Clark County Politics

Eileen Quiring O'Brien (The Columbian files)

Clark County Council wrestles with COVID, new maps

January 12, 2022, 4:00pm Clark County Health

County Councilor Gary Medvigy’s calls for better civility and collaboration among council members fell on deaf ears Wednesday as the Clark County Board of Health met to discuss the ongoing pandemic. Read story

Washington State Patrol troopers stand near the state seal in the rotunda of the Legislative Building, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, before Gov. Jay Inslee's scheduled State of the State address at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Due to cautions against COVID-19, Inslee will give the speech in the State Reception Room and it will be shown by streaming video to lawmakers meeting remotely. (AP Photo/Ted S.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee calls on lawmakers for ‘bold’ action

January 11, 2022, 1:04pm Clark County Politics

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday called on state lawmakers to take action on a multitude of issues during their 60-day legislative session, including addressing the homelessness crisis, helping children impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and taking more steps to address climate change. Read story

Kevin Burton-Crow, upper-right, of the Thurston Co. Sheriff's Dept., handcuffs Naseem Coaxum, right, an actor playing the role of a person causing a disturbance at a convenience store, during a training class at the Washington state Criminal Justice Training Commission, Wednesday, July 14, 2021, in Burien, Wash., instructor Ken Westphal, second from left, an officer with the Lacey Police Dept., and LeAnne Cone, left, of the Vancouver Police Dept., look on. Washington state is embarking on a massive experiment in police reform and accountability following the racial justice protests that erupted after George Floyd's murder last year, with nearly a dozen new laws that took effect Sunday, July 25 but law enforcement officials remain uncertain about what they require in how officers might respond -- or not respond -- to certain situations, including active crime scenes and mental health crises. (AP Photo/Ted S.

House Democrats introduce bills to clarify police reform measures

January 10, 2022, 6:42pm Clark County News

Ahead of the start of the 2022 Legislative session Monday, House Democrats announced a pair of bills intended to clear up confusion around police accountability laws passed last year. Read story

The Washington Capitol building in Olympia.

Washington lawmakers discuss top priorities for 60-day legislative session starting Monday

January 9, 2022, 6:05am Clark County News Subscriber Exclusive

State lawmakers will turn their attention to Olympia on Monday for the start of the 2022 legislative session. Despite a short 60-day window, legislators already have a long list of priorities they want to tackle. Read story

The Washington State Capitol Building, also known as the Legislative Building, photographed on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, in Olympia, Wash.

Poll: Washington’s economy is top legislative concern for 2022

January 9, 2022, 6:02am Clark County Politics

For the first time in eight years, the economy tops the list of issues Washington voters want the Legislature to address in 2022, eclipsing homelessness and COVID-19 as the leading concerns statewide, according to a new Crosscut/Elway Poll. Read story

Clark County Council weighs return to in-person meetings, sets hearing date on mini-initiative

For weeks, volunteers manned more than two dozen petition stations in Vancouver, Camas, Battle Ground, Woodland, Amboy and Washougal. By Thanksgiving, the group had reached 8,500 signatures, then made a final push over the Black Friday weekend to hit its goal.

The Clark County Council’s debate over whether to return to in-person meetings has yet to be resolved. The council debated the issue at its Jan. 5 meeting but had too many questions still to answer before reaching a decision. Read story

Sen. Wilson, GOP lawmakers announce bills targeting Washington’s ‘anti-policing’ laws

State House and Senate Republicans on Wednesday announced a set of “Safe Washington” legislative proposals, a package of bills aimed at reforming what lawmakers call “anti-policing” laws that went into effect in July. Read story