Staff Biography
Amy Sundberg
ReporterAmy Sundberg is the publisher of Notes from the Emerald City, a weekly newsletter on Seattle politics and policy with a particular focus on public safety, police accountability, and the criminal legal system. She also writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels. She is particularly fond of Seattle’s parks, where she can often be found walking her little dog.
Recent Articles
Seattle Council Greenlights Rinck’s B&O Tax Overhaul
On Monday, the City Council voted unanimously to send the Seattle Shield Initiative to voters this November. Sponsored by Alexis Mercedes Rinck, the proposal shifts B&O tax burden away from small businesses and toward larger ones, raising an estimated $81 million annually to shore up the City budget.
Harrell Pushes to Expand Recently Passed Surveillance Camera Pilot Program
Mayor Bruce Harrell is proposing to expand his three-month-old surveillance pilot program by installing more police cameras and funneling data from hundreds of traffic management cameras into the Seattle Police Department’s real-time crime center. The move has draw criticism from civil liberties groups.
Seattle, King County Brace for Impact of Coming Federal Funding Earthquake
At the city and the county level, local leaders are preparing for the impacts of the new federal reconciliation bill, described as "devastating." Those impacts will be felt everywhere from hospitals to food banks.
Seattle Council Targets Nuisance Properties, Graffiti, and Safety-Themed Sales Tax Bump
Last Tuesday, the Seattle City Council voted 7-1 to pass changes to the city’s 16-year-old nuisance property ordinance that will expand the powers of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to declare a business or residence a “chronic nuisance.” As Council ramps up criminalization and weighs funding more addiction treatment services, do their plans add up to a cohesive strategy?
Rinck Backs Capitol Hill Crisis Center, Other Seattle Officials Coy
King County is seeking to site a walk-in mental health crisis center in Capitol Hill, but a group of local business owners and residents are pushing back. Health care providers have backed the location, and Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck has emerged as a vocal proponent, while her colleagues and Mayor Bruce Harrell have mostly withheld support.