State Commissioner of Public Lands
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) – 419,297 – 22.03%
Dave Upthegrove (D) – 396,300 – 20.82%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) – 396,249 – 20.82%
Patrick DePoe (D) – 267,924 – 14.08%
Allen Lebovitz (D) – 194,114 – 10.2%
Kevin Van De Wege (D) – 143,170 – 7.52%
Jeralee Anderson (D) – 84,351 – 4.43%
Write-in – 1,668 – 0.09%

A by-hand recount is required; The Seattle Times reports that the Secretary of State will set a deadline this Thursday for counties to have theirs complete. Meantime, you can find all the state results here.

For King County, here’s the full final list of results, including that one Seattle City Council race, citywide Position 8. Whoever wins serves just a year before the election next year for a full four-year term.

Seattle City Council Position 8 (43% turnout)
Alexis Mercedes Rinck – 99,394 – 50.18%
Tanya Woo – 76,008 – 38.38%
Saunatina Sanchez – 8,621 – 4.35%
Tariq Yusuf – 7,521 – 3.80%
Saul Patu – 5,958 – 3.01%
Write-in – 554 – 0.28%

Here’s how the primary race for our area’s U.S. House seat turned out:

U.S. House District 7 (44% turnout)
Pramila Jayapal* (D) – 174,019 – 79.86%
Dan Alexander (R) – 16,902 – 7.76%
Liz Hallock (D) – 16,494 – 7.57%
Cliff Moon (R) – 10,070 – 4.62%
Write-in – 409 – 0.19%

Though our area’s two State House seats had only two candidates each, they had to be on the primary ballot too:

34th District State House Position 1 (43% turnout)
Emily Alvarado* (D) – 37,901 – 86.46%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) – 5,848 – 13.34%
Write-in – 86 – 0.20%

34th District State House Position 2 (43% turnout)
Joe Fitzgibbon* (D) – 37,571 – 85.36%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) – 6,398 – 14.54%
Write-in – 47 – 0.11%

November 5 is the deadline for general-election voting; you’ll get your ballot about three weeks in advance. Not registered yet? You can do that online – go here.

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In a month with few community meetings, our area’s biggest political organization met to celebrate results of the last election, look ahead to the next one, and hear from current officeholders.

The 34th District Democrats‘ endorsed candidates fared well in the August primary, including Alexis Mercedes Rinck, the City Council citywide Position 8 challenger with a 12-point lead over appointed incumbent Tanya Woo (both will advance to November).

The only nailbiter noted at Wednesday’s meeting was the race for state Commissioner of Public Lands, with Republican former U.S. House Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler already locking in one general-ballot spot, while Democratic King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove hangs onto a less-than-a-tenth-of-a-point lead over Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson for the second general-election spot.

State House Position 2 Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon told the group that race is vital because Upthegrove would use a “science-based perspective to manage our public lands.” All in all, Fitzgibbon – who is House Majority Leader – declared himself “thrilled” by the primary results, even though, he noted wryly, his Position 1 counterpart Rep. Emily Alvarado got more votes than he did (barely – 329) in their respective re-election races. He said Democrats expect to add to their majorities in the State House and State Senate. And he noted his own household had added “a new Democrat” when he and his wife welcomed a baby in June.

Also briefly taking the microphone, our area’s Seattle Public Schools Board Director Gina Topp. With the new school year now three weeks away, she said the district is “working hard on safety” and she hopes for an update from the SPS administration at the board’s next meeting August 28. She also is hoping that’s when superintendent Dr. Brent Jones will present his long-anticipated plan for potential school closures/consolidations (it’s not on the agenda so far, though). “Difficult choices” are ahead, she warned.

Shortly thereafter, the meeting moved on to the agenda centerpiece, a Town Hall with King County Executive Dow Constantine and Deputy County Executive Shannon Braddock, both West Seattle residents (“our administration is tilted toward West Seattleites,” he joked).

He introduced a sizable entourage of county officials they had brought along – including Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall, Undersheriff Jesse Anderson, new Department of Local Services director Leon Richardson, his predecessor John Taylor (who now leads the Department of Natural Resources and Parks) – plus others, including the new King County Regional Homelessness Authority CEO Dr. Kelly Kinnison. We recorded video of this section of the meeting:

Constantine opened with a brief overview of the $16.2 billion two-year county budget – most of which, he noted, goes to state-mandated services – and a complaint that revenue-limiting state laws dating back 20 years have kept revenues from keeping up with costs, and that legislators haven’t provided relief. He then switched topics to homelessness and brought up a controversy over an encampment in Burien. “We did not establish the encampment in Burien,” he insisted, saying that city has homeless people who “came to that site” and left the county with the choice of either booting them or trying to house them. The county chose the latter, he said, and has contracted with REACH to make contact with the people there and figure out what they need. He said that will take “four to six weeks” and then the site will be “restored.” He called the plan “humane … and necessary.” He also criticized Burien for not using $1 million and 35 tiny houses offered by the county to help with homelessness.

He moved on to note that the county is also dealing with asylum-seekers, but that issue didn’t have a side conflict like homelessness and Burien, so he moved on to talk about the local addiction crisis. It’s not exclusively a problem affecting unsheltered people, he noted – “people are suffering in homes too.” He brought up the Crisis Care Centers levy approved by voters and said one of those had opened in Kirkland. But the county is losing treatment beds rather than gaining them, Constantine warned, saying it had 300 beds and that’s now down to 244.

He also ticked off a variety of recent actions including establishing an “executive climate office,” the Doors Open program for arts/culture funding, adding more than 150,000 hours of Metro bus service at next month’s service change, getting ready to launch RapidRide G Line and Sound Transit‘s Lynnwood Link (he chairs the ST board), and the security crackdown Operation Safe Transit. Sheriff Cole-Tindall said that had been under way since May, with 90 arrests, and “we’re booking people into jail.” The sheriff declared that “the presence is a deterrent.” Undersheriff Anderson added that KCSO is using “co-response teams” in some situations too.

The floor was opened to Q&A. A Vashon Island resident said he was concerned that the county had told the social-services organization Entre Hermanos that it would not get a grant they’d been relying on. Braddock promised followup.

Former School Board Director Leslie Harris wondered if the Best Starts for Kids initiative could help fund mental health in schools, given the City Council’s pullback of half the $20 million funding it had promised. Constantine said he hadn’t been following that situation closely enough to comment, but observed that Best Starts for Kids is intended to help kids long before they have problems – it all “goes back to challenges that could have been addressed early on.”

Another question was from 34DDs’ board member Ann Martin, asking Constantine to comment on the importance of the presidential election. He agreed that “this is not just about wanting ‘our team’ to win,” but the way that local governments can “work hand in hand” with the White House, citing a “closer and deeper relationship” with the Biden/Harris Administration. He said he has faith that “Kamala Harris is going to … figure out how to use the power of the federal government to lift us all up.”

That ended the Q&A and segued into the presidential-endorsement do-over vote necessitated by the party’s change at the top of the ticket. The group voted to formally endorse the Harris-Walz ticket. They also voted to formally oppose Initiative 2066, contending “nobody’s coming for your gas stove.” And the group voted in favor of two resolutions – one supporting the app-based workers’ minimum wage, which the City Council is considering scaling back, and another supporting the city’s plan to develop low-income housing at the former Fort Lawton in Magnolia.

Most 34th DDs meetings are preceded by a pre-meeting presentation; for this one, it was about getting out the vote, highlighted by Postcards for Voters, which meets twice a week to write and send postcards to prospective voters in other parts of the country.

WHAT’S NEXT: Upcoming events announced at the meeting included the West Seattle Democratic Women‘s picnic on August 22, a pop-up social night at Georgetown Brewing on August 23, the 34th DDs’ annual picnic on September 7, and the next meeting September 11, which they say will be the last one they hold online. Watch their website for information on all of the above.

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CITY COUNCIL CITYWIDE POSITION 8: Whoever wins in November gets to serve the final year of this unexpired term – and then next fall there’s a vote for a full four-year term. Challenger Alexis Mercedes Rinck will be on the November ballot along with appointed incumbent Councilmember Tanya Woo; none of the other three candidates got out of single digits. Current count for the top two, with 43 percent citywide turnout:

Alexis Mercedes Rinck – 98,902 – 50.17%
Tanya Woo – 75,684 – 38.39%

STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS: There’s been some suspense about whether the November contest would be between two Republicans, but King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove of Des Moines, a Democrat, has been holding onto second place for a few days now. Current count for the top three:

Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) – 408,179 – 21.9%
Dave Upthegrove (D) – 390,973 – 20.98%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) – 385,510 – 20.68%

STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL: West Seattleite Nick Brown, a Democrat and former U.S. Attorney, is headed for the general against Republican Pete Serrano, mayor of Pasco. Current count for the top two:

Pete Serrano (R) – 792,016 – 41.82%
Nick Brown (D) – 672,076 – 35.48%

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE: Though each race has only two candidates, they were on the primary ballot (and will be on the November ballot too) because that’s the law for partisan races, so here’s a look at the current count for both seats:

Position 1
Emily Alvarado (D)* – 37,746 -86.45%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) – 5,820 – 13.33%

Position 2
Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* – 37,418 – 85.36%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) – 6,366 – 14.52%

If you’re interested in seeing how the results have evolved over the week, here’s what these races looked like after the first count last Tuesday.

P.S. Updated state results are here; updated King County results are here.

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This is one of four census tracts around the city – the only one in West Seattle – covered by a state grant discussed briefly at this past Tuesday’s meeting of the Transportation Committee, chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka:

Councilmembers have to approve acceptance of grants, so that’s why SDOT had to explain this $302,000 grant to them. During the short briefing, SDOT explained that the census tracts covered by the grant average only 25 percent tree-canopy cover, and the money will be used to look for opportunities to increase that. The department provided this link to the state’s announcement of the grants earlier this year; as noted during the meeting, whatever the studies find would potentially be used to pursue other funding to actually plant trees.

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SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8 (citywide, full results here) – top two advance

Alexis Mercedes Rinck 52,762 47.00%
Tanya Woo 46,293 41.24%
Saunatina Sanchez 4,842 4.31%
Tariq Yusuf 4,442 3.96%
Saul Patu 3,532 3.15%

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 1 – both advance

Emily Alvarado (D)* 21,769 85.23%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) 3,703 14.5%

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 2 – both advance

Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* 21,593 84.1%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) 4,045 15.76%

FROM STATE/FEDERAL RESULTS

GOVERNOR – top two advance

Bob Ferguson (D) 511,653 45.46%
Dave Reichert (R) 316,661 28.14%
Semi Bird (R) 106,338 9.45%
Mark Mullet (D) 66,254 5.89%

ATTORNEY GENERAL – top two advance

Pete Serrano (R) 463,891 41.88%
Nick Brown (D) 397,387 35.87%
Manka Dhingra (D) 245,655 22.18%

(Nick Brown is a West Seattle resident.)

STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS – top two advance

Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) 245,924 22.55%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) 221,787 20.33%
Dave Upthegrove (D) 218,819 20.06%
Patrick DePoe (D) 145,986 13.38%

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 7 – top two advance

Pramila Jayapal (D)* 99,387 78.51%
Dan Alexander (R) 11,043 8.72%
Liz Hallock (D) 9,868 7.79%
Cliff Moon (R) 6,026 4.76%

By request …

STATE SUPREME COURT, POSITION 2 – top two advance

Sal Mungia 426,675 42.2%
Dave Larson 374,072 37%
Todd A. Bloom 169,613 16.78%
David R Shelvey 36,295 3.59%

Next King County vote count is planned tomorrow afternoon.

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SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8 (citywide, full results here) – top two advance

Alexis Mercedes Rinck 45,914 46.60%
Tanya Woo 40,790 41.40%
Saunatina Sanchez 4,321 4.39%
Tariq Yusuf 3,971 4.03%
Saul Patu 3,173 3.22%

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 1 – both advance

Emily Alvarado (D)* 18,164 84.72%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) 3,218 15.01%

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 2 – both advance

Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* 18,057 83.78%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) 3,466 16.08%

STATE/FEDERAL RESULTS (as of 8:45 pm the Secretary of State website was finally showing them properly)

GOVERNOR – top two advance

Bob Ferguson (D) 459,407 45.49%
Dave Reichert (R) 281,993 27.92%
Semi Bird (R) 94,938 9.4%
Mark Mullet (D) 58,934 5.84%

ATTORNEY GENERAL – top two advance

Pete Serrano (R) 416,064 41.85%
Nick Brown (D) 356,851 35.9%
Manka Dhingra (D) 220,485 22.18%

(Nick Brown is a West Seattle resident.)

STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS – top two advance

Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) 221,678 22.64%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) 198,343 20.26%
Dave Upthegrove (D) 194,412 19.85%
Patrick DePoe (D) 129,467 13.22%

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 7 – top two advance

Pramila Jayapal (D)* 86,049 78.39%
Dan Alexander (R) 9,683 8.82%
Liz Hallock (D) 8,581 7.82%
Cliff Moon (R) 5,213 4.75%

(Rep. Jayapal is a West Seattle resident.)

We’ll be checking the statewide results for updates later, since other counties may release vote counts before the night’s out.

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Mailing your ballot? Get it to the U.S. Postal Service in time for a Tuesday postmark. Using a county dropbox? They are open until 8 pm (sharp!) Tuesday. West Seattle now has four: By Morgan Junction Park, by High Point Library, The Junction, and South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – exact locations here (along with others, such as White Center and South Park if those are more convenient for you).

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If you’re going to mail in your ballot, get it to the U.S. Postal Service in time to be postmarked by Tuesday (August 6); if you’re using a county dropbox, get it into one by 8 pm (sharp!) Tuesday. Remember that West Seattle now has four, with the newly opened Morgan Junction dropbox (by Morgan Junction Park) – High Point Library, The Junction, and South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – exact locations here. If you’re in east or south West Seattle, the South Park or White Center library boxes might be more convenient. If you need accessibility assistance to complete a ballot, the county’s “vote centers” will be open Monday and Tuesday. Those are also the places where you can register if you’re not registered yet. The first ballot count will be released around 8:15 pm Tuesday.

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As ballots for the August 6 primary start arriving, King County Elections dropboxes are now open – including the newest one in West Seattle, next to Morgan Junction Park [map], installed in May. In our photo above, our area’s King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda joined KC Elections Director Julie Wise for a brief ceremony this morning to dedicate and celebrate the box. They also talked about what’s new this election: Your ballot will arrive with a couple new features – the “I Voted!” sticker that was given out to people voting in person, and a list of the five dropboxes closest to your address. In West Seattle, besides the new dropbox, the locations are High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), The Junction (south side of SW Alaska just east of 44th SW), and South Seattle College (6000 16th SW, on the driveway in front of the administration building), and the box by the White Center Library isn’t far (1409 SW 107th). KCE says dropboxes handle an average of 50 percent to 60 percent of all ballots in elections; they are emptied at least once a day by a team of two KC employees. Other datapoints: The boxes are made in Puyallup, weigh half a ton each, and are secured by four 8-inch bolts cemented into the ground.

(We’re told a school bus hit a dropbox and the box didn’t budge, though the bus suffered notable damage.) While Wise was there, we also asked her about the status of the ranked-choice voting system approved by Seattle voters two years ago. As we reported in this update last year, the 2022 ballot measure required it to be implemented for city elections by 2027 …. and that’s when Wise says it will happen. In the meantime, an advisory committee is being formed right now and will have its first meeting next month.

P.S. For this election, get your ballot in a dropbox by 8 pm August 6 – or in USPS mail so it’ll be postmarked no later than that date.

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When you’re ready to put your primary-election ballot in a King County Elections dropbox, remember that we now have four in West Seattle, with the addition of that one by Morgan Junction Park. First, of course, you’ll have to get your ballot, and that could happen as soon as Thursday, because they’re set to be mailed out tomorrow (Wednesday, July 17). If you want to preview what’s on yours, go here. You’ll see 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor (28 candidates!), Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2, State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. Once you get your ballot, you have until 8 pm August 6 to get it in a dropbox; if you’re using postal mail, you just have to be sure it’ll be postmarked by that date.

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What councilmembers approved included amendments by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka to add penalties, including higher fines for second (or beyond) violations. You can read the whole bill here; here’s the council announcement’s summary of what it will do, assuming Mayor Bruce Harrell signs it:

*The new ordinance amends the city code on illegal racing by creating a new traffic infraction penalizing the registered owner of a vehicle involved in racing and by adopting the state law changes.

*Adoption of the state law now gives the City Attorney’s Office the statutory authority to now prosecute illegal racing as misdemeanor and gross misdemeanors crimes.

*Vehicle owners and participants are subject to a $500 non-criminal traffic infraction. Adopted amendments by Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1) increase the fine to $800 for a second infraction, and $1,500 for third and subsequent infractions.

*Any person knowingly attending an unlawful race event with the intent to observe, support, or encourage the event may face a civil infraction base fine of $100 if they fail to leave the event if instructed to do so by officers.

If you’re wondering exactly what the bill covers, here’s part of the language:

… “unlawful race event” means an event on a street, alley, way open to the public, or off-street facