the amount of available revenue exp... Full story
The main things keeping legislative leaders and budget negotiators at the Capitol are the same as last year: taxes and spending. The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives basically wants more of each, and our Senate majority does not. That’s why we are, as of today, nine days into an overtime session. The talks toward a budget agreement are at the top of the list of news items coming out of the Capitol last week. House Democrats still want more taxes, spending: The lack of a budget agreement is what forced the L...
Dear Friends, Last week was to be the final week of the 2016 legislative session. That is no longer the case, mostly because the Senate and House of Representatives did not reach an agreement on updating the operating budget adopted in 2015. Within minutes of ending the session on schedule Friday night, Governor Inslee issued a proclamation immediately calling us into a “special” session. It is a big disappointment, because it did not have to be this way, for reasons I will briefly explain. Coupled with that is the emo... Full story
Anyone who wonders why our Senate majority is making a big deal about holding state agencies accountable simply needs to read a news report from Friday, headlined “Western State psychiatric hospital overpays doctor almost $72,000.” Western State is the counterpart of Medical Lake’s Eastern State Hospital, the two mental hospitals run by the state Department of Social and Health Services. The Pierce County facility already is the subject of one of the several mismanagement scandals going on across state government, after...
Let me begin by thanking the hundreds of people who took part in the 9th District telephone town hall earlier this week. This was the first time that Rep. Schmick, Rep. Dye and I have been in a position to host one of these meetings together; we took calls and questions from Ritzville to Pasco to Anatone to Mica, and many points in between. The responses to the three opinion polls we conducted during the hour-long conversation are below. I have mentioned more than once how, as a farmer, I am an eternal optimist. A week ago I...
Last week saw the Senate complete its first round of all-day voting for this session. During a seven-day pause from committee work all 49 senators relocated to their desks on the “floor” of the Senate chamber to cast votes on approximately 190 Senate bills that had already come through the committee process. The deadline for voting was 5 p.m. Wednesday, and as usual, reporters and other Capitol-watchers were curious: which bill would our Senate majority choose for the final vote before we return to committee work? We cou...
The new year of 2016 is an election year. Political pundits speculate on the viability of one campaign over another. Politicians promise to either carry on the standards set by a previous administration, or promise to be entirely different. Campaign slogans abound promising to stay the course, or offering “hope and change” of one type or another. It is not strange to understand why politicians are not trusted in the general population. Unfortunately, in changing times where advancing secularism is now the domineering wor...
By Ritzville Library District No. 2 Board of Trustees - Vel Babbitt, Dick Davis, Linda Kubik, Karen Potts, Thomas Pulliam In 2012 a group of community volunteers participated in a Community Needs Assessment to be used to help the Library District in both long and short term planning. A community vision was developed and 18 service areas were identified as being within the scope of services that public libraries are capable of providing. Advisory Committee members each voted for the two service areas they felt would best...
It seems that on Thanksgiving, following the annual carb-fest we call the Thanksgiving Feast, I lost my sanity for a short time. I think massive carbs overload might bring on a momentary deficiency of judgment at anytime, but particularly when the need for all that shopping looms large. How else can you explain Black Friday? We were sitting at the table, contemplating our agony. I remember that I looked at my wine glass and wondered how many hours it would be before I could make room for that last swallow of Merlot when... Full story
In 2002, the voters within the Ritzville School District passed a $3,500,000 Capital Projects Bond at a rate of $1.90 per thousand dollars of assessed property value. The purpose of the bond was to remodel Gilson Gymnasium and to provide upgrades to the grade school, high school and Ag buildings. This bond will mature on December 1, 2016. Over time, property values within the community have gradually increased, and in 2011 the District refinanced the bond in order to secure a lower interest rate. Consequently, the current...
It’s been a great start to the school year so far and we would all like to thank our parents, staff, students and community members for the great start we’ve had! The “Back-to-School Ice Cream Social” was fantastic! The attendance and socialization that took place was very enjoyable. We will make sure that these “Back-to-School” socials will continue for many years to come! We will be changing the name and the format of our “Community Chats” we organized earlier in the year to “Superintendent Home Visits” and rather than mee... Full story
I have a friend who is very special to me. This friend holds me in high esteem and has high expectations of me. I’m pretty sure he prays for me as well. He is constantly encouraging me to do more or better because he believes I can. He’s a life coach in the way that friends should be. He is tolerant and pretty patient, but doesn’t suffer foolish behaviors for long. He has welcomed me onto committees and urged me to activities that he knew were challenging and would grow me. He looks ahead, not back, and I never have to toler...
