Latest news with #SeattleCityCouncil
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore to resign due to health, personal reasons
The Brief Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore will resign on July 7 due to health and personal reasons. Moore, representing District 5, sponsored controversial crime ordinances and secured funding for sidewalks and rental assistance. Details on filling Moore's vacancy will be announced soon. SEATTLE - Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore announced she is resigning due to health and personal reasons. Her last day will be July 7. Moore, who represents District 5 (North Seattle), has held her position since 2023 and says she's proud of what the council has been able to accomplish in the last year and a half. "My decision to leave the City Council is one I've been considering seriously over the past several months due to some recent health challenges. Ultimately, I believe that District 5 community members deserve a representative who can give their full attention to the critical issues facing the City and its neighborhoods," said Councilmember Moore. Two of the major ordinances sponsored by Moore were the SOAP [Stay out of Area of Prostitution] and SODA [Stay out of Drug Area] zones, aimed at cracking down on crime and prostitution along Aurora Avenue. While the SOAP and SODA ordinances both passed 8-1, Moore faced intense backlash over the legislation, with critics clashing with supporters at intense votes in September 2024. "I'm incredibly proud of the achievements of this Council and my team during the last year and a half. Having been elected to focus on improving public safety, and tackle housing and homelessness with a progressive framework, I believe we've made major strides in all these important areas," Moore said. Moore also highlighted new sidewalk funding acquired through the 2024 voter-approved Transportation Levy, millions of dollars secured for rental assistance, and strengthening protections for people seeking reproductive health care and gender-affirming treatment. "I want to wholeheartedly thank the residents of District 5 for their engagement and support during my time here. Serving on the Seattle City Council has truly been an honor for me, both personally and professionally," added Councilmember Moore. What's next Details on filling Moore's vacancy will be announced in the coming days. The city council has 20 days to fill a vacant position. The Source Information in this story came from a news release by the office of Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting. Wenatchee dad, 3 young girls unreachable, missing person alert activated 'Shut your legs' comment, rating female staff: Snoqualmie Police Chief fired after probe DOJ to announce drug trafficking arrests in Seattle Washington state named 'sanctuary jurisdiction' by Trump admin, 35 of 39 counties listed Motorcyclist speaks out after arrest made in Auburn, WA hit-and-run nearly 2 years ago WA beekeeper working to save millions of bees involved in crash in Whatcom County FBI scrutiny puts pressure on Seattle mayor after protest clash To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Socialist Kshama Sawant announces bid to defeat U.S. Rep. Adam Smith
Former socialist Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant announced Monday that she's running to unseat longtime U.S. Rep. Adam Smith. Smith, a Democrat, has represented Washington's 9th Congressional district for nearly three decades. The district stretches over portions of Seattle and Bellevue, as well as Seattle's southeast suburbs. Sawant served on Seattle City Council from 2014 to 2024. She left that role last year to launch Workers Strike Back, a national labor movement. In a Federal Election Commission document filed last week, Sawant is listed as an Independent. 'Most of the time, working people have no political representation under capitalism,' Sawant said Monday during a livestreamed news conference. 'Both the Democrats and Republicans serve the interests of the billionaires, and both are war-mongering parties down to their bones.' Early in her political career, Sawant spearheaded a push to secure a $15 hourly minimum wage for Seattle. She has fought to impose more taxes on big businesses such as Amazon and is an advocate for rent-control efforts. Sawant is calling for 'an immediate end to the genocidal war and occupation of Gaza,' according to her campaign website. She wants to see more funding for health care, schools and jobs, and is demanding that the U.S. cease all military aid to 'both the Israeli state and the bloody inter-imperialist proxy war in Ukraine.' Sawant has also criticized Smith as 'pro-corporate' and a 'warmonger.' 