3/5/2023
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The Spokesman-Review
What to expect in Woodward v. Brown race
Camp Hope’s population drops to double-digits
Food insecurity remains high in city, state, UW-WSU survey shows
KHQ
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The Spokesman-Review
What to expect in Woodward v. Brown race
Two fundraising masters took little time to move into attack mode
Former state Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown’s entrance last week into the Spokane mayoral election marked the beginning of a race likely to be expensive and fraught, a starting gun Mayor Nadine Woodward responded to by returning fire.
Minutes before Brown’s campaign kickoff began Thursday morning, the Woodward re-election campaign announced the incumbent would hold a news conference of her own that afternoon.
Brown, after touting her record of service to the city, argued Woodward failed to make progress on homelessness and the perception of safety downtown, core tenants of the incumbent’s 2019 campaign. The city under Woodward was stuck in neutral, Brown said.
Hours later, Woodward also started her news conference by highlighting her record and the progress of her first term, particularly around homelessness and public safety, in an apparent response to Brown’s earlier remarks.
She pointed to a pilot program to encourage housing density, the doubling of homeless shelter beds and a renewed focus on community policing, among other initiatives.
Woodward blamed decisions out of the state Supreme Court and Legislature for tying the hands of local law enforcement, and she proposed a new city law to crack down on public drug use that circumvents those hurdles.
Woodward also shot back at Brown and the state Department of Commerce she ran until earlier this week.
She accused Commerce of frittering away millions on inefficient and controversial solutions to homelessness under Brown’s leadership, and of lining the pockets of Brown’s allies.
In a news release and posts to social media, Woodward criticized Brown’s extensive legislative history. Many of those lines of attack seemed to have been drawn verbatim from opponents of Brown in her 2018 campaign to unseat Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
With five months before the August primary and eight before the general election, Thursday’s twin events were the opening salvos of what is expected to be the region’s most closely watched contest.
“Just from the announcements, it’s going to be a slugfest,” said Steve Corker, vice president of the Landlord Association of the Inland Northwest and former two-term member of the City Council.
Former City Council President Ben Stuckart, who lost the 2019 mayoral race to Woodward, called the incumbent’s response to Brown’s announcement “desperate” and “grasping.” He added that he thought it was reminiscent of the campaign four years ago.
“When Nadine announced, her announcement speech was unhinged,” Stuckart said.
“It was just a full attack right away, blaming me for every single problem in the city.”
Corker, who said he plans to support Woodward in the coming contest, expressed uneasiness with how quickly the election turned negative.
“It’s very rare in an opening kickoff that you have candidates already attacking their opponent rather than just talking about their credentials,” he added.
The quick pivot could be chalked up to both candidates being known commodities, Cornell Clayton, director of the Thomas S. Foley Institute of Public Policy and Public Service at Washington State University.
The two figures also have clashed publicly over the response to the Camp Hope homeless encampment, acting as a sort of prelude to the campaign, Clayton added.
“But I’m not sure I would characterize it yet as going negative,” he said. “They’re drawing contrasts with each other’s policies, pointing out where they think the other one’s leadership has been lacking.”
During her Thursday news conference, Woodward was asked how contentious she expected the election would be.
“We’ll see,” she responded.
“We’re off to a start, aren’t we?”
She clarified that she wouldn’t call it contentious to point out differences between the candidates, before adding that Brown was “a career politician” who liked boosting taxes. Unlike Woodward, Brown “was OK with the people sleeping in the field in 6 inches of snow,” she continued, referring to the continued existence of Camp Hope.
“I think you’re going to see an attempt for either candidate to blame the other for the failure of Camp Hope,” Corker said.
When hot button issues like homelessness become the focus of an election, those elections tend to get heated, said Michael Baumgartner, Spokane County Treasurer and former twoterm state senator.
“I think this will be a pretty feisty, blood and guts race,” he said. “And probably sooner rather than later.”
It’s also likely to be an expensive race.
In 2019, Woodward and Stuckart both raised roughly $300,000.
Groups like the Citizens for Liberty and Labor spent another $237,000 to help Stuckart, while groups like the Washington Realtors and Spokane Good Government Alliance dropped another $424,000 in favor of Woodward.
This year, Woodward has raised more than $100,000 and is the only Spokane mayoral candidate to have reported any fundraising. Brown also has a record of strong fundraising, accruing more than $5 million in her 2018 congressional campaign against Mc- Morris Rodgers.
Fundraising this year is likely to exceed the 2019 mayoral race, Cornell said. Baumgartner, one of Spokane’s most prolific political fundraisers, concurred, though he doubted Brown would raise anything close to the millions during the congressional race in a cycle that was favorable to Democrats.
At least for now, the record for spending by a candidate for mayor of Spokane is held by David Condon, who spent upward of $400,000 in his successful 2015 re-election bid. Corker suspects that record won’t last much longer.
Not the general yet Although the attention of Brown and Woodward seems to be squarely on one another, they aren’t the only candidates in the race.
Former Spokane Firefighters Union President Tim Archer hopes to challenge Woodward from her right, pledging to be more confrontational with the state and with the other contestants in the race.
