Signature-gathering continues for the push to repeal the city “head tax” – we photographed petition circulators at the West Seattle Farmers Market on Sunday and have seen others at various locations. Tonight, perhaps the most unusual spot you’ll find signature-gathering: The weekly trivia game at Talarico’s in The Junction. From host Phil Tavel:

Tonight at Talarico’s trivia, due to popular demand, we will have the “Repeal the Head Tax” petition available for people to sign; even if you aren’t playing trivia … but really, why wouldn’t you come and play? Starts at 8:30, goes until 10. Prizes for top and bottom teams.

The repeal campaign has just over two weeks to gather enough signatures to send the referendum to voters, to ask if they want to keep or toss what the council and mayor approved two weeks ago. Its supporters, meantime, have a “decline to sign” campaign going.

Filing week is over. Here’s who you’ll see on the August primary ballot:

34TH DISTRICT STATE SENATOR – This is the position with no incumbent, since Sen. Sharon Nelson decided not to run again. 11 people have filed:
7 Democrats (Sofia Aragon, Shannon Braddock, Lem Charleston, Lisa Ryan Devereau, Joe Nguyen, Annabel Quintero, Lois Schipper)
2 Republicans (Darla Green, Courtney Lyle)
1 independent (Debi Wagner)
1 “no preference” (Hillary Shaw)

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE – Incumbent Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon both filed to run again; neither has an opponent.

7TH DISTRICT U.S. HOUSE: This appears to be an all-West Seattle faceoff, with incumbent U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal the lone Democrat, repeat candidate and anti-immigration advocate Craig Keller the lone Republican, and nobody else filing.

(WSB photo: Rep. Eileen Cody, Sen. Sharon Nelson, Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

It might have been the last time we’d talk to them as your 34th Legislative District trio: State Sen. Sharon Nelson and Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon sat down with us for a coffeehouse chat on how the session went, and what’s ahead next time.

We shared a table at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), where the two House reps had talked with us in January, shortly after the session had begun.

Otherwise, “we don’t get together that often!” they laughed – and certainly there had been big news in the meantime, with Nelson deciding to retire from the Legislature.

So, we asked, what did they see as the biggest successes of this year’s session?

Read More

Here’s the fourth official announcement of candidacy we’ve received for the 34th District seat in the State Senate:

Today, Lem Charleston begins his campaign to bring years of community leadership, activism, involvement, and diversity to 34th Legislative District.

I am running to be your next State Senator because I am convinced we can do better. Senator Sharon Nelson did a great job with the tools she had available to her but we need to progressively move her legacy to the next level by doing more in and for our communities here in the 34th district.

I love having a family. I love being a devoted husband and father. I’m a proud union member, a community member, an associate chaplain with Seattle Police Department (SPD). I served my country in the United States Marine Corps. I don’t look like a regular politician because I am not a career politician. I have different experiences than some politicians. I have been working in aerospace for over 30 years. I worked in Everett for 25 years and I am now in Renton and a proud member of District 751 of the International Association of Machinists. I was a Union Steward in the International Association of Machinists for 20 years. I have been a minister since 1992 and was the Pastor at the United House of Prayer For All People, Seattle, WA until 2008. I had a pretty good career as a volunteer soccer coach in the West Seattle Soccer Club (WSSC) as well.

Right now there are ZERO African Americans in the State Senate and the 34th Legislative District has never elected a person of color. It’s time for realistic diversity. We have to work together and not just believe in the creed of this district, but bring that creed to fruition.

I’m running be your next State Senator because I believe we can do better because our community members and our city and State needs us to do better.

We have traffic problems, classroom overcrowding problems, bike lane sharing problems. We also have one of the highest homelessness rates in the nation. We have obscene housing prices, and the property taxes that go with them. There is gun violence that is leaving our communities with grief, anger, and fear like never before. We can’t remedy all these things in one day, but working together, looking at our problems and facing them one by one, for what they are, I am confident we will find a remedy to each and every one of them.

