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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2013)
WWW . THESKANNER . COM M ARCH 27, 2013 S EATTLE , W ASHINGTON V OLUME XXXV, N O . 25 25 CENTS For The Skanner news alerts Text "NEWS" to 503-715-0890 or scan this QR code C HALLENGING P EOPLE TO S HAPE A B ETTER F UTURE N OW KIZOMBA! Abortion Access Debated Washington weighs first insurance mandate in U.S. PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED By Jonathan Kaminsky The Associated Press Eddy Vents, an instructor in kizomba semba dance, offers some tips to a couple participating in the Seattle Kizomba Semba Camp Saturday, March 23, at the Century Ballroom. The two-day event offered dancers a chance to learn and improve their skills in this Angolan ballroom dance style. Inslee Promotes Columbia Bridge Light rail critics attack the controversial interstate highway project By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday that Washington has a closing win- dow of opportunity to replace the bridge carrying Interstate 5 over the Columbia River, warn- ing that failure to act would “start that erosion process in our economic competitiveness.’’ Speaking with Southwest Washington business and gov- ernment leaders, the governor said the opportunity for more than $1 billion in federal fund- ing won’t be available for at least another decade. “This is the last-second shot for our team, and we’ve got to take it, because there’s no other shot available to us,’’ Inslee said. The project has run into vocif- erous opposition from light-rail critics who oppose plans to use the bridge to link Vancouver with Portland’s light-rail sys- tem. Inslee, a light-rail support- er, said removing the transit component isn’t an option. INDEX News ...........................3 Calendar ....................2 A&E ..........................2,8 Opinion .......................4 Obituary......................6 Bids/Classifieds.........6,7 “There really, at this moment in time, are only two decisions that are before the state, and that is to move forward with the cur- rent configuration or not move forward for the next 10 years,’’ he said. Vancouver voters in Novem- ber rejected a sales tax hike to help pay for light-rail expan- sion. Rail opponents say the decision is a signal that voters oppose light rail; Inslee said voters were merely opposing a sales tax increase but might sup- port other ways of paying for light rail. Oregon recently approved $450 million toward the project, and Washington has to kick in a similar amount to secure $1.2 billion in federal transit and highway funds. Another roughly $1 billion would come from the tolls. Despite Inslee’s enthusiastic support, the project is vocally opposed by more than just light- rail foes. Some say the cash- strapped state has higher priorities. Others say the height See BRIDGE on page 3 OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — In 1970, Washington became the first — and remains the only — state in the country to legalize elective abortions by a popular vote. A generation later, and 40 years removed from the landmark United States Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling that extended abortion access nationwide, Washington is once again poised to stand out. With 21 states having adopted bans or severe restrictions on insurance companies from paying for abortions, Washington is alone in seriously considering legislation mandating the opposite. The Reproductive Parity Act, as support- ers call it, would require insurers in Wash- ington State who cover maternity care — which all insurers must do — to also pay for abortions. The bill passed the state House earlier this month by a vote of 53-43, though it faces an uncertain future in the Senate. A similar bill in the New York state Assembly has been introduced each session for over a decade but has never received a public hearing. “This is a core value for Washingtonians,’’ said Melanie Smith, a lobbyist for NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. “We should protect it while we still have it and not leave access to basic health care up to an insurance com- pany.’’ The proximate cause of Washington State’s measure is the federal Affordable Care Act. Thanks to language placed in it to assuage anti-abortion congressional Democrats, insurers selling their plans on the state exchanges taking effect next year will have to segregate the premiums they collect for abortion coverage. In addition to that built-in disincentive to insuring abortion, the law also invites states to enact stricter rules of their own. Thus far, 16 states have followed suit, barring or restricting insurance companies on their See ABORTION on page 3 Nature Volunteers Needed in the City Urban Stewards recruited to help restore Seattle’s forestland By Alyssa Keehn Special To The Skanner News T he Green Seattle Partnership is recruiting volunteers to help restore Seattle’s urban forestland. Volunteers are needed to remove invasive plants, plant new trees, and maintain and monitor restoration sites. The partnership, founded in 2004, is a unique public-private collaboration between the city of Seattle and Forterra, the state’s largest conservation and community build- ing organization (previously known as Cas- cade Land Conservancy). The partnership’s main effort is a 20-year plan to restore 2,500 acres of forestland throughout Seattle (roughly the equivalent of restoring 2,500 football fields of land). Thousands of volunteers are needed in order to reach this goal. The Forest Steward positions that are now open for application involve more leader- ship than the average volunteer position. Stewards are responsible for coordinating volunteer restoration events and activities within a specified parkland, as well as developing annual site restoration work See FOREST on page 3
