Politics and Government
Heroes and Zeroes of the 2024 Washington State Legislature
Check out our top ten lawmakers who distinguished themselves for good and bad from the 2024 session of the Washington State Legislature.
New Seattle Police Contract Punts on Accountability, Delivers Big 23% Raise
Mayor Harrell's contract would make Seattle police the highest paid in the region, but no more accountable.
The long-awaited new proposed contract between the City...
Shaun Scott Aims to Succeed Retiring Rep Chopp as Progressive Champion in Olympia
Shaun Scott sat down with The Urbanist to make his case for the 43rd Legislative District seat and lay out his top priorities in office, which included funding affordable housing, grappling with Long Covid, and advancing civilian emergency response alternatives.
Local Labor Leaders Hope to Sustain ‘Year of the Union’ Momentum
2023 was a banner year for union organizing nationwide and locally, but much work remains in 2024 to sustain gains and expand on them. And corporate bosses are not taking this without a fight.
Join Us for Urbanist Panel Breaking Down 2024 Washington State Legislature Session
The "Year of Housing 2.0" at the state legislature yielded less progress than expected. Our March 26 virtual event will conduct an autopsy.
Seattle Leaders Eye JumpStart Housing Funds to Close $230 Million Budget Hole
Mayor Harrell and the city council are contemplating budget cuts and raiding JumpStart payroll tax revenue to address a $230 million budget deficit. But nonprofit leaders are warning of the impact of reducing affordable housing funding.
Year of Housing 2.0 Mostly Fizzles Out at Washington Legislature
The state's 60-day legislative session wrapped on March 7 with only a few housing bills headed to Governor Inslee's desk. Rent stabilization, transit-oriented development, lot-splitting, and a builder's remedy all failed to pass.
Seattle City Attorney Disqualifies Judge Vaddadi, Threatening Municipal Court Independence
Seattle's Republican City Attorney is disqualifying a progressive Municipal Court judge in a deeply undemocratic move, given that judges are elected and meant to be a check on executive power.