SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane City Council will vote tonight on an ordinance that would eliminate expensive permits for childcare facilities to open in residential neighborhoods.

The proposed ordinance would remove the conditional use permit process and fees that currently make it costly and time-consuming for childcare providers to establish facilities in residential zones. Daycares would be allowed to operate in both commercial and residential areas.

The ordinance comes nearly two months after Governor Bob Ferguson signed legislation requiring cities to allow childcare facilities in almost all types of zones.

"We also know that location matters for our families. They sometimes have to drive an hour or more to get to childcare. And so this helps ensure that families have more access to

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