As our region grows rapidly and the cost of living increases, we must go the extra mile to make sure children and students from all walks of life don’t fall through the cracks. That’s why last month the Council passed a motion I sponsored to invest $318 million over the next 15 years to improve... Continue Reading →
Last month in Bitter Lake, a neighborhood in my district, a young man was shot in the head and died following an altercation. He was only 32 years old. For many of us, his death by gun is just another headline in The Seattle Times, that since has been joined by reports of a recent... Continue Reading →
Each morning, I walk into the King County Courthouse past the jury room, and I am reminded of how integral juries are to the United State’s justice system. As outlined by the Constitution, a defendant’s opportunity to present an argument on their behalf in front of a jury of their peers is one of the... Continue Reading →
Kelly Mangiaracina, King County’s Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Task Force Coordinator can often be heard saying, “trafficking happens, it happens HERE, and we can do something about it.” In January of 2018, the Port of Seattle Commission passed a motion directing staff to implement a Port-wide anti-trafficking strategy, including the development of a trafficking... Continue Reading →
For too long, deafening silence has defined the response many people receive when reporting harassment or discrimination at their work or they do not report at all because of fearing retaliation. At the King County Council, we’re changing that by building on the momentum from the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements to create a work environment... Continue Reading →
Amidst our housing affordability crisis in King County, I’ve heard from many of my constituents about concern for people experiencing homelessness in our region. I appreciate their desire to hold King County accountable to our goal of making homelessness rare, brief and one-time. Homelessness and the inadequate supply of affordable housing are daunting issues to... Continue Reading →
Even though we have made great strides in the wake of the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements in exposing major systemic problems in our society, many people are still suffering discrimination, harassment and abuse because of their identity, some examples being their race, gender, and sexual orientation or having disabilities, especially in the workplace.... Continue Reading →
Every day as I walk or take the bus to and from work, my heart breaks when I see people living on the streets desperately trying to survive. Since arriving at the King County Council in January of 2016, I have been working continuously on policies to secure investments aimed at getting people into stable... Continue Reading →
Dear Friends, I was disappointed on Monday, March 26th when the County Council voted to impose new Council control over 4Culture. 4Culture is nationally-recognized for its efforts to support arts, heritage, and historical preservation across King County. This ordinance was a “solution in search of a problem,” needlessly politicizing and micromanaging an organization with an... Continue Reading →
As many of you are aware, Metro recently eliminated Route 99 – the only bus route that serviced the waterfront and the northwest Belltown area. Coupled with the Mayor’s announcement on March 30 to pause construction of the center city connector streetcar and the construction for it on First Avenue in Pioneer Square, the waterfront... Continue Reading →
Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles Blog 