Free Republic

OLYMPIA — A King County Superior Court judge Monday ruled that thousands of Washington felons should be able to vote even though they have yet to pay off court-ordered fines. "It is well recognized that there is simply no rational relationship between the ability to pay and the exercise of constitutional rights," Judge Michael Spearman wrote in a ruling backing the challenge of three indigent felons. Spearman said the state law requiring payment of all court-ordered fines and fees before a felon can vote again violates the equal-protection clause in the U.S. Constitution and the state constitution. He said "discrimination...

I come late to this one, but I thought I'd add my two cents. There's been a bit of a dust up going on at the University of Washington. It's over a recent proposal to erect a monument there to honor Col. Greg "Pappy" Boyington. Col. Boyington was a Marine Corps pilot who commanded the "Black Sheep" squadron during some of the toughest fighting of World War II. He was credited with shooting down more than 20 Japanese aircraft before he, himself, was shot down and then spent almost two years as a prisoner of war. For his leadership, bravery...

KIRKLAND — The suitcases sat on the floor. Locker stalls were emptied. Players exchanged hugs, handshakes and autographs. Smiles of relief and acceptance were everywhere. It was packing day at Seahawks headquarters, as the players gathered their belongings and bid goodbye to the greatest season in franchise history. But there were still questions about the officiating in the Super Bowl, as the talk of the town Tuesday continued to be whether the Seahawks were victims of bad calls. "Maybe people's eyes are different or something like that," cornerback Marcus Trufant said. "So you never know. When a call is so...

Beware of flying phlegm. The Washington Redskins are coming to town. The team whose sprinkler system of a safety Sean Taylor, in the spirit of Leonardo DiCaprio in "Titanic," hawks loogies into the faces of his opponents when words just don't seem to be enough, is coming to Seattle for a playoff date with the Seahawks. Taylor does more slinging than Sammy Baugh ever did. But who can blame him for using everything in his power to get an advantage? After all, his team comes from the town where rules are meant to be bent. Washington, D.C., is a corruption...

The defeat of Initiative 912 unlocks an $8.5 billion tax package and clears the way for hundreds of transportation projects around the state. But don't expect work to start soon on the Alaskan Way Viaduct or other multibillion-dollar projects in the Seattle area. The state and city are still arguing over whether to rebuild the viaduct or replace it with a tunnel. And even with the gas-tax increase, there's not enough money to replace the Highway 520 floating bridge or fix all the congestion problems on Interstate 405. The central Puget Sound region will eventually have to come up with...

Court redefines parenthood By Lornet Turnbull Seattle Times staff reporter The Washington Supreme Court established what amounts to a new category of parents — one that's the legal equivalent of moms and dads — when it ruled Thursday that a lesbian who was neither the biological nor adoptive parent of a girl she helped raise has co-parenting rights to the child. The decision, which significantly impacts parenting laws in the state, may also signal the direction the high court will take in deciding a gay-marriage lawsuit pending before it — a prospect that delights same-sex marriage advocates and horrifies opponents....

Diners have sweet surprise for soldier, girlfriend By Susan Gilmore Seattle Times staff reporter When Chris Yanez wanted to take his girlfriend out for a special dinner to celebrate their one-year anniversary, he chose the venerable restaurant Canlis, perched high above Lake Union. ... Before going to dinner Wednesday night, Yanez, a reservist who spent a year in Iraq as a machine-gunner, put on his green dress Army uniform, the one he was proud to wear. With his girlfriend, Liz Coleman, on his arm, he walked into Canlis, where owner Mark Canlis found the couple a special table with a...