Preemption articles

  • Spokane Valley tiptoeing around preemption on elevating drug penalties

    (The Center Square) – Washington state's preemption doctrine limits local governments' ability to enact policies regarding controlled substances, but Spokane Valley is looking for a way around that. The state's "Blake fix" drug possession law that went into effect on July 1, 2023, makes illegal drug possession and public drug use gross misdemeanors, with the maximum jail time for the first and second offense up to 180 days per offense. A third arrest could mean up to 364 days in...