{"id":2454393,"date":"2025-07-01T16:49:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T20:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spokane-passes-new-citywide-camping-ban-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T16:53:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T20:53:45","slug":"spokane-passes-new-citywide-camping-ban-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spokane-passes-new-citywide-camping-ban-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Spokane passes new citywide camping ban &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fspokane-passes-new-citywide-camping-ban-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2454393&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Spokane city Council has enacted a citywide camping ban, replacing a previously popular ban approved by voters in 2023.This decision followed an ethics complaint and a contentious council meeting influenced by political divides. Initially rejecting the ban in June, council members revisited the issue amid public protests and complaints about a perceived <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-read-the-memo-provided-to-vp-pence-noting-that-he-has-the-opportunity-to-save-the-country\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: Read the Memo Provided to VP Pence Noting that He Has the Opportunity to Save the Country\">quid pro quo<\/a> with the mayor. The newly adopted ban allows for the removal of encampments, limiting prior notice requirements for enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>The ban exempt includes certain rights and has provisions for swift removal of encampments near schools and other sensitive locations. While some residents and council members argue the ban is necessary for public safety, others express concern that it does not adequately address the lack of shelter options for the homeless population, with many urging the need for dedicated safe spaces. Despite a planned holistic approach to homelessness by the mayor&#8217;s administration, the debate continues on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trans-woman-who-molested-10-year-old-brags-about-light-sentence\/\" title=\"\u201cTrans Woman\u201d Who Molested 10-Year-Old Brags About Light Sentence\">provide adequate support<\/a> for those affected. The issue has caused importent community tension, with calls for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ca-lieutenant-governor-defends-newsom-says-it-would-be-shameful-for-dems-to-challenge-him-through-recall\/\" title=\"CA Lieutenant Governor Defends Newsom, Says It Would Be \u2018Shameful\u2019 For Dems To Challenge Him Through Recall\">potential recall election<\/a> of the council majority over dissatisfaction with their handling of homelessness in Spokane.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Spokane passes new citywide camping ban<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2163537\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square)&nbsp;&ndash; On the heels of an ethics complaint, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Spokane<\/a> City Council passed a citywide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/homelessness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">camping<\/a> ban on Monday, replacing another approved by nearly 75% of voters in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>The vote, split along ideological lines, follows over a year of proposals, community roundtables and allegations of quid pro quo between the progressive majority and Mayor Lisa Brown. They initially rejected the ban on June 16 but then&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_54481373-2a72-41bf-9bc5-e1c8d70e0f49.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reconsidered<\/a>&nbsp;after much of the audience had left.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3459817\/senate-final-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-what-made-it-in\/\">What made it into the Senate&#8217;s final &#8216;big, beautiful bill&#8217; and what didn&#8217;t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3459478\/gop-trump-big-beautiful-bill-opposition\/\">GOP lawmakers and Trump underscore need for &#8216;big, beautiful bill&#8217; amid opposition<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3459576\/nicole-malliotakis-elon-musk-effort-derail-the-president-agenda\/\">Nicole Malliotakis blasts Musk&#8217;s effort to &#8216;derail the president&#8217;s agenda&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Most of the hang-up was over the requirement for up to seven days&rsquo; notice before officers could break up encampments, which the council reduced to three days before delaying a final vote until June 30.<\/p>\n<p>However, Councilmember Paul Dillon&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_ddbcf293-f84b-4d53-99ba-02a7a2fd7666.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">proposed<\/a>&nbsp;another amendment last week that eliminated the notice period and clarified the definition of obstruction. He penned in &ldquo;any portion of&rdquo; public property to offer additional means of enforcement, regardless of how much access is blocked.<\/p>\n<p>The majority saw it as a compromise &ndash; and potentially the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LJfLKwlDl2o&amp;t=5358s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">only<\/a>&nbsp;way to pass the camping ban &ndash; after residents filed an ethics&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/static.spokanecity.org\/documents\/bcc\/commissions\/ethics-commission\/complaints\/2025-06-24-ethics-complaint-by-biel-re-wilkerson-navarrete-dillon-klitzke-zappone-brown\/2025-06-24-ethics-complaint-by-biel-re-wilkerson-navarrete-dillon-klitzke-zappone-brown.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">complaint<\/a>&nbsp;in response to the flip-flop on June 16. The conservative minority disagreed, voting against the ordinance in favor of replicating the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/san-francisco-mayor-closing-shopping-district-to-cars-amid-rash-of-burglaries\/\" title=\"San Francisco ... Closing Shopping District To Cars Amid Rash Of Burglaries\">voter-approved law<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Expecting voluntary compliance is not only unrealistic, it&rsquo;s a failure to acknowledge the severity of their condition,&rdquo; Kaitlin Malmquist, a real estate coordinator for GVD Commercial Properties, testified. &ldquo;To stand by and hope they&rsquo;ll choose differently is not compassion. It&rsquo;s abandonment.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Spokane&rsquo;s new camping ban replaces Proposition 1, a citizen initiative that nearly 75% of voters passed in 2023 to ban camping within 1,000-feet of a school, park or daycare. The Washington Supreme Court recently&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_419631e1-de3f-49e8-8f25-df64de52745d.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">struck<\/a>&nbsp;down that law but allowed the council to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_72118ff7-7584-470b-b508-dbf53990f187.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">restore<\/a>&nbsp;it upon a vote.<\/p>\n<p>Councilmembers Jonathan Bingle and Michael Cathcart, representing the conservative minority and downtown, proposed replicating Prop 1, but the progressive majority rejected the idea &ndash;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_ddbcf293-f84b-4d53-99ba-02a7a2fd7666.html#:~:text=After%20Monday%E2%80%99s%20Finance,thread%20that%20needle.