Housing: The 34th district is one that has millionaires on the beach on the west end, and people living on the streets on the east end of this district. We can do better. We need to find solutions that cure that disparity. Seattleites and many people throughout the region are working hard to solve this problem, and I’ll work hard at the state level to find solutions to these issues. Housing is becoming a state issue. The Stranger reported in 2017 that, ”The Seattle area is the ninth fastest-growing metro in the nation, gaining about 1,100 residents per week according to population estimates issued this morning by the U.S. Census Bureau.” It’s not my goal to simply have another food bank for the homeless but how about giving them the tools to start a business or get a job so they can get off the streets and be able to provide adequately for their families.

Education: Seattle needs stronger educational resources and we need our schools to be completely funded. The levy’s just don’t get the job done anymore. I’ll work to make sure they have the resources they need to serve all of our community members. A strong community that is built by the people who serve in it, live in it, and love it is bound to prosper. It is my goal to not only expose the achievement gap between white students and students of color as this is important, but to also partner with the appropriate people everywhere reasonable to remedy this problem.

Revenue: We need to stop giving tax breaks to huge corporations with no way to get that money back if they don’t follow through on the deal. And yes, we need to fix our broken and regressive tax system. Taxing big corporations in a fair and equitable manner in a way that will not cost the middle class living wage jobs. We all must research and study to find economic solutions to remedy our concerns so that we build a stable and collective balance, with these corporations and create income equality here in Seattle.

I believe we can do better because I have lived here in the 34th district for over twenty-one years. As a soccer coach, I watched the parents of kids playing soccer teach their kids how to win and how to lose, all with dignity and fairness. Those lessons we learn as children are the ones we need to apply as adults we need to understand our problems and wisely find remedies for them.

Lem Charleston was born in Seattle and has lived in West Seattle for over 21 years. He’s been a pastor and a minister in the community for sixteen years, a volunteer soccer coach for six years, and is currently serving as a volunteer assistant Seattle Police Department chaplain for the past twelve years. He’s been married for 21 years and he and his wife have two children attending West Seattle Schools.

The three candidates from whom we previously received announcements are Shannon Braddock, Joe Nguyen, and Lois Schipper. Official filing week is under way through Friday; here’s who’s turned in paperwork so far. The seat is open because Sen. Sharon Nelson has announced she is not running for re-election.

(Seattle Channel video of this afternoon’s council meeting – public comment at 17:58, tax items at 59:08)

Ample citywide coverage of the City Council’s final vote on the “head tax” this afternoon – but we’re noting it here anyway. For one, the two West Seattle-residing councilmembers – District 1’s Lisa Herbold and citywide Position 9’s Lorena González – led the task force that brought the concept to the council in the first place. From the official news release, details on the compromise that passed in a 9-0 vote:

… The amended proposal establishes an annual tax of $275 per full-time employee on the City’s largest businesses, those with revenues of more than $20 million (about 3% of all businesses). The measure would generate an estimated $47 million annually and end on December 31, 2023.

… Selected highlights of the amended ordinance include:

*Exempt Seattle’s small and medium-sized businesses, only applying to those with at least $20 million or more annually in taxable gross receipts as measured under the City’s existing Business & Occupation tax;

*Apply only to the City’s approximately 585 largest businesses, or approximately 3% of all Seattle businesses;

*Require large businesses to pay $275 per full-time equivalent employee working 1,920 hours per year (or about $0.14 per hour);

*Include an evaluation of the economic impacts, and an independent oversight committee; and,

*Exempt healthcare providers that provide at least 25% of their services to patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid as well as all hospitals. …

You can read the amended plan here. Here’s some of what’s happened in the hours since the council vote:

*Mayor Durkan said, “I plan to sign this bill” (here’s video of her news conference; here’s her statement)

*Amazon said it’s “disappointed” and “apprehensive” (GeekWire.com coverage)

The tax starts in January. But first, as was noted in Q&A at Durkan’s news conference, a spending plan has to be finalized for the money it will raise.

