Politics and Government

The failure of HB 1175 to make it to the state Senate floor mirrors a similar fate two years ago. Bill sponsor Mark Klicker placed the decision to let the neighborhood cafe bill die squarely on Local Government Committee Chair Jesse Salomon.

The proposed state House operating budget would zero out the Washington State Urban and Community Forestry program, which cities across the state rely on to leverage federal dollars for trees. The effects of those cuts could be wide-reaching.

After concerns were raised by city officials around removing flexibility to create vibrant and walkable neighborhoods, the version approved by the House local government committee sets a 40% cap on mixed-use zones where ground-floor retail spaces can be required.

In this podcast episode, The Urbanist's newsroom dive into recent headlines including Katie Wilson's State of the City speech, which bills are moving and which are dying at the Washington State Legislation, and the Seattle Social Housing Developer's latest moves.

We’re looking for passionate, locally-engaged volunteers to help guide our political endorsements. Apply to join the The Urbanist Elections Committee by March 6.

The $2 billion in new bonding in the Senate's transportation budget would help bolster the state's highway and bridge maintenance spending, which has lagged due to longstanding prioritization of new highway projects. But the debt load could create problems for future budget writers.

King County is staring down a fiscal cliff that threatens to dismantle the services our communities rely on most. Port Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa lays out the case for passing House Bill 2442 to give counties another revenue tool to address their fiscal challenges.

On Tuesday, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson pledged to attack affordability on four different fronts: housing, childcare, food, and small business opportunities. It was her first State of the City speech since taking office seven weeks ago.