Today, Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9) released the following statement on the 6-0 vote to approve legislation establishing new safety regulations for nightlife lounges operating after 2 a.m. Over the past decade, there have been dozens of shootings and homicides that have occurred in connection with these venues. CB 120956 was co-sponsored by Council President Nelson.

“Unregulated after-hours lounges have fueled violence and gone unchecked for far too long. That ends now thanks to this Council’s action and Councilmember Bob Kettle’s steady leadership as our Public Safety Committee chair. I also want to thank City Attorney Davison and her team for their close collaboration with Council on this legislation.

“This new law gives City officials real tools to shut down illegal venues tied to gun violence and disorder. Pair this new law with the dozen bills we’ve passed over the last year and it sends a clear message: we take our public safety responsibilities seriously.

“I’m proud of this Council’s collaborative work to rebuild the Seattle Police Department and lead on public safety across the board. Seattle residents deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods and heard by their leaders — we’ll keep delivering on both.”

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