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From left, Council members Van and O’Halloran, Mayor Pavone, Council members Perez and Alberson in Olympia Wednesday morning. Council members Prince and McIrvin also participated but aren’t in this photo (they were taking kids to late-start school, due to snow in Renton.)
Every year, Renton Council approves an official list of key Renton priorities for legislators in Olympia. This year’s priorities were approved by the council on a 6-1 vote, and are available here. This week, all six council members who approved the legislative agenda joined Mayor Pavone in Olympia to ask for support face-to-face from state lawmakers.
I’ve spoken with two of the Council members who were part of the delegation, and they both report the legislative meetings were positive. Council President Valerie O’Halloran reported positive momentum on Renton’s requests for $2 Million for the study of improving the Rainier/Grady intersection, desired in part to help the future I-405 Bus Rapid Transit busses move more smoothly from the freeway to the new Main/Grady transit center. Ms. O’Halloran also reported encouraging support of a state contribution, up to $2 million, toward Renton’s proposed Pavilion Building update which will incorporate an indoor market. While Renton’s requested financial assistance is looking positive, President O’Halloran said the overall financial tenor is very challenging in Olympia, as lawmakers are having to adjust to diminishing Federal emergency assistance after receiving several bursts of funding during the pandemic.
With regard to what is probably the most pressing issues for most Renton residents, Ms. O’Halloran reports some positive movement on fixing the Police Pursuit law and implementing more meaningful and effective drug laws to try to combat the explosive growth in overdose deaths (two or three per day in King County) and the open drug use occurring throughout the region. The requested legislative fix is often referred to as fixing the “Blake Decision”, in reference to the state supreme court decision that effectively decriminalized all illicit drug possession under Washington State law, and made drug dealing much harder to prove and prosecute in many cases.
Council Member Perez, Renton’s second-most-senior council member and an established expert in the nuance of Olympia politics, separately affirmed Ms. O’Halloran’s views on the direction of the legislature on our key priorities. At my prompting, Ms. Perez provided some additional detail about the progress and hurdles still awaiting the solutions to the Pursuit law and the Blake decision. Per Ms. Perez, with regard to the bill on police pursuit, the House Community Safety Committee has successfully moved an acceptable fix for the police vehicle pursuits out of committee, and sent it to the Transportation Committee to further polish the bill. If it gets to the floor, she expects it will get further amendments that Renton will want to keep an eye on, and then it will be potentially touch-and-go whether it will have enough votes to be approved by the entire chamber. If this House bill passes, it will move to the State Senate for approval, and the Senate will almost certainly propose further changes. The Senate normally would have it’s own version, but the Senate has been unable to get a Committee to even discuss the bill. Hopefully, the House version of the bill will make it to the Senate floor, regardless of whether the Senate creates its own bill. Ms. Perez said the legislators representing Renton in both the house and Senate that she spoke with have voiced some commitment to helping with both the pursuit bill and the fix for the Blake decision, but she warned it was too early to know how individual members would actually be voting on the final bills. She told me it’s important that the council and the public keep encouraging their legislators to support these bills.
I’ll keep a close eye on the bills, and keep you updated here on my blog. Please check back frequently. As always, I appreciate your comments below.
Thank you Mr. Mayor and Council Members for making the Olympia visit a priority. Your Constituents appreciate your service in representing their interests in the legislature and by providing a direct link to government. I remember those are hectic, busy days, sometimes nerve-wracking or maddening but alway important to see Renton’s legislators face to face with our priorities.
It would be so helpful if links could be posted to the bills we can comment on, and register pro or con. I’ve done it everytime I see one, it’s an easy fast way to make my opinions known.
Randy, thanks for bring us these important news updates. It’s really important to pay attention EVERY DAY right now, as things are moving fast down there.
Thanks for the great comment Marcie. I’m very appreciative and honored to have such an accomplished 12-year former council member adding comments here. I really like the idea of posting links to the bills. I’m going to start adding links to these bills when I write about them, and give people even more specifics on how they can contact their legislators. I’ll update this one with more links tomorrow.
Does Renton have a new advocate/advisor to replace Doug?
It is important to recognize that political and legislative priorities are not one-size-fits-all. In this case, while the some of Renton City Council and Mayor Pavone may be advocating for certain priorities in Olympia, it is essential to consider the potential impact of these priorities on BIPOC communities.
For example, with regard to the Blake decision and drug laws, it is important to acknowledge the disproportionate impact of drug policies on communities of color.
Historically, drug policies have been used to criminalize and oppress these communities, leading to mass incarceration and the perpetuation of systemic racism. It is important to approach any legislative changes in drug laws with a lens of equity and justice and to ensure that our communities are not further harmed.
Additionally, as a council member who did not participate in the delegation to Olympia, it is possible that Carmen Rivera had concerns or perspectives that were not represented in the “approved” legislative priorities. Councilmembers Ed Prince and Ryan McIrvin are to be commended on giving validation to Councilmember Rivera on this issue by co-signing her letter. It is important to listen to and uplift the voices of all members of the community.
Overall, it is essential to approach legislative priorities with a critical and intersectional lens. It is also important to ensure that all voices are heard and represented in the political process.
A little better on the crazy, but…
It’s important to listen to everyone’s perspective, but we can’t forget that our first job is keeping people safe.
This is absolute bull pucky.
Marginalized communities are the FIRST to suffer from crime.
When you don’t have resources, having your car stolen can absolutely destroy you and make your family suffer.
When you don’t have resources, having your home broken into can destroy your sense of peace for decades.
Go back to Seattle where your dumb ideas came from.
Have a heart. Crime isn’t just a statistic on a chart. My neighbor is from Honduras and he described what the drug cartels were like and he’s frankly terrified that they’re here in Renton.
Frankly, pretending crime is an academic exercise can only come from those that have privilege even if they say they’re sticking up for the margenalised.