On Oct. 29, 2020, Spokane's Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz was abruptly fired by his boss at the Spokane Regional Health District, Administrative Officer Amelia.
As other states moved to ban abortion in 2022, elected officials, abortion providers and advocates worked to strengthen protections in Washington state.
When Mariah Villanpando arrived in Spokane in 2017 to escape a domestic abuse situation in rural Washington, she and her children had no choice but to live in their car. Despite the trauma of abuse, the anxiety of an unplanned relocation and the stress of single motherhood, Villanpando was determined to find safe housing for her family. She went through intake at one of the large, faith-based organizations in Spokane, but the resources she needed were not readily available. Five years later, she still hasn’t heard back.