'We aren't going to stop right-wing attacks and defeat Trump by staying silent and allowing Democrats like Adam Smith to remain in power,' she said at Monday's event. In a statement to McClatchy, Smith welcomed Sawant to the race. But he contends Sawant played a part in ensuring President Donald Trump's return to the White House by campaigning against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. The Congress member said Sawant deployed 'divisive' and 'extreme' tactics during her time on Seattle City Council. 'Voters in Washington's 9th Congressional District deserve thoughtful, effective leadership focused on real results — not ideological stunts,' he said. 'This election will offer a clear contrast, and I look forward to the challenge.' At the June 2 campaign announcement, Sawant condemned other progressive Democrats. She took aim at U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, accusing them of having long since yielded to their party's 'corporate and war-mongering agenda.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kshama Sawant, a Seattle socialist, to challenge veteran WA Democratic congressman
Kshama Sawant, the socialist who served on the Seattle City Council until last year, launched a campaign for Congress on Monday. Above, she is speaking at a rally in Seattle in 2017. (Photo by) Kshama Sawant, the socialist who served a decade on the Seattle City Council, launched a 'working-class, antiwar, anti-genocide' campaign Monday to unseat incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Smith in the 2026 election. At her campaign kick-off in Seattle, Sawant called for a $25 an hour minimum wage, universal health care and a halt in U.S. military aid to Israel for its ongoing offensive against Hamas. Sawant did not seek re-election in 2023 as she established Workers Strike Back, an activist group focused on pro-labor causes and other issues. The Seattle resident vowed, if elected, to 'flip the script on how to use elected office' as she did as a city leader from 2014 to 2024. 'My socialist city council office went to war for working people to defeat the strenuous opposition from both big business and the Democratic Party,' she said in a statement. 'Our experience in Seattle shows that we can defeat the rich and their political servants.' Sawant filed as an independent with the Federal Election Commission. Smith, who's served in the U.S. House since 1997, said Sawant's candidacy will offer voters 'a clear contrast.' 'Her record on the Seattle City Council is defined by extreme, divisive tactics and policies that left lasting harm,' he said in a statement. The war in Gaza will be a major issue in the campaign. Sawant hit hard Monday, saying that because the Democrats and Republican parties have backed U.S. support of Israel 'to the hilt,' they both are 'responsible for what is in reality a new holocaust' in which thousands have died and Gaza has been reduced to rubble. Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, has 'blood on his hands' for fully endorsing the policies, she said. He, in turn, said Sawant bears responsibility for Republican Donald Trump winning the presidency because she actively campaigned against former Vice President Kamala Harris' bid for the office, undermining Democratic efforts to defeat Trump. 'I have constantly fought against Donald Trump and the devastating policies he is forcing on the American people,' Smith said. The two will duel to represent the 9th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of Seattle and Bellevue as well as the south King County communities of Renton, Tukwila, Kent, Des Moines and Federal Way. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kshama Sawant announces campaign for Congress, vowing to challenge Rep. Adam Smith
Former Seattle City Councilmember and socialist organizer Kshama Sawant announced Monday that she is running for Congress in Washington's 9th Congressional District, launching a campaign against longtime Democratic incumbent Rep. Adam Smith. Speaking at a press conference in Seattle, Sawant stood alongside organizers from Workers Strike Back — the national movement she co-founded after leaving the council — as well as local union members and activists. She described her campaign as a working-class challenge to what she called the 'corporate and warmongering agenda' of both major political parties. Sawant, who served on the Seattle City Council for a decade before stepping down in 2023, said her platform will focus on building mass movements to win policies like Medicare for All, a $25 minimum wage, and an end to U.S. military funding for Israel. 'Working people have no political representation under capitalism,' Sawant said. 'Both the Democrats and Republicans serve the interests of the billionaires.' Sawant's campaign is running independently of the Democratic Party. She sharply criticized progressive members of Congress such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, accusing them of capitulating to their party's leadership. She also took direct aim at Rep. Smith, who has represented the South Sound-based district since 1997 and currently serves as the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. Sawant accused Smith of enabling U.S. militarism and specifically blamed him for supporting the Israeli military during its war in Gaza. She cited his voting record on military spending, including his support for the Iraq War in 2002 and various U.S. military interventions since the 1990s. 