(The Center Square) – The Spokane City Council adopted its 2025 Rules of Procedure on Monday, amending several changes that the conservative minority believed would silence their downtown constituents.
Councilmember Michael Cathcart, who sits among the minority with Councilmember Jonathan Bingle, said he anticipated voting against the rules when he walked into city hall; however, after a long, diplomatic conversation with his peers, all seven voted unanimously in support.
While initially drafted by the progressive majority, which routinely rules against the minority, the council proposed 14 amendments, 12 of which came from the conservatives. Ultimately, the governing body set aside policy and ideological differences for the sake of their constituency.
“I just want to say it’s an honor to be on this side of the 5-2,” Bingle said after some of the majority joined him and Cathcart to approve one of the eight amendments passed.
Tensions grew leading up to Monday as the community caught word of the initial proposal that would limit public testimony to two minutes, require three sponsors to move legislation out of committee for a vote and move council meetings to Tuesday instead of Monday.
Cathcart and Bingle argued last week that the changes, among others regarding decorum, council commentary and more, would silence their dissent. Both represent District 1, which encompasses downtown and some of the most impoverished areas in Spokane.
District 1 often faces the brunt of the homelessness crisis and related crime. The conservatives have attempted to push legislation emphasizing enforcement and other reforms, but the measures usually fail, with Bingle and Cathcart dissenting from the progressive majority.
“You can make arguments that these procedural changes are different than what you experienced at STA,” resident Erik Lowe wrote in testimony, “but to outside observers, it is the same: trickery to prevent dissenting voices on the council from being heard.”
Lowe said he initially got involved with the Spokane Transit Authority because of attempts from conservatives to silence the progressives from the council who sit on the STA board; now the tables have flipped, and he said the majority has a duty to protect the right to fair representation.
Requiring three sponsors would prevent District 1 from pushing legislation that affects their constituents without the support of another. Bingle has also never been able to attend Tuesday meetings due to a scheduling conflict, limiting the ability to represent his constituency.
“I cannot tell you the amount of emails I got that were like, ‘Listen, we will never vote for you, but we think it’s important that your voice is heard,’” Bingle said.
While the council ultimately passed the amendments to preserve public testimony, Monday meetings and the requirement for two sponsors instead of three, the public came prepared.
Community members filled the council chambers on Monday, even late into the evening, before adjourning close to midnight. One group that goes by Save Our Spokane, or SOS, put together a rally and protest leading up to the vote, even gaining support from residents who often disagree with conservatives. The message from each was clear: protect the right to dissent.
Resident H.T. Higgins, who donated to Mayor Lisa Brown’s 2023 campaign but then paid for billboards criticizing her, was among those in attendance. While an advocate for the homeless, who are often at odds with District 1, he noted the importance of a fair playing field.
He said the initial changes seemed like actions to fortify what he called a “blue silo.” Higgins also referenced the Board of County Commissioners’ conservative majority standing as the opposing red silo, adding that neither should stand for silencing the voice of the minority.
“After watching briefing sessions and legislative meetings for the last eight months, it’s very clear to me that the public input has no value,” Higgins told the council. “We all know the decisions to bring legislation forward come from the connected and usually political donors of both parties. In the city of Spokane, that means you better have enough money or connection to get into the mayor’s office; the leader of the blue silo is what I would say.”
