After a state Supreme Court ruling, what's next for Spokane's camping ban?
The debate over how to address homelessness in Spokane continues to simmer after a decision this month from Washington’s Supreme Court.
The ruling struck down Proposition 1, a camping ban introduced by a citizen-led initiative that was overwhelmingly passed by Spokane voters in 2023.
The court’s decision wasn’t based on the merits of the camping ban, but rather on whether the citizens of Spokane had the power to take such action in the first place.
Now, the legal ripples of this decision are stirring up fierce emotions over regulating homelessness in Spokane, and are raising questions over how much say citizens can have in local policy at large.
Guests:
- Emry Dinman, city hall reporter for the Spokesman Review.
Related Links:
- Homeless camping ban struck down by state Supreme Court
- Spokane City Council declines to reinstate Prop 1 after state Supreme Court strikes it down
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Libby Denkmann
Host, Soundside
Libby Denkmann joined KUOW in December 2021 as the host of the midday show Soundside. She’s a native Pacific Northwesterner who grew up in Redmond, graduated from the University of Washington, and covered local news as a producer and reporter with KIRO Radio.
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Alec Cowan
Senior Podcast Producer
Alec Cowan is a senior podcast producer for KUOW, where he works on Booming and other podcast projects. He's worked on many station programs, including Soundside, The Record with Bill Radke, Primed, and SoundQs.
More stories from Alec Cowan »