“I believe (Brown) would have us be Queen County to support King County,” he said. “She also came out of the shoot talking collaboration, Woodward is talking about collaboration, and I think this is a time for aggressive, strong leadership to make Spokane great again.”
Archer lost his job last October after 20 years with the Spokane Fire Department because approval for his religious exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine was rescinded. He has said he felt betrayed by the mayor. He and 19 other firefighters were forced from their jobs because of how Woodward enforced Gov. Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate, he said.
“While I represented our heroes on our Fire Department, I saw our mayor refuse to answer calls from them and defer them to a hired West Side attorney instead,” Archer said.
It’s unclear if there will be a candidate to attempt a serious run from Brown’s left. Commercial real estate appraiser Jonathan Legault, who filed preliminary paperwork to run for mayor and had been courting the endorsement of the Green Party, has since decided against running.
“It’s really an institutional game at this point,” he said. “If you don’t have a ‘D’ or an ‘R’ next to your name, no one really pays attention.”
With two well-known fundraising powerhouses in the race, it will be difficult for an alternative to find make headway, Clayton noted. A candidate that might otherwise be successful but gets a poor showing this year could also leave a lasting stain on their future chances.
“If they can’t sustain a good campaign, and they get blown out, it doesn’t bode well,” Clayton said.
Candidates will file May 15-19 to get their names placed on the Aug. 1 primary ballot.
Emry Dinman can be reached at (509) 459- 5472 or by email at emryd@spokesman.com.
Camp Hope’s population drops to double-digits
Where have its residents gone?
For the first time since the Camp Hope homeless encampment formed in late 2021, the population has dropped into the double digits, with around 80 people still living in the fencedin field near Interstate 90, according to new state figures.
This summer, the population swelled to more than 600. By early November, when residents of the camp were formally tallied and ID badges were required to get in and out, officials reported that 467 people remained.
Where have they all gone? The continued decline of Camp Hope’s population this winter has been lauded as progress in the effort to close the camp for good.
But of the 383 who have left since November, it’s unclear where most of them have gone, according to data from the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium.
Of those whose destination is known, only 17 are now living in their own, permanent homes. Far more, around 130, are in some kind of supportive housing, shelter, or have otherwise moved in with friends and family. One person is known to have returned to living on the street.
But nearly 220 people are simply unaccounted for, said Ben Stuckart, executive director of the consortium and former Spokane City Council president.
“I know the uncertainty, when the sheriff was threatening to raid the camp, caused a lot of fear and made a lot of people leave and go to other camps around the community,” Stuckart said.
Stuckart emphasized that every person moved into a shelter or housing is a success story, praising the quick work to open the Catalyst Project, a hotel-turned-shelter that can house at least 100 former residents of Camp Hope.
State funding to support the closure of the camp will also continue to be available for the nearly 220 people who are unaccounted for, he added.
Though progress closing Camp Hope has continued, the approximately 78 people still living at the encampment are likely to be the hardest to place, according to state officials.
Some of those remaining may have multiple challenges or barriers to permanent housing, such as a disability, according to a news release issued last week by the state Department of Transportation, which owns the land where Camp Hope is sited.
During a February press conference, members of the Spokane City Council met outside of Camp Hope to propose next steps, including creating a pallet shelter village, opening a shelter specifically for those with severe medical needs, and an area to relocate RVs.
There are still 10 RVs at the encampment, down from 27 in December, according to the transportation department.
Emry Dinman can be reached at (509) 459-5472 or by email at emryd@ spokesman.com.
Food insecurity remains high in city, state, UW-WSU survey shows
Legislature looks to federal funding, free school lunch programs
It’s a short walk to Lidgerwood Elementary for Shannon Lehman, so she pulled a wagon Tuesday afternoon to carry back food from Second Harvest volunteers.
Outside the school, the volunteers sorted bags that had eggs, produce, canned meat and pasta.
With today’s higher grocery prices, the extra helps, Lehman said.
“We qualify for food stamps right now, but this still helps out because I can’t always get to the store,” Lehman said. “We have vehicle problems right now. I do work at Ross, but my husband isn’t working; he’s in construction.”
For her family with two children, Lehman also said she was thinking about Wednesday, when the pandemic-era emergency increases for food stamps – formally known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits – ended nationwide.
The rollback could mean families and individuals get at least $95 less per month, but for some, up to about $200 less. Meanwhile, food prices were up 10.1% in January from a year ago.
“I was thinking about that, that food stamps are getting cut,” Lehman said. “This today will help out because I will pass some on to his mom, if it’s food we’re not going to use, or I put some sometimes in the blessing boxes; there’s one right over here, because I know other people don’t have it as good in the neighborhood.”
Those concerns resonate statewide, according to new research that showed food insecurity remains high with increased food prices and ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The University of Washington and Washington State University began surveys in summer 2020 to measure the pandemic’s effect on food needs.
The researchers seek out largely low-income households or those on some form of food assistance.
Their fourth survey in December to January tapped more than 5,000 people statewide, including 400 in Spokane.
Nearly half reported worries about having enough food.