Do you have some beautiful Dahlias this year? Maybe Gladiolas or Petunias that catch your eye? This might just be a good year to plan on entering flowers in the Wheat Land Communities’ Fair. There are really two or three important things to remember when deciding what flowers to bring to the fair. Judges do follow the directions that appear in the Exhibitors’ Guide. For example: Dahlias should have two or four leaves and no buds. Utilize a clean knife to remove side buds well before showing. The center of the flower sho...
Dear Parents and Students, Welcome to Washtucna Elementary, Junior High and High School, a source of “Pride and Spirit” to our community members. Whether you’re a returning student, a new student to our school, or even a parent or parents who are looking for a school that will better prepare your children for the future, we all share in the excitement of a brand new school year! Washtucna School District welcomes any and all those from Washtucna or the surrounding areas to be a part of our school! Registration for all stude...
This article is written to help with man’s endless pursuit to understand woman. Several days ago, during the blazing hot sizzle of mid-summer, Mark and I were in Spokane shopping at Costco. Costco was unusually busy that day. We parked in the back forty and hiked the blistering blacktop, aware that the soothing cool of the air-conditioned store awaited us just ahead. There we bravely maneuvered through aisles filled with crazed shoppers who deftly operated their weapon-carts in a frenzy of shopping mania. At least that was M...
Recently, Mark and I spent four days at the Wild Horse Resort near Pendleton, Oregon. WH is a golf course, RV park, casino, hotel, and all-around good place to spend a few days away. A daughter and son-in-law joined us there. We had booked a package, which included our room, endless golf, a cart, and numerous coupons for discounts here and there in the resort. We had to book tee-off times, which was different for us, but the resort was very accommodating, and there were plenty of options. At Ritzville, certain groups claim... Full story
There are many potential uses for student assessment data within our education system. For example, data is collected for report cards and shared with parents, used for state assessment systems, etc. However, in its purest form assessment of student learning is designed to provide on-time information to teachers so that they can modify their instruction in order to meet the individual needs of their learners. There are two main types of assessment used in education. One, which I would argue is the most important, is...
On a lovely, warm, no-jacket-needed Spring afternoon a couple of weeks ago, we ladies of the Ritzville Women’s Golf Group gathered for our 2015 kickoff. Or sip-off, as it were. We didn’t actually play golf at the kickoff, instead we enjoyed a few bottles of vino, nibbled hors d’oeuvres, caught up on all the vital social news concerning our group, and made essential decisions regarding this year’s assemblage. Most of the loyal players were present, although we did miss a few who were unable to join us in person. We knew th...
The first week of March was the busiest yet for the Senate this year. With the committees through their first round of work, all of the action took place in the Senate chamber. We spent most of each day voting on bills that had been moved forward by the committees; the longest day was Wednesday, when the Senate worked from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to move 70 bills “off the floor” and over to the House of Representatives. Most of these bills represent straightforward changes to state law and were agreed to by both sides of the ais... Full story
The two Senate committees that address fiscal issues – Transportation, and the one I serve on, Ways and Means – have joined the policy committees in taking a break so the entire Senate may go to work fulltime in the Senate chamber. We’ll have through March 11 to decide which bills move across the Capitol Rotunda to the House of Representatives. This past week, with the policy committees already on pause, the Senate’s days were pretty much divided between action on the “floor” of the Senate and work in the fiscal committees....
February 20 was judgment day, in a sense, for many of the 1,060-plus bills introduced in the Senate for this legislative session. It was the “cutoff” for our 13 policy committees to decide which of the bills assigned to them move forward, and which bills go by the wayside. This is not exactly a case of separating the wheat from the chaff, as many of the measures that did not survive the deadline have redeeming qualities -- they simply need more work before they can win committee approval. I was glad to see many familiar fac...
Dear Friends, The first deadline for legislation to move forward is Feb. 20. Policy bills that don’t receive committee approval by then are likely “dead” for the year. The next deadline is Feb. 27, for the Senate’s budget committee and transportation committee to act on their lists of bills. The deadlines help explain why we are continuing to see major pieces of legislation emerge: in week 4 it was our Senate majority’s energy package, and week 5 has brought a statewide transportation proposal and a sensible new approach...
I lay my weary head upon the pillow and snuggled into the sofa, hoping for at least a few hours’ sleep. I chose the sofa instead of the guestroom because I was caring for my grandniece, Annie, while her mom and dad were in Spokane giving birth to the little sister who would enhance and change their lives. I wanted to be as close as possible to Annie. I was so tired (played golf that December day) that I felt sleep wouldn’t elude me for long. About the time I drew the blanket over me, I was seized with needle-like pain of dee...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking public comments on recent changes to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The program, the most significant leap in conservation policy in a decade, was designed to reward top-notch conservation already on the ground, as well as incentivize the integration of new and innovative conservation systems that protect and enhance the quality of our soil, water and air. However, without crucial changes, the program will fail to yield those intended results. The Natural Resources Co...