Bills will require construction contractors to fully pay for workers’ parking costs, strengthen enforcement and penalties for wage theft, and restore right to strike Union members, Sawant organizing Saturday rally to support strikers Councilmember Kshama Sawant (District 3, Central Seattle), standing alongside dozens of striking union carpenters and other workers, this morning unveiled three legislative proposals […]

Call on Mayor Durkan to Collaboratively Work with the Arts Commission on Priorities Council President M. Lorena  González (Pos. 9) and Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Pos. 8) concur with the short-term appointment of Royal Alley-Barnes as Interim Director of Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture, with the caveat that the Arts Commission be involved in the […]

“Garfield community members came together and worked with our Council office and we won. Now we must build our 2022 People’s Budget movement to continue to win funds for affordable housing and social services.”   Councilmember Kshama Sawant (District 3, Central Seattle), chair of the Council’s Sustainability and Renters Rights Committee, celebrated City Council’s approval today […]

9-1-1 response times have slowed and community policing has stalled after nearly 300 officers and detectives left Seattle in past 18 months; record-breaking attrition likely to continue unless action taken  Today Councilmember Alex Pedersen introduced legislation to address the staffing shortage crisis by keeping more of the savings at the Seattle Police Department to help retain and hire officers and detectives after […]

Legislation developed with input from police accountability partners Councilmember Lisa Herbold (District 1, West Seattle – South Park) and her Council colleagues voted 7-0 to approve legislation restricting and regulating the use of less lethal weapons by the Seattle Police Department in instances of crowd control. SPD policies implementing the legislation will go through the […]

The resolution supports Sec. of the Interior Deb Haaland’s Truth and Healing Commission Councilmember Debora Juarez (District 5, North Seattle), Chair of the Council’s Public Assets and Native Communities Committee, sponsored Resolution 32018, supporting the U.S. Department of Interior’s Indian Boarding School Initiative and the Truth and Healing Commission, a resolution that the Council passed […]

Council President M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide), alongside her Council colleagues, announced the hiring of Esther Handy as the Legislative Department’s new Central Staff Director. Handy will lead Central Staff analysts who advise on policy and develop legislation on behalf of the City Council.   Handy currently serves as Interim Executive Director of Puget Sound Sage and previously worked as the Deputy Director of Progress Alliance. Handy is returning to the […]

Northgate Pedestrian Bridge name recognition increases BIPOC representation in North Seattle  Councilmember Debora Juarez (District 5, North Seattle), Chair of the Council’s Public Assets and Native Communities Committee, joined with her colleagues today for an 8-0 vote in favor of Council Bill 120145 an ordinance naming the pedestrian and bicycle bridge across Interstate 5, connecting […]

Plan invests $52.2 million of targeted federal dollars to continue City’s COVID recovery   Budget Chair Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda celebrated the successful passage of the Seattle Rescue Plan 2  by a unanimous 8-0 vote, which builds upon the original Seattle Rescue Plan by allocating an additional $52.2 million of federal funds towards rental assistance, senior support services, and transportation infrastructure.   […]

Councilmember Alex Pedersen (District 4 – Northeast Seattle) issued the following statement in support of Mayor Jenny Durkan’s proposed legislation being transmitted today to City Council to address public safety issues, including SPD’s record-breaking loss of officers — 286 police officers over the past 18 months, according to a Seattle Police Department memo:  “I commend our Mayor and Police Chief for responding to the surge in gun violence and the alarming […]