Nearly one-third of people in homes with children reported food insecurity, which also was higher among Black residents, at 47%, and Hispanic residents, at 34%.
More than half of those surveyed used at least one type of food assistance during the survey period.
In Spokane County, 48% of people in the survey reported using food assistance.
“In a nutshell, food insecurity we know increased during the pandemic, and as of now, it remains high,” said researcher Marie Spiker, associate professor with UW’s school of public health.
The recent survey added new questions on economic security and financial outlook, “knowing that right now food prices are going up with inflation, and that families are really feeling those food prices,” Spiker added.
Spiker said that while higher prices are affecting everyone, those in the survey reporting higher food insecurity told them groceries topped a list of challenging bills.
“Fifty-four percent, or more than half of food-insecure households, report that groceries are hard to afford. Right behind that you see 51% of households say rent and mortgage are hard to afford,” followed by utilities and transportation, she said.
“But it was the groceries that rose to the top. That is really striking, given what we know of high housing costs.”
At Lidgerwood, two women waited in a car as volunteers brought them food. Passenger Jessica Bannister said families face price hikes for basics such as eggs and milk.
“I think when they take the extra food stamp money away, you’re going to notice a lot more people needing help,” Bannister said. “I think a lot of families at Lidgerwood are going to see it.”
The driver, Glenda Toptine, said overall higher living costs are hitting seniors.
“I don’t get food stamps, but with what I make with my Social Security, by the time I pay all my bills and stuff – with rent as high as it is and everything else – I’m lucky if I’ve got maybe $500 to live on for the rest of the month for two people, two cars, gas, everything.
“There are a lot of seniors who aren’t eligible for food stamps because they worked all their lives, so they get a retirement and probably Social Security, but then the cost of living has gone up so much – food prices are outrageous, like almost $4 for a gallon of a milk.”
Researchers wanted to provide a snapshot of the recent survey as state legislators decide about support for food assistance with at least two bills, said Shawna Beese, assistant professor at WSU extension rural health promotion.
“Our state legislators are deciding how we are going to respond as far as food benefits,” Beese said.
One hunger relief bill proposes $28 million to support food assistance programs, including $20 million in grants to shore up assistance as SNAP emergency support ends.
Other legislation explores free meals for all public school students. A universal meals program was adopted during the pandemic, when families didn’t have to apply.
Those COVID measures have since been lifted, so families who meet certain income-based criteria must fill out applications for free- or reduced-price lunch.
A federal program, Community Eligibility Provision, allows schools with a high number of low-income students, determined based on their family’s enrollment in supplemental nutrition programs, to offer free meals to all students.
During the 2022 session, lawmakers passed legislation that expanded the benefits to more schools.
A 2023 bill intends to take this program further.
Several schools in Spokane give all students free meals, including Bemiss and Whitman elementary schools.
Steve Barnes, Lidgerwood principal, said the monthly Second Harvest mobile food outreach helps many families. The school has 325 students, and he said 125 students get the Bite2Go meals for weekend food and snacks.
“This is pretty significant, the prices you’re seeing at the grocery store,” Barnes said. “I hear that families are struggling. It’s really hitting our families who are on a fixed income, just with the amount of inflation and increased cost of groceries.”
Treva Lind can be reached at (509) 459-5439 or at treval@spokesman.com.
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KHQ
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Drug possession laws could be on their way to getting a little tighter in Washington state, after the Senate voted to advance a bill increasing penalties on Friday.
The vote on Senate Bill 5536 followed a long floor session, with several proposed amendments. It passed with a bipartisan majority, but a large bipartisan minority voted against it.
Drug possession laws could be on their way to getting a little tighter in Washington state, after the Senate voted to advance a bill increasing penalties on Friday.
The vote on Senate Bill 5536 followed a long floor session, with several proposed amendments. It passed with a bipartisan majority, but a large bipartisan minority voted against it.
Spokane Valley Republican Sen. Mike Padden was one of a few Republicans to vote against the bill. He said it doesn't go far enough to increase penalties.
Padden proposed two amendments on Friday, both of which failed. One would have made fentanyl possession a felony.
"I think it's quite modest," Padden said. "I think this crisis we have with fentanyl in our state cries out that it be a felony."
Redmond Democratic Senator Manka Dhingra urged her colleagues to vote against that amendment, pointing out that many people don't buy fentanyl specifically to buy fentanyl, rather they buy drugs that are laced with the opioid.
Ultimately, though with very different concerns, neither Dhingra nor Padden voted for the final bill.
Democrats, who made up a majority of those who voted against the bill, argued on the Senate floor that the legislature needs to prioritize a comprehensive and compassionate drug policy.
Following the vote, Padden clarified what more needs to be done to create a bill he would be comfortable voting for.
"The threat of a longer sentence is a needed motivation for drug offenders to undergo treatment" Padden said. "We need a balance between accountability and treatment that this legislation doesn’t achieve. Law enforcement in our state has pointed out the importance of tougher penalties for drug possession in order to compel drug users to get the treatment they need to hopefully become clean."
The bill heads to the state House for further consideration.