After a failed attempt to challenge the ballot title of the Compassion Seattle proposed charter amendment, local advocacy groups have filed a new legal challenge asking a judge to keep it off the ballot entirely.
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SPD’s busy day full of odd and notable moments
Earlier this week SCC Insight previewed all of the important events happening for the Seattle Police Department today. When all was said and done, much more was said than done — but some of what was said was still pretty interesting.
Continue readingCatching up on court cases: August 4, 2021
What’s better than election coverage? Litigation coverage! We have four cases to catch up on today.
Continue readingState Supreme Court clarifies rules for King County inquests, allows pending inquests to move forward
This morning the Washington State Supreme court issued a powerful 49-page unanimous ruling resolving a fierce, multi-year, multi-party battle over how inquests should be conducted in King County. The ruling upholds portions of the changes that King County Executive Dow Constantine enacted through a series of executive orders, but wipes out other parts.
Continue readingFederal judge upholds “Fair chance housing” ordinance
After a brief hearing this morning, today U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour issued a ruling upholding the city’s “Fair Chance Housing” ordinance banning landlords from inquiring about or using a potential tenant’s criminal history.
Continue readingU.S. Supreme Court moves the goalposts on property takings, and there may be local repercussions for renters and landlords
This morning the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling on a case involving a California regulation that granted union representatives access to private employers’ work sites for up to 3 hours a day, 120 days per year, in order to recruit and organize. The Court ruled that the government-granted access is a “taking” of property, and thus was subject to the Takings Clause of the U.S. Constitution. In clarifying the rules around a grey area of property rights jurisprudence — and arguably moving the goalposts in favor of property owners — the Court may have also shifted the balance of …
Continue readingHerbold holds first hearing on new version of “less lethal weapon” ban
This morning, Councilmember Lisa Herbold held a first hearing on her bill revising the Council’s ban on SPD’s use of so-called “less lethal” weapons.
Continue readingHerbold introduces new version of ban on less-lethal weapons
This week Councilmember Lisa Herbold is formally introducing an update to the City Council’s ban on less-lethal weapons that it passed last summer and that was subsequently struck down by Judge James Robart.
Continue readingIndustry association asks for full 9th Circuit review of ruling on hotel workers healthcare mandate
Back in March, a three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the city in a legal challenge to the its ordinance mandating that hotels provide healthcare benefits to their employees. As expected, the plaintiffs in the case, the ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), have asked the full Ninth Circuit to hear the case en banc.
Continue readingSeattle payroll tax upheld in Superior Court ruling
This afternoon, King County Superior Court Judge Mary Roberts ruled in favor of the City of Seattle, upholding as “constitutionally permissible” the city’s payroll tax enacted last summer and dismissing a lawsuit challenging it.
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