Though five people participated in this past Wednesday’s State Senate candidates’ forum at the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting, we had only received official candidacy announcements from two. Now we have a third:

Public Health Nurse Lois Schipper formally announced she is running for the Washington State Senate. Schipper is a lifelong Democrat.

Schipper said, “Sunday is Mother’s Day. I want to serve in the Washington State Senate because I want to use my decades of experience as a public health nurse to give every mother the gift they most want on Mother’s Day – safe and healthy children.”

This Mother’s Day, Schipper reflects that her priorities in Olympia will always revolve around children and families: fully funding K-12 education, with an emphasis on special education and closing the achievement gap for low income kids and kids from communities of color; fighting the NRA to ban assault weapons and high-capacity clips; and cleaning up our upside-down tax system. “My work in our community has let me see that too many families are struggling,” says Schipper. “I want to take my expertise to Olympia to craft working solutions to these issues.”

Throughout her career, Schipper has led the fight to solve these needs and challenges, managing the King County Public Health Center that serves White Center and Burien. Earlier, Schipper was the first nurse in the 1980s supporting HIV-positive mothers and babies. Now, at Seattle Children’s Hospital, she leads a team helping non-English speaking families navigate the health care system.

“I think what I would bring to Olympia is my on-the-ground experience here in the 34th and in King County; working in the community, implementing programs, looking at what works, building teams across agencies,” said Schipper. “That’s the kind of work that’s necessary. I know how to bring diverse people – who often disagree – together to solve problems.”

Lois Schipper has deep ties to White Center – one of the most economically disadvantaged areas of King County. “Schipper deeply cares about underserved communities of color” according to Sili Savusa, executive director of the White Center Community Development Association. “Schipper understands what underserved communities need and she will deliver results in the legislature!”

In addition, Schipper served as PTSA president in both the Seattle and Highline School Districts, successfully leading school levy campaigns and serving as a PTSA legislative representative in Olympia.

John Welch, the former superintendent of the Highline School District, saw Lois’s efforts first-hand. “Lois got results through collaboration, perseverance and commitment,” says Welch, “I can’t imagine a more qualified and dedicated person to represent the 34th District.”

Schipper, who was a nurse in the Peace Corps, received her nursing degree from the Ohio State University and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Minnesota.

Schipper has been married to Mark Ufkes for 27 years and they have two sons who are both Eagle Scouts.

In Schipper’s own words, “As a public health nurse, I have dedicated my 30-year nursing career helping families and children live better lives. I want to bring my experience as a children’s health expert to represent you and your family in the State Senate in Olympia. The safety and health of children and families will always come first!”

The weeklong official filing period opens tomorrow. The two candidates from whom we previously received announcements are Shannon Braddock and Joe Nguyen. The seat is open because Sen. Sharon Nelson has announced she is not running for re-election.

A month and a half after 34th District State Senator Sharon Nelson announced she wouldn’t run for re-election, campaign season launched in earnest last night as five hopefuls appeared at the first major candidates’ forum. It made up the bulk of last night’s monthly 34th District Democrats meeting. From left are Lois Schipper, Sofia Aragon, Lem Charleston, Shannon Braddock, and Joe Nguyen. Topics included tax reform, health care, education funding, gun safety, and more. No endorsement vote yet; next week is the official filing week, so we’ll know then who else, if anyone, is jumping into the race.

Seven years after our state went to voting by mail, our county is removing the need for you to buy a stamp for your ballot. The announcement from the King County Council this afternoon:

No Stamp? No Problem! The Metropolitan King County Council today approved legislation allowing the Department of Elections to send voters postage-paid envelopes to return their ballots in this year’s primary and general elections.

“Increasing accessibility to free and fair democratic elections is central to all of our civic institutions,” Said Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, Chair of the Council’s Budget Committee and prime sponsor of the legislation. “This measure puts a ballot box at the end of every driveway, and I’m excited to be a part of its passage.”

“Voting is the foundation of our democracy. By eliminating the postage ‘poll tax’, King County is taking an important step to dismantle a barrier that keeps some from exercising their right to vote,” said Councilmember Rod Dembowski, co-sponsor of the ordinance.

Washington became a vote-by-mail state in 2011. While the Council and King County Elections worked to increase the number of ballot drop boxes available to voters throughout the county, approximately half of the ballots received are still sent by mail. Prior to today’s action all voters were personally required to place postage on their ballot.

In prior elections, when a voter forgot to place on stamp on a ballot, some post offices would send the ballot to King County regardless, but would charge the county $1.70—more than three times the current postage rate. Other post offices would not forward the ballot at all.

“We should be doing everything in our power to improve access to democracy countywide and I am confident that prepaid postage will go a long way towards doing just that by breaking down barriers to participation,” said Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, co-sponsor of the ordinance. “I’m confident that our action today will result in prepaid postage on ballots being implemented statewide.”

“Prepaid postage has been proven to increase voting in a cost-effective way,” Said King County Council Vice Chair Claudia Balducci. “I commend our King County Elections Director for continually looking for ways to improve voter participation in our elections, which is so fundamental to our democratic form of self-government.”

The measure is widely expected to increase voter access and participation. Elections conducted a pilot project this winter, sending 65,000 voters in Shoreline and Maple Valley prepaid return envelopes. The percentage of total ballots returned by mail during the pilot was 74-percent. This was a vast increase compared to 43-percent participation in the 2016 General Election.

The legislation now allows election officials to send prepaid return envelopes to all voters, but with the US Postal Service charging King County a rate of 50 cents for those returned by mail. Wise and county election officials estimate a 10 percent increase in the number of ballots returned by mail rather than drop boxes with prepaid postage.

The legislation passed Council with a 7-2 vote. In support of the measure were Councilmembers Upthegrove, Dembowski, Kohl-Welles, Balducci, Gossett, McDermott and von Reichbauer. Councilmembers Dunn and Lambert voted in opposition.

Ours would be the first in the state to provide postage-paid ballot envelopes.

We’ve heard from another candidate who has entered the race for our area’s 34th District State Senate seat, open since Sen. Sharon Nelson is not running for re-election. Here’s the announcement from Joe Nguyen‘s campaign:

Joe Nguyen, a Senior Manager at Microsoft who was born and raised in the 34th Legislative District, announced he would run for State Senate. The son of Vietnamese refugees and father of two, Nguyen aims to succeed retiring Senate Majority Leader Sharon Nelson for the open seat. He is off to a strong start with an early endorsement from Senator Bob Hasegawa.

Nguyen’s involvement in the Seattle area is lifelong, multi-faceted and represents a lived experience that is deeply connected with the values of hard work and service in this community. His mother escaped Vietnam with his sister on her back – and floated for weeks in the Pacific until seen by a Coast Guard plane and picked up by a cargo ship. He was born and raised in White Center/Burien, where his parents settled.

At Microsoft, Nguyen is working to provide accessible job training resources that empowers all people
with the right – often new – skills needed to succeed in this rapidly changing, technologically dependent economy.

“As the father of two young children and husband to an all-star educator, there is no issue more important than education,” said Nguyen. “Our state should be a national leader, not only in providing the kind of education that sets our kids up for success, but in reducing inequity and disparity. Fully funding our state’s obligation for education is essential, but it is not enough. Our teachers need better pay and benefits; our kids need resources in the classroom and beyond – whatever it takes so all students arrive at school ready to learn and thrive.”

Nguyen serves as the Associate Board Chairperson at Wellspring Family Services, which partners with families experiencing homelessness. This year, he helped Wellspring promote and advocate for legislation that will incorporate training in trauma-informed child care for early learning providers in Washington. This legislation was signed by Governor Inslee in March.

Nguyen is committed to finding solutions, so our residents can afford to stay here. “Seattle grows more unaffordable every day. People are worried they will no longer be able to live in their homes because they can’t afford the taxes. Health care costs, property taxes and rents are rising faster than wages. Despite Washington having one of the fastest growing economies in the nation, many residents right here in the 34th, don’t have any access to that prosperity.”

Nguyen was appointed by the King County Council to the Community Advisory Committee for the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO). He serves as a bridge between the community and the King County Sheriff’s Office in efforts to hold law enforcement accountable for providing fair and just police services to the public. “Along with law enforcement de-escalation resources and training,” Nguyen said, “Washington must implement solutions to decrease the epidemic of gun violence. There were nearly 700 firearm-related deaths last year in the state. We need stronger gun laws and policies to protect our children and save lives.”

Nguyen attended Highline Public Schools, John F. Kennedy High School in Burien, and graduated from Seattle University, where he was a two-term student body President. He lives with his wife Tallie, a former Highline Public School teacher who taught for a decade, and their two children near the West Seattle Junction.

“I am excited for the opportunity to amplify the voices and ensure a seat at the table for all our
neighbors, community members, business owners, teachers, immigrants, union workers and families that make our community such a special place to live.”

America is made greatest by its immigrants and refugees. If elected, Nguyen would be the first legislator of Vietnamese heritage in Washington and despite being one of the most diverse communities in the state, he would also be the first legislator of color from the 34th district.

The first candidate to announce in the race was Shannon Braddock, earlier this month. Formal filing happens the week of May 14th; the primary election is on August 7th.

(WSB photo from April 19th WS Chamber-convened ‘head tax’ discussion)

One week ago today, four City Councilmembers, including West Seattle/South Park’s Lisa Herbold and WS-residing/citywide-representing Lorena González, officially unveiled their proposal for the so-called “head tax,” a business tax to raise money they say would be used mostly to build housing for people who are homeless. That was one day after Herbold and González had made their case to a gathering convened by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce (WSB coverage here).

If you haven’t already read it, the proposed legislation is here; the resolution establishing how the money would be spent is here; a proposal with specifics for the first five years is here.

Three days after the proposal went public, there was an at-times-contentious three-hour public hearing at City Hall on Monday night:

On Wednesday, the council’s Finance and Neighborhoods Committee discussed the proposal, including a plan for how the money would be spent:

On Thursday, Councilmember González sent a survey to “business leaders.” One West Seattle recipient forwarded it to us anonymously. In the e-mail, González addresses the recipients, “In an effort to create an additional tool to engage with you regarding the proposed Employee Hours Tax/Payroll Tax, the Council has developed an online survey which allows business owners to give direct feedback to the Council and express any specific concerns.” Going through the survey, we note that it asks for opinions about housing and homelessness before asking for opinions on the potential head tax and the payroll tax that is proposed to follow it in three years. The survey is here.

Today in her weekly update, Councilmember Herbold went through a copious amount of backstory on the tax proposal and explanation why she supports it. If you aren’t already on her mailing list, you can read it on the city website. She wrote in part:

… The structural cause of homelessness in high cost cities like Seattle is that there is a growing unmet need for more affordable housing created when new workers, earning new high wage jobs, and low-income workers are in competition for limited housing. Lower income workers lose out and the result is that the explosive growth and rising rents that Seattle is experiencing has increased homelessness even as we, each year, exit more than 3,000 people out of homelessness and into permanent housing. A progressive tax on businesses most benefiting from this growth is our best option because we already rely heavily upon regressive property and sales taxes that hit everyone equally. …

Along with Herbold and González, the tax proposal is co-sponsored by Councilmembers Teresa Mosqueda (citywide) and Mike O’Brien (northwest Seattle’s District 6).

The next scheduled official discussion is back before the Finance and Neighborhoods Committee at noon Wednesday (May 2nd), with “issue identification” to be included; then the committee is scheduled to vote on it a week later, at 2 pm May 9th, including consideration of any amendments. If that schedule is kept, the full council would vote at 2 pm on Monday, May 14th. All three of those meetings would have public-comment periods; you also can reach councilmembers via e-mail or phone – contact info is here.

Since taking office five months ago, Mayor Durkan has made many who’s-staying-and-who’s-going announcements, but hadn’t said whether she would keep Kathy Nyland as director of the Department of Neighborhoods. Though Nyland – appointed almost exactly three years ago by then-Mayor Ed Murray – had a background in neighborhood-group leadership, she drew some fire for championing Murray’s plan to cut the city’s ties with neighborhood-district councils. This afternoon, Durkan announced that she’s moving Nyland out of DoN:

Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced that Andrés Mantilla will serve as Interim Director of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, effective May 16, 2018. Mantilla currently serves in the Mayor’s Office as the Director of External Relations and Outreach. Kathy Nyland will continue working in the Durkan administration as a senior advisor at Seattle Parks and Recreation focused on community and neighborhood outreach.

“From day one, I committed to bringing City Hall directly to neighborhoods, and the Department of Neighborhoods plays a critical role in building strong partnerships directly where people live and work. Kathy has worked tirelessly to help communities across Seattle have a strong voice in their government, and her leadership has helped to foster more coordinated, citywide outreach on Seattle’s most urgent challenges. We will build on her important work to bring more equitable engagement to our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Durkan. “As we address growing disparities and make our City more affordable, Andrés will be instrumental in elevating the voices of community members throughout Seattle. His commitment to equity and communities of color will elevate the work of our City.”

Mantilla has deep roots in communities across the City. Prior to his role in the Mayor’s Office, Mantilla worked on community and small business outreach at the Department of Neighborhoods and Office of Economic Development as well as on the Community Outreach Team for Mayor Greg Nickels.

(WSB photo of Andres Mantilla: 2011, when he visited WS as a representative of the Department of Economic Development)

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Though the details of a city “head tax” proposal haven’t been finalized yet, city councilmembers are trying to make the case for it, and that’s why two of them talked with West Seattle Chamber of Commerce members this morning.

West Seattle-residing Councilmembers Lorena González and Lisa Herbold co-chaired the task force that came up with the idea,

About 50 people were at the Disabled American Veterans hall in Delridge to hear them out and ask questions. And there were multiple mentions of the letter that Mayor Jenny Durkan has sent to the council, urging some caution:

The chamber offered the councilmembers a chance to speak beforetaking questions. Herbold opened by thanking attendees:

Read More

(WSB photo: November 2017, South Seattle College)

When Mayor Jenny Durkan came to South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) on her second day in office last November, she signed an executive order to expand the free-college program that’s brought hundreds of students to SSC in recent years, but it wasn’t clear at the time where the money would come from. Now it is. Today she announced that funding her Seattle Promise plan – free community college at more campuses, for more students – would be part of a levy this fall that also will replace two expiring levies, the Families and Education Levy (passed in 2011) and the Seattle Preschool Program levy (passed in 2014). From the announcement:

Under Mayor Durkan’s plan, homeowners of a median assessed value property ($665,000 in 2019) would pay approximately $20.75 a month or $249 a year. For the first time, qualified low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans with a service-connected disability will be eligible for an exemption.

So what exactly would that get you? Not just college – that’s actually only a fraction. More than half the money would go to the preschool program. Here’s the full plan (PDF). Page 9 in that report has this breakdown of what percentage of the levy money would go to which programs:

The mayor is proposing that the levy go to voters on the November ballot.

Just found out about this event set for tomorrow afternoon at Bethaday Community Learning Space in White Center:

The Racial Equity Team (RET) – a People of Color-led group of lobbyists of color and community organizations focused on helping communities of color – invites you to our Tribal Lunch and Learn where Native leaders will speak on Native issues in Washington.

Many folks have taken for granted the original people of this land. The genocide of Native peoples continues through widespread discrimination and systematic lack of resources. As we strive to help our brothers and sisters in the Native community, we must first better understand their communitywide needs from those who have firsthand knowledge.

Who:
Senator John McCoy (left), one of the few Native American legislators currently serving
Former Senator Claudia Kauffman (right), first Native American woman in WA legislature
Aren Sparck, Cup’ik, Government Affairs Officer of Seattle Indian Health Board
Eir Cheeka, Early Native Learning Coordinator, WCCDA

When: April 11, 12-1:30 PM

Where: Bethaday Community Learning Space, 605 SW 108th St

This legislative session, the RET watched several bills pertaining to Native communities: HB 2267 – Indigenous Peoples Day; SB 6384 – Wanaput Band at Priest Rapids; SB 6131 – Providing tuition waivers equal to 50% cut to students who are enrolled members of a federally recognized Tribe; $150k budget request for Native Action Network; and HB 2761 – Improving child placement stability that includes Indian Child Welfare Act.

