In December of last year the Council passed legislation to incorporate part of Initiative 502 into state law. I-502, which legalized marijuana in Washington State, included a provision setting a fine at $50 for public consumption of marijuana; special assessments could increase the fine total to just over $100. The fine is a civil infraction […]
[More]“Cultural Access” bills have been introduced in the state legislature, House Bill 2212 and Senate Bill 6151, allowing counties to provide dedicated funding to non-profit arts, heritage and science organizations.
[More]Today, I was sworn in to my fifth term as a Seattle City Councilmember by my wife, Andrea Okomski. I look forward to a very exciting term.
[More]Once upon a time, there was a table tennis league operating in the basement of the old Public Safety Building…until the building was demolished in 2005.
[More]The crisis in bus service funding I wrote about earlier this year has not been resolved. King County Metro continues to face an annual shortfall of $75 million beginning in mid-2014. If new funding is not attained, service will need to be cut at that time. Metro released proposed service cuts in the event new […]
[More]On Monday November 18, the state Liquor Control Board will begin the next phase of implementing I-502, which legalized recreational marijuana in Washington State. The Board will begin accepting applications for growers, sellers and processors. The application window will be open for 30 days. The Liquor Control Board will determine whether a location complies with […]
[More]Check out the November episode of Council edition, where I appear with Councilmember Sally Bagshaw and Council President Sally Clark. With host Brian Callanan we discuss the 2014 budget, public safety, shelter for homeless families, medical marijuana, strategies for avoiding foreclosures, and taxi and ride share regulations.
[More]Does the State of Washington have an official poet laureate?
[More]The City and the State have been active on marijuana issues in recent weeks. The City’s Department of Planning and Development has released a document explaining City of Seattle regulations regarding marijuana-related businesses, in the wake of the Council passage of Council Bill 117781. The State Liquor Control Board finalized rules for implementing I-502, passed by […]
[More]I have often found that change doesn’t come as quickly as I’ve hoped for, despite my best efforts. Hard to say why that’s true.
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