%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">twice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Brown administration favored a more holistic approach that prioritizes connecting people to treatment and housing services rather than issuing citations. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_58e2ac90-0a68-4407-b580-01dcb844756d.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">multipronged<\/a>&nbsp;strategy aligns with the mayor&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_8d6d7c84-8772-4c87-b18e-a34fc2696414.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scattered-site<\/a>&nbsp;shelter model, which strays from the idea that one-size-fits-all.<\/p>\n<p>The new ban includes exemptions for expressing constitutional rights, obstructing access when disabled, requesting emergency aid, and complying with an officer&rsquo;s directives to leave or accept services. It also adds provisions to expedite the removal of encampments located within 1,000-feet of a school, park or daycare, sites that pose a threat to public safety or obstruct &ldquo;any portion of public property&rdquo; unless authorized by an official state or local emergency declaration.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I tell him all the time, correct your behavior,&rdquo; said Sunshine Wiggins, a local homeless woman who watches over her late friend&rsquo;s adult child. &ldquo;If we don&rsquo;t have ordinances like this, I cannot push him towards doing the right things. I don&rsquo;t want him camping on a sidewalk for three days.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d rather see him in a shelter and doing his things that he needs to do to better his life,&rdquo; she continued. &ldquo;Both of us are homeless right now, and I think us, as homeless, deserve a place to go. I mean, if you&rsquo;re going to push us off a sidewalk, then where are you going to push us to?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Despite being homeless, Wiggins expressed support for the camping ban but also the need for more options. The camping ban leaves&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_3a019124-feab-11ef-a2d5-3f94f5085387.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">thousands<\/a>&nbsp;of people without a place to sleep, as the city lacks enough available shelter beds to accommodate the degree of homelessness in Spokane.<\/p>\n<p>Others also raised concerns about the need for designated areas where people are allowed to sleep under the ordinance. A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_ea52e0a0-bbee-11ef-95d4-1304650e0439.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">place<\/a>&nbsp;where service providers and case managers can find people without having to scour the city to administer daily medications for conditions like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_b2f2586e-5bf1-11ef-abad-ef26dc53e978.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">schizophrenia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall told The Center Square that he anticipates the amount of citations issued for unlawful camping may fall as officers first shift toward the new approach, before rising&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_2f13929c-cd34-11ef-bbaa-2f08e28eef10.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">again<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My initial inclination is that number [of citations] will remain relatively stable or may even dip a bit as we develop policy to support the enforcement of the ordinance,&rdquo; Hall told The Center Square. &ldquo;Once that occurs, I would expect to see greater engagement, to include enforcement, as the officers become comfortable with the parameters of the ordinance.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The progressive majority described the ordinance as a step in the right direction but noted that it&rsquo;s not a perfect solution. The council must continue engaging the community as it launches this new approach if it hopes to build trust, especially as businesses call for the reinstatement of Prop 1.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I ordered a hamburger and some french fries,&rdquo; Bingle said. &ldquo;This is a hot dog and hash browns.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Last summer, an email chain involving residents, business owners, and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >real estate professionals suggested<\/a> it was time for a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_0dba5e3c-34c8-11ef-bb00-5fd3882ed5c8.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recall<\/a>&nbsp;election to remove the council majority and mayor from office.<\/p>\n<p>The group regularly advocates for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_c3a93a20-50f1-11ef-bbba-031fee522140.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">increased<\/a>&nbsp;enforcement, criticizing the progressive majority and Brown for their handling of the homelessness crisis. After Monday&rsquo;s vote, the email chain raised the recall question again, with one person adding that &ldquo;enough is enough&rdquo; &ndash; &ldquo;it&rsquo;s time.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3447365\/spokane-homeless-population-housing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>OVER 50% OF SPOKANE HOMELESS POPULATION MOVED THERE AFTER LOSING HOUSING: REPORT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Dillon and others on the council are included in the thread but usually don&rsquo;t respond to avoid conflicts with state law. Dillon removed some of his peers from an email he sent to the chain on Tuesday, claiming the recall conversation had come up the night before, only to troll the group.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The recall discussion came up last night,&rdquo; he wrote in the email before linking Rick Astley&rsquo;s Never Gonna Give You Up, an infamous internet prank. &ldquo;You can see a clip of my response&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HERE<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2163537\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2163537\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spokane City Council enacts new camping ban, replacing 2023 law<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2454394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/spokane-washington-skyline-homelessness.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[58246,39174,32585,32076],"class_list":["post-2454393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-camping-ban","tag-city-policy","tag-spokane","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/spokane-washington-skyline-homelessness.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2454393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2454393"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2454393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2454397,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2454393\/revisions\/2454397"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2454394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2454393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2454393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2454393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}