It is tremendously important that we work together to better understand and serve our Native communities in Washington state. Hearing from Native leaders is the first step in this process. We hope to see you there.

Thanks to Mark Ufkes for forwarding the announcement.

A week and a half after State Senator Sharon Nelson announced she won’t run for re-election, the first candidate has come forward: Shannon Braddock, who narrowly lost the first-ever District 1 race for City Council in 2015. The announcement from her campaign:

Democrat Shannon Braddock, a longtime advocate for children and senior member of County Executive Dow Constantine’s administration, has announced that she will run for the State Senate in District 34, which includes West Seattle, North Highline, Vashon and Maury Islands, and parts of Burien. Braddock, who previously served as Chief of Staff to County Councilmember Joe McDermott, is seeking to replace Majority Leader Sharon Nelson, who is retiring.

“I’m excited to bring the progressive values of our region to the State Senate, where we need to continue working to pass common sense gun laws, invest in early learning, provide behavioral health and addiction support that restores lives, and reform taxes to help working and middle-class families,” said Braddock, mother of three Seattle Public Schools students. “I’m grateful for Senator Nelson’s leadership on so many issues and helping break partisan logjams preventing action on regional priorities. It’s been a privilege to work on behalf of the district the past 8 years and I look forward to joining our strong 34th District legislative team in taking on the tough issues and making real progress for local communities.”

Braddock is on the board of WestSide Baby, a volunteer-based organization that provides support to low-income mothers and their babies and she previously served on the Board of the West Seattle Food Bank. At the County, she helped ensure passage of the highly successful Best Starts for Kids programs—targeting resources to early learning, behavioral intervention, and other critical investments.

“I’ve always focused on issues that help give kids the best start in life, and the opportunities to thrive,” said Braddock. “This is why I am so passionate about expanding early learning, so we don’t rely on local governments to fill the gaps that should be part of a comprehensive state investment in the education and welfare of all children, regardless of zip code or economic status.”

Braddock is also committed to carrying the passion and energy of the thousands of local students who marched for stronger gun laws to Olympia, consistent with her commitment to healthy children and families.

“The safety and well being of our kids in school is something we took for granted too long and is at risk of being dangerously exploited by the cynical gun lobby and their allies in the White House,” said Braddock. “We must take real action on removing guns—and access to guns—from the hands of young people, dangerous individuals, and those most at risk of violence. We have the tools to save lives. We need to stop making excuses and allowing the NRA to tell us there is nothing we can do other than arm teachers. Let’s get real about this crisis and put kids ahead of the gun lobby.”

Braddock has worked regionally on coordinating and seeking reforms in the delivery of mental, health, addiction, and homelessness services, including working to pass the successful Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services levy renewal in 2017. She views Olympia as a needed partner in helping remove the burden on local taxpayers to address a statewide crisis.

“Local voters and cities across the region have stepped up to do their part to tackle the related crises of addiction and homelessness,” said Braddock. “But we need more from the State to provide uniform access to early intervention and treatment, transitional programs that prevent relapse, training in life and job skills that restore lives and to rebuild self-sufficiency. We can and must address these issues in a more comprehensive, compassionate way.”

Braddock says she will begin knocking on doors throughout the district and will announce a formal campaign kickoff for later in the Spring.

“I’m thrilled for this opportunity and look forward to meeting with voters, union workers, small business owners, community leaders, and families about how we can improve our communities,” said Braddock. “While Washington, DC may be trying to take us in the wrong direction, we must move forward here in Washington State with progressive policies and leadership that brings every voice to the table.”

The official filing period isn’t until mid-May. One otherwise-likely candidate has already announced he’s NOT in the running: State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, who says he’ll run for House re-election instead.

