A lot has happened since April 1 when the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the recall petition against Councilmember Kshama Sawant could move forward.
Continue readingCategory: legal
Council patching up payroll tax ordinance to try to avoid court defeat
Tomorrow afternoon the City Council will likely give its final approval to a modification to the “Jump Start” payroll tax ordinance it passed last summer. If you read the memo written by Council staff, you will see a feel-good story about the city making this change as a result of feedback from companies. But that’s not what’s really going on with this change: in truth, it’s an attempt to fix a potentially fatal flaw in the ordinance before a King County Superior Court judge hears a challenge to it next month.
Continue readingTidbits from the past week
As is often the case, in the last week a number of things happened in local city government that flew under the radar. For your reading pleasure…
Continue readingState Supreme Court allows Sawant recall to move forward
In a unanimous opinion issued this morning, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that a recall petition filed against Councilmember Kshama Sawant may move forward. It found that three of the four charges in the petition were both factually and legally sufficient to justify a recall election.
Continue readingJudge upholds grocery worker “hazard pay” ordinance
It took about fifteen minutes after a hearing this morning for U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour to issue his ruling dismissing a lawsuit challenging the City of Seattle’s ordinance requiring grocery stores to add $4 per hour of “hazard pay” on to workers’ paychecks.
Continue readingNinth Circuit upholds Seattle hotel workers healthcare mandate
In a super-fast turnaround, today the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Seattle’s ordinance requiring hotel employers to make minimum monthly expenditures for their employees’ healthcare.
Continue readingBlack Brilliance Research Project wraps up with allegations, recriminations, but no city investigation
In the final days of the $3 million Black Brilliance Research Project, the wheels came off the wagon. King County Equity Now, the organization that fought for and spearheaded the project, found itself on the outside looking in, and despite making allegations that its fiscal sponsor had committed financial improprieties and contract violations, it was unable to convince the City Council to intervene before the clock ran out.
Continue readingLewis, Sawant propose right to counsel for tenants facing eviction
Tomorrow morning the City Council will take up a bill proposed by Councilmembers Lewis and Sawant that would provide free legal representation to all tenants in Seattle facing eviction.
Continue readingAppeal of hotel-worker healthcare mandate gets its day in court
On Monday, a panel of 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judges heard oral arguments in an appeal of the City of Seattle’s ordinance mandating that hotel companies provide healthcare benefits to their workers.
Continue readingKing County judge rules in favor of city on tenant protection ordinances
Today King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender issued a ruling almost entirely upholding three tenant protection ordinances passed by the City Council last year.
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