'He has blood all over his hands,' Sawant said, referencing Smith's role in approving defense funding and support for Israel. She also accused Smith of receiving campaign contributions from defense contractors and health insurance companies. Smith, a centrist Democrat who has served in Congress for nearly three decades, has not yet commented on Sawant's candidacy. He handily won reelection in 2022 with over 70% of the vote. In her speech, Sawant outlined her plans for a Seattle-based healthcare ballot initiative that would raise billions in taxes on large corporations to fund free healthcare for city residents. She argued that victories at the local level could build momentum for a national push for Medicare for All. 'There is no reason, in the wealthiest country on earth, that everyone cannot have free healthcare,' she said. Sawant also revisited her legislative accomplishments on the Seattle City Council, including passing the city's $15 minimum wage, taxing major corporations through the Amazon Tax, and pushing for multiple renter protections. She credited these wins to grassroots organizing and dismissed mainstream political strategies as ineffective. Sawant pledged to take only the average worker's salary if elected, donating the rest of her congressional salary to labor and social justice movements. She also criticized the influence of corporate money on both parties, warning that without mass mobilization, working people would continue to lose ground. The 9th District includes parts of Seattle, Bellevue, Renton, Kent, and other South King County communities. The primary election is scheduled for August 2024.
Axios
22-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Touch-screen kiosks may come to Seattle streets
Seattle officials are debating whether to install dozens of digital kiosks, each measuring over 8 feet tall, in public spaces downtown and in business districts. Why it matters: Supporters of adding the interactive kiosks say they'll relay valuable way-finding tips and public safety messages, along with information about local events and restaurants. But they'll also be vehicles for digital ads — and privacy advocates worry they could one day be used to record passersby or collect people's data. Catch up quick: The Seattle City Council is considering legislation to allow 30 of the touch-screen kiosks to be installed downtown before next summer's 2026 FIFA World Cup events. Another 50 kiosks could be installed after that, with some potentially going up in business improvement areas in Ballard, SoDo, West Seattle and the U-District. Zoom in: Each digital kiosk would measure 8.25 feet tall by 3.15 feet wide and would be equipped with apps to help people find local attractions and transit service. When not in active use, the kiosks will cycle through eight digital slides, seven of which could be private advertisements. The kiosks, which can translate information into multiple languages, would also act as free Wi-FI hubs and could be used to call 911. What they're saying: Jon Scholes, president and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association, told Axios that the technology could help "people discover and engage with the urban area," including by finding events and businesses "that they may not even know to search for." Each kiosk's content would be customized to show what's directly nearby, he said. They'd go up in public rights-of-way, adjacent to sidewalks and roadways. Between the lines: Scholes said Seattle's kiosks wouldn't include security cameras. At most, they'll have a manually operated selfie camera, he said. (A city memo says those photos wouldn't be retained.) But Tee Sannon of the ACLU of Washington told KUOW there's a danger of "mission creep" should the kiosks go up. "It's easy to then start adding new features that could be invasive," Sannon said. With that in mind, "strong forward-looking policies and protections should be in place before any kiosk is installed," Caedmon Magboo Cahill, the ACLU-WA's policy advocacy director, said in an emailed statement to Axios. The big picture: Kiosks made by the same company are used in about 20 other cities, including San Diego, Baltimore, Miami and Denver, Scholes said. Follow the money: The Downtown Seattle Association, which would run the kiosk program at no cost to the city, expects to collect about $1.1 million per year in advertising revenue from the first 30 kiosks. That money would go toward downtown improvement efforts, Scholes said, with any additional revenue to be directed back to the city. What's next: The Seattle City Council could vote in early June on a resolution that would grant "conceptual approval" for the kiosk program.
