En Español In English We are a nation of immigrants. Our greatest national monument, the Statue of Liberty, is etched with the words: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” Today, those words are weighing heavily on my mind and heart. This morning the U.S. Supreme Court issued a […]
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June 23, 2016January 6, 2023Gonzalez, News Releases
Councilmember González’ Statement on US Supreme Court Immigration Deadlock
Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez issued the following statement today regarding the United States Supreme Court immigration ruling against President Obama’s executive order: “We are a nation of immigrants. Our greatest national monument, the Statue of Liberty, is etched with the words: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” Today, those...
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May 26, 2016January 6, 2023Bagshaw, Councilmember Bagshaw, Councilmember González, Councilmember Harrell, Councilmember Herbold, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember O'Brien, Gonzalez, Harrell, Herbold, Johnson, Obrien
Seattle Sound Transit Board Members Propose Improvements to ST3 Package
SEATTLE – Sound Transit Board members Mayor Ed Murray and City Councilmember Rob Johnson introduced amendments to the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) plan during today’s Board meeting in conjunction with other board members around the region. The amendments effectively expand light rail and other transit services throughout the region. “These changes are big wins for...
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April 4, 2016January 6, 2023Burgess, Gonzalez, News Releases
Council Endorses Prescription Drug Take-Back Program
City Council unanimously approved legislation today sponsored by Councilmembers Tim Burgess and Lorena González encouraging local pharmacies and police precincts to set up drop-boxes for unused, surplus prescription medicines, including controlled opioid drugs such as OxyContin, Vicodin, Valium and Ritalin. “Prescription drug abuse is a serious threat to our community and often leads to addiction...
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March 23, 2016January 6, 2023Burgess, Gonzalez, Harrell, Herbold, Johnson, Juarez, News Releases, Obrien, Sawant
Councilmembers to Participate in ‘Workers Voice Summit’ Thursday
Seattle – Councilmembers will participate in a “Workers Voice Summit” this Thursday to hear experiences and policy ideas from workers from a cross section of low-wage jobs in the region. The event, organized by a coalition of organizations representing workers, was developed to provide employees themselves the opportunity to address public officials regarding challenges relating...
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March 18, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember González
Councilmember Gonzalez’s Response to Pronto Bike Share Vote
Thank you for taking time to write in about Pronto Bike Share. Over the past several weeks, I have received hundreds of calls and e-mails both expressing support for and opposition against saving the existing bike share system. I will be frank: I struggled with this decision. That struggle was wedged between my belief that […]
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March 7, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember González
Fencing off The Jungle will not help our homelessness crisis
The growing crisis of homelessness in our region is larger than the reach of a single solution, implementation of a single strategy, or responsibility of a single elected official or human-services provider. It’s a shared crisis rooted in interrelated problems of poverty, addiction and mental illness. It is larger than a single city, region or […]
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January 29, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember González
Tackling the Homelessness Crisis & Public Safety
One Night Count 2016 I never expected this job to be easy, I don’t think anyone does. This week has proven especially challenging as an elected official, as an advocate for the underrepresented and, frankly, as a fellow resident. Last night, I joined 1,000 volunteers in the Seattle-King County One Night Count organized by the […]
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January 19, 2016January 6, 2023News Releases
Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy: The Continued Civil Rights Movement
Yesterday communities across the country, including here in Seattle, came together to celebrate the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Every year, in the days leading up to “MLK Day”, we hear speeches on the radio, TV and in our schools and churches about how far we’ve come in the struggle for equity. […]
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January 11, 2016January 6, 2023News Releases
Debriefing on Block 21: Where land use and labor intersect – and where they don’t.
Today, the Seattle City Council faced a difficult vote. We voted to grant the Block 21 Alley Vacation to Amazon, Inc., with an amendment regarding free speech protections on the property, co-sponsored by Councilmembers Burgess, Herbold and myself. Normally, an alley vacation is not a particularly controversial decision; it’s a part of the lifecycle of […]