Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall issued a directive in June barring his department from cooperating with the FBI after officers arrested dozens during immigration-related protests.
Spokane’s top health official is urging residents to accept higher taxpayer costs to combat the city’s worsening drug and homelessness crisis. Spokane Regional Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz told the City Council on Tuesday that “harm reduction” strategies—such as clean needle exchanges, naloxone distribution, and supervised consumption centers—are essential to public safety, even if they come at taxpayer expense.
Spokane city officials warned Thursday that a growing budget crisis could balloon into a $137 million shortfall by 2030 unless immediate corrective action is taken. The alarm was sounded during a City Council briefing, where budget analysts cited underperforming revenues and escalating expenses as the primary threats to fiscal stability.
