Following more than five months of deliberation, the Seattle City Council passed an ordinance related to taxation, intended to help address homelessness.  The amended proposal establishes an annual tax of $275 per full time employee on the City’s largest businesses, those with revenues of more than $20 million  (about 3% of all businesses). The measure […]

All nine Seattle City Councilmembers, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and City Attorney Pete Holmes sent a LETTER to Seattle’s legislative delegation today, calling for an end to the death penalty in Washington State.  Washington Senate Bill 6052 and House Bill 1935 would eliminate the death penalty and instead require life imprisonment without possibility of release […]

New Americans Committee Chair M. Lorena Gonzalez and Vice Chair Teresa Mosqueda issued the following statement jointly with all nine members of the Seattle City Council in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s initiation of deportation proceedings against immigrant rights activist, Maru Mora-Villalpando: “We, members of the Seattle City Council, are angered that Seattle’s office of Immigration […]

The Seattle City Council today adopted Resolution 31789 establishing committee assignments for 2018 and 2019. Each Councilmember is responsible for chairing a Council committee and managing legislation related to the committee’s respective subjects. In addition, each Councilmember serves as vice chair, member and alternate on three additional committees. Councilmembers elected Council President Harrell to continue […]

SEATTLE – Council today authorized Mayor Jenny A. Durkan to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Oak View Group (OVG) to redevelop KeyArena into a world-class multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena. The legally binding agreement commits OVG to project costs, including all project overruns, $40 million in neighborhood transportation improvements, and a bevy of […]

SEATTLE – Council President Bruce Harrell and Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw, Lisa Herbold and Debora Juarez issued the following statement in response to allegations of abuse in the Seattle Times against Mayor Ed Murray: “Allegations of abuse must be taken seriously at all times. Despite serious allegations that Mayor Ed Murray committed acts of misconduct, there […]

Councilmember Sally Bagshaw (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia), Chair of the Council’s Human Services and Public Health Committee, issued the following statement after Mayor Murray announced the “Pathways Home” plan to put $30 million in homeless services contracts out for bid: “This RFP offers a critical step toward transforming Seattle’s homelessness services system. Putting […]

Councilmember Sally Bagshaw (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia) issued the following statement following the release of the 2017 “Count Us In” comprehensive tally of people who were sheltered and unsheltered in Seattle and King County.  The new, more comprehensive count for Seattle found 4,619 people living in either emergency shelter or transitional housing, and […]

Council unanimously approved legislation today dedicating funds to enforce the 2014 state law that enabled courts to require domestic violence abusers to surrender their firearms. The funding was sought because, in spite of the state law, enforcement of surrender orders has been weak. In 2016, 56% of orders in Seattle were completely ignored, while, for […]

Councilmember Sally Bagshaw (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia) issued the following statement after the Paul G. Allen Foundation announced a $30 million investment and partnership with Mercy Housing to help house homeless families in Seattle: “I’m truly thankful to Paul Allen and his foundation for reinvesting $30 million in our community. When $5 million […]