The Seattle City Council tangled with the city’s progressive flank Tuesday with approval of a new jail contract hoped to give the city greater ability to lock up misdemeanor offenders and a key decision that will push a public vote on a proposed new tax to fund social housing to February.
Chambers were again ordered cleared by Councilmember Sara Nelson during Tuesday’s proceedings in what are ongoing issues over public comment and protest for the council president. The council finished Tuesday’s session meeting virtually from their individual offices.
Publicola reported here on the clearance and Nelson’s decision to cut the allotted time for individual comment from two minutes to one while admonishing commenters speaking against the new jail contract for clapping and cheering during the proceedings. “This fucking drives me nuts,” councilmember and public safety committee chair Bob Kettle could be heard saying during one of the outbursts before the clearance.
Despite the opposition, the council Tuesday approved a new $1 million to $3 million a year plan to send some inmates to the regional South Correctional Entity (SCORE) jail in Des Moines in a pilot championed by Mayor Bruce Harrell hoped to expand the city’s ability to jail people accused of misdemeanor crimes.
District 3 representative Joy Hollingsworth, who opted to abstain on the previous public safety committee vote saying she wanted to have more information before deciding, joined her colleagues in approving the deal Tuesday. District 2’s Tammy Morales was the sole member to oppose the contract.
The council also opted to delay a public vote on the Let’s Build Social Housing ballot initiative that would add a 5% tax on companies for every dollar over a million paid to a Seattle employee in annual compensation including salary, stock, and bonuses. The council Tuesday voted 8-1 to remove a key resolution on the initiative from the council’s agenda, a procedural move that will block a public vote on the proposal from the November ballot.
Organizers had hoped that finally reaching approval on the required number of signatures to place the initiative on the ballot would be met by swift action by the council in time to be part of November’s general election with Harris vs. Trump on the ballot and expected high turnout.
Saying the wanted more time to take up the issue, the council voted 7-1 Tuesday to delay proceedings on a resolution supporting the public vote. Councilmember Kathy Moore abstained.
“This is one of the most undemocratic moments I’ve seen in Seattle,” Morales said after about her lone vote to support putting the initiative on the November ballot. “25,000 voters across the city signed a petition to send I-137 to the ballot this November. Today was the deadline. Instead, council cut public comment short and voted 7-1 to remove I-137 on our agenda.”
The council is expected to move forward with support for putting the initiative on the February ballot. That process could include an alternative initiative from the council.
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The council showing their true colors and absolute disdain for Seattle voters. Not surprising for a council elected during a very low turnout.
Can’t have people voting to tax businesses directly following the overwhelming vote to establish the housing fund. That might annoy their true constituents.
Disdain for the voters? The voters put them in office!!
So the people that voted for them approve of the council subverting the democratic voting process in complete secrecy?
Interesting!
First the vote is a matter of public record!! It is unfortunate that a handful of people disrupted the business of the people to such an extent the they were unable to continue in a public forum! You don’t get your way by throwing a tantrum!!
Weird how it’s disdain for the voters when it’s something they dislike, but they were A-okay with the 2020 council’s knee-jerk reaction to so many things the rest of the City is still dealing with the outcomes from.
I think maybe you mean disdain for the people who couldn’t bother to vote?
Yes! Get more spaces to send criminals to.
Also do homeless into shelters or involuntary commitment into hospitals.
Enough is enough.
Why not go further? Ann Davison wants to put the homeless in concentration camps.
Throwing people in jail instead of helping them…it’s the American way!
When you say things like that, you lose all credibility for anything you have to say.
Really? So you are pro forced incarceration for diseases?
No, but I AM for forced inpatient treatment for those dying on our streets from addiction and mental illness. It’s the humane thing to do.
You ever think to wunder what rights you have?
You do realize she advocated for rounding up the homeless and forcing them into former Sam’s Club warehouses?
Internet Archive Remembers.
This is great news for those that want to have a safe and functional city again.
The socialists are dead set on pushing businesses out of Seattle. It may not be their intent, but businesses will always have a friendlier city ready to welcome them.
Good for Sara Nelson for standing up to the leftist bullies at the Council hearing. Peaceful dissent is one thing, but it should not involve disrupting the Council’s business for their cause-of-the-week.
The democratic process will be subverted in secrecy. Don’t look behind the curtain.
They are citizens. Voters. Tax payers.
This notion you have is a false one. It’s incumbent upon the elected officials to do their jobs in good faith. Not have a planned exit. Lie about the agenda. Plot to arrest of simply sic the cops on em.
You have mixed up interruptions with being cut off when you have the floor.
If you have the floor? It’s not an interruption. No, you can’t relentlessly do that.
But if you have the floor? Then you should be able to speak.