Politics and Government

Sammamish Hits Pause on Town Center Planning after Backlash Election

Following an intense debate over the future of Sammamish's fledgling Town Center area in this month's elections, three growth skeptics are set to join the city council. Now the question is just how dramatically things get scaled back in 2026.

Lake Forest Park Ballot Measure Would Increase Park Access and Fund Safer Streets

While Shoreline's park bond measure did not make it to the November ballot, neighboring Lake Forest Park's ballot contains a measure to increase funding...
WALeg Week 5 Cover. Image: Association of Washington Cities Meet the AWC Lobbyists logo.

The Association of Washington Cities’ Local Control Fixation

In this WALeg report, an introduction to the loud voices yelling for municipal home rule. Also in this digest: Important Bills at a Glance This Week's Focus:...

State Legislators Push for ‘Year of Housing 2.0’

While 2023 was dubbed the 'year of housing,' 2024 could be a second act, with unfinished business left to tackle. In 2023, the Washington State...
"Trash, tents and needles in our parks and playgrounds. We can help the homeless *and* have our parks back. Vote Bruce for Mayor," read the top line of the mailer. Next to a head shot of Bruce Harrell a quote is included: "Fore me, the status quo is completely unacceptable. I don't want anyone to have to live in a tent or in their car."

Disingenuous vs. Bad Faith: Arguments and the Way We Receive Them

Recently, I got called out in a discussion where I labeled something a “bad faith” argument. We were talking about the last Seattle City...
Ferguson wears a dark suit and stands at a lectern gesturing with his right hand.

Op-Ed: We Need a Bolder Bob Ferguson as Governor

We need a Bob Ferguson like we had in 2017 who stands up to and confronts Trump, John Burbank opines. We need a Bob Ferguson who fights for all of us to thrive, setting an example of what is possible as the federal government descends into a kleptocracy.

Democracy and Cities

The relationship between democracy and cities is a close and longstanding one. It was in the ancient Greek city-state of Athens where the word...

Autonomous Vehicle and E-bike Regulation Among Transportation Bills Headed to Governor

The Washington State Legislature passed several transportation-related bill this year in addition to major supplemental transportation budget and funding for a more in-depth study...