Spokane’s Porn War and a Prison Fire | Spokane News

In 1976, Spokane’s war on pornography hit a wall—no one could agree on what “hard-core” even meant, with legal experts admitting they lacked a clear definition and one civil rights attorney quipping it would take a Methuselah to tell the difference. The debate unfolded against a 1973 Supreme Court ruling that defined obscenity by community standards, but adult bookstore lawyers argued Spokane’s standards might be far more permissive than the council assumed. A compromise rooted in common sense was proposed to avoid censorship—but it highlighted the messy reality of legislating morality. Meanwhile, in 1926, a massive fire at Walla Walla’s state penitentiary sparked suspicion of inmate sabotage: burning material started the first blaze, a second erupted in an auto license plant, and prisoners even tried setting bedding and oil supplies ablaze before being evacuated—with the oil attempt thankfully failing. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/1c571458ac685070