Following Sound Transit’s announcement today that it is considering reducing the long-planned Ballard Light Rail Extension and cutting Ballard, City Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6), also a Sound Transit Board Member, called on the agency to keep the promise it made to voters and create a plan that gets light rail to Ballard. Sound Transit presented...
Category: News Releases
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Councilmember Kettle applauds new state legislation aimed at easing toxicology backlog
Passage comes after two years of collaboration and support of Seattle officials Today, Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), who serves as chair of the Public Safety Committee, issued the following statement in response to Governor Bob Ferguson signing Second Substitute Senate Bill 5880 into law. The legislation provides local jurisdictions with the authority to utilize...
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Pursuing Justice in Death of Rainier Beach Students
Request for information in shooting deaths of other Seattle youth City Councilmember Eddie Lin (District 2) released this statement following the arrest of a suspect in the Jan. 30 murder of Tyjon Stewart and Tra’veiah Houfmuse outside Rainier Beach High School in South Seattle. “I’m incredibly thankful for the hard work of the Seattle Police Department and the community contributions that led to the arrest of a...
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Council reaffirms residents’ privacy protections while limiting federal government access
Councilmember Foster resolution seeks personal data safeguards The City Council voted 8-0 to approve a resolution sponsored by Councilmember Dionne Foster (Position 9) that reaffirms data and privacy protections for individuals who use City services, seeks to limit exposure to the federal government and other jurisdictions, and requests that City departments incorporate privacy standards in future contracts. “This...
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Council passes restrictions on staging for federal immigration enforcement actions
Bill is another key component of Seattle’s effort to protect residents Today the City Council passed Councilmember Bob Kettle’s (District 7) amended legislation that prohibits the use of City-owned or City-controlled properties for federal civil enforcement staging operations, commonly associated with federal law enforcement, specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The bill complements other actions taken by the Council and Mayor’s Office to push back against the federal government’s unprecedented escalation of detentions and deportations. Council Bill 121164 goes further than similar legislation that has been passed in other jurisdictions. It applies...
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Standing up for small businesses during light rail expansion
Major infrastructure investments are essential to Seattle’s future. Light rail expansion will improve mobility, connect neighborhoods, and strengthen our regional economy. But for small, independent, and family-owned businesses along construction corridors, these projects can also bring real disruption. In North Delridge, several small businesses are preparing for the impacts of future Sound Transit light rail construction...
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Seattle goal: budgeting for a well-run, West Coast Blue City
Note: This was published in the Puget Sound Business Journal. This version has minor edits to acknowledge recent developments. There’s a narrative out there, in various circles, that West Coast Blue Cities are incapable of being run well. We must push back on that narrative, starting with prudence around how we budget and think about...
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Seattle City Council unanimously approves emergency moratorium on detention centers
Rinck-sponsored bill similar to other regulations adopted throughout the region and beyond Today Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck (Position 8) celebrated the passage of emergency legislation that establishes a one-year moratorium on permit applications for development, expansion, or conversion of existing structures to detention centers. The bill, championed by Councilmember Rinck, represents the City’s...
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Councilmember Rivera receives Mayor’s 2026 Seattle Library Levy renewal proposal
Levy proposal continues 2019 investments in open hours, books and materials, technology access, and children’s programming Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) joined Mayor Katie Wilson, Seattle Public Library’s Chief Librarian Tom Fay, and Library Board of Trustees President Yazmin Mehdi to receive the transmittal of the Library Levy proposal to the City Council. The 2026...
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Public Safety Chair Kettle: Setting the record straight on misconceptions about technology used by Seattle Police Department for crime prevention
Ahead of Tuesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting Councilmember and committee Chair Bob Kettle (District 7) released this statement following recent news coverage about technology used by the Seattle Police Department (SPD) for purposes of community safety and crime prevention. These issues relate specifically to Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology, SPD’s Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) public...