Spokane City Council’s last meeting of the year was a marathon session that lasted over four hours and brought out the largest group of people the city’s legislative body had seen all year. 

The Spokane Alliance, a nonpartisan organization with 20,000 members from churches, education associations, unions, and nonprofits, has been working with the Spokane City Council on a set of job-building ordinances to be voted on later this year.

The ordinances would increase apprenticeship opportunities on public works projects for young people and veterans and also would allow the city, as part of the bidding process, to consider the sales tax revenue it would receive by purchasing locally – giving a leg up to Spokane businesses.

City Councilman Jon Snyder said better sick pay plans benefit everyone and called the Paid Sick, Safe, Family Leave policy common sense. “Who benefits when a young single mom or dad has to choose between their job and taking care of a sick kid at home? No one,” he said.