A revolutionary ordinance could separate the act of urinating in public from Lewd Conduct.

The first reading of the ordinance made tonight’s agenda at Spokane’s weekly city council meeting.

Lewd conduct historically encompasses sexual acts that the assistant city prosecutor, Paul Masiello, says are separate and distinct from urinating in public.

The ordinance change would separate the two charges leading to quickly resolved cases. Convictions would not have the social stigma associated with the sexual acts included in the charge of Lewd Conduct.

A violation of the ordinance would result in a misdemeanor.

City council will take action on the ordinance change tonight.

I spent my Thursday morning, bright and early, with Officer T. Fuller as we patrolled for traffic violators in North and East Spokane. We encountered numerous speeders through the Nevada-Lidgerwood neighborhood and looked for parents transporting kids improperly on their way to Arlington Elementary School.

It started with a strange phone call from a private number around 5:15 a.m. It was early enough that Summer Hightower, owner of Veda Lux Boutique, didn’t answer it.

A mumbled voice left a message saying: “Your cash register is waiting for you at Grant Elementary in the gazebo. If you thought it was important, you’d answer your damn phone.”

Expecting a normal day at work, she came in to her South Perry Business District mini-windmill to find that things appeared to be okay on the outside.