(Seattle Channel video of this afternoon’s City Council meeting)

Six years after a quiet rule change to allow some projects to be built without parking, a not-so-quiet rule change heading further down that road passed the City Council this afternoon. West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold was the only one voting “no.” Her proposed amendment to allow the city to consider parking impacts for some projects in neighborhoods where parking is mostly maxed out (explained here) was rejected before the final vote.

We first reported on the proposed changes last November, when then-Mayor Tim Burgess officially sent them to the council. Almost a year before that, it was one of the topics at a series of city “open house” events, which otherwise were focused on the proposed HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability upzoning.

You can read the full legislation (140 pages) here. Highlights were described by city staffers who briefed the Southwest District Council four weeks ago. They include a change in the definition of “frequent transit” – which governs whether a project can omit parking if its developers don’t want to include it – as well as allowing building owners to open up unused parking to more potential users. Supporters say requiring less parking to be built will be environmentally friendlier and will make new housing more affordable.

When our area’s State Sen. Sharon Nelson announced last week that she would not run for re-election, the question immediately arose, who will run to succeed her? One seemingly natural successor, State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon – who had been mentored by Nelson before he joined the Legislature eight years ago – has made his decision: He wants to stay in the House. His announcement today:

After much consideration and receiving much advice, I believe the place I can be the most effective for my district and the issues I care about is in the House of Representatives. I’ll be running for reelection to the House this year, not for the Senate.

2019 can be (and needs to be) a watershed year in the Washington State Legislature on fighting climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There is great energy and leadership around climate priorities in the Senate right now, and staying in the House lets me focus on building momentum for climate and clean energy progress in our chamber. I’m also motivated to make progress in the House on gun safety, death penalty repeal, multimodal transportation infrastructure, restoring habitat for salmon and other endangered species, and fixing our upside-down tax code.

I also love the team-oriented culture of the House and want to remain a part of a great team, the House Democrats, that I know and love well. I’m confident that our district will choose a great new senator to represent us, who can make the 34th district proud and serve the Senate and the state well.

Thanks to all who provided advice and input as I made my decision. I’d be honored to have your support as I run for reelection.

The official filing period for legislative offices is in mid-May. Rep. Fitzgibbon is one of two State House representatives for the 34th District – which includes West Seattle, White Center, Vashon and Maury Islands, and part of Burien – along with Rep. Eileen Cody. He won re-election four years ago with 82 percent of the vote over another Democrat, Brendan Kolding; Cody and Nelson were both re-elected that year without opponents.

For the first time in eight years, there’ll be an open seat in our area’s 34th Legislative District – State Sen. Sharon Nelson announced today that she will not run for re-election. The Maury Island resident has served in the Legislature for 10 years, first in the House, where she won Legislator of the Year after just one year. In fall of 2010, she moved up to the Senate, where she became Majority Leader earlier this year. In a note to colleagues in Olympia today, she said, in part:

… Five years ago, when I became leader, my goals were to build a strong caucus and to retake the majority and to show what that majority meant to the State of Washington. Because of each of you, my goals have been achieved. … it is time for me to return next year to being a wife, mother, grandmother and daughter (yes, my mother is 89 and still a big part of our family). Simply said, I am not running for re-election to the Senate and looking forward to time with my family while all of you are in session next year!

Sen. Nelson’s focuses have included environmental and consumer protection. So who will run to succeed her? No word yet. The official filing week starts May 14th.

ADDED WEDNESDAY: The first person we asked about potential candidacy was 34th District Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, who worked for Sen. Nelson before his election. His reply: “I have not yet decided if I will run for Sen. Nelson’s seat. I am taking input from friends regarding in which chamber they think I can be most effective for our district and our priorities. I will be making a decision soon.”

If you have a question or concern about what’s happening in Washington, D.C., one week from tonight, you can talk with our area’s U.S. House representative here in West Seattle – Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who’s planning a town-hall meeting at 6 pm Tuesday, March 27th, at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). She lives in West Seattle but represents (corrected) much of the city as well as the rest of the 7th District [added: here’s the map].