This morning Mayor Durkan announced that the city will move forward with repairing the cracked main span of the West Seattle Bridge, with the expectation that it will reopen by mid-2022, restore the bridge to its original expected lifetime, and push out building a replacement for up to 40 years. However, she also said that SDOT will start studying an eventual replacement strategy now, and it will approach Sound Transit about jointly building a third span to West Seattle that could incorporate light rail, bicycles and pedestrians.
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State Supreme Court tosses recall petition against Mayor
After hearing the case on an expedited schedule, this afternoon in a brief two-page order the Washington State Supreme Court unanimously rejected as “factually and legally insufficient” a recall petition filed against Mayor Durkan and certified by a lower court.
Continue readingCatching up on the recall petitions
Two recall petitions — for Mayor Durkan and Council member Sawant — are moving through the court systems. Let’s check in.
Continue readingCouncil overrides Mayor’s 2020 budget veto
Earlier this evening, the City Council voted 7-2 to override Mayor Durkan’s veto of its “rebalanced” 2020 budget.
Continue readingState Supreme Court will hear appeal of Durkan recall petition certification, quickly
The past week has been a crazy whirlwind in legal filings as Mayor Durkan appeals to the state Supreme Court a lower court’s certification of the recall petition against her.
Continue readingJudge denies motion for reconsideration of Durkan recall petition
This afternoon, King County Superior Court Judge Mary Roberts denied a request by Mayor Durkan to reconsider the certification of a recall petition against her.
Continue readingCatching up on court cases: July edition
One old favorite, and two relatively new cases, have slowly but surely moved forward.
Continue readingDurkan asks judge to reconsider order certifying recall petition
Today attorneys for Mayor Durkan filed a motion for reconsideration of a judge’s certification of a recall petition charge earlier this week, asking the court to take another look at its ruling that one of the seven charges alleged was factually and legally sufficient as a basis for a recall petition.
Continue readingPetition to recall Mayor Durkan certified for signature collection
Last Friday a King County Superior Court judge certified, in part, a petition from a group attempting to recall Mayor Jenny Durkan because of her actions (and inaction) during the recent protests. The recall election process is similar in many ways to voter initiative and referendum processes, but it also has its own unique aspects. Let’s review the whole process, where the current effort stands, and what happens from here. (update: a couple of technical corrections made below based upon feedback from the city)
Continue readingCHOP: a tragedy of errors, now entering its final act
After a weekend of late-night violence in the CHOP, today Mayor Jenny Durkan and SPD Chief Carmen Best signaled that their hands-off approach to the protest area on Capitol Hill is changing, and “it’s time for people to go home.” It’s been nearly a month since George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer, surrounded by other officers who stood by and did nothing. The ensuing weeks here in Seattle — the protests, the violent police response, the looting and destruction, the abandoning of the East Precinct, and the occupation of a small section in the heart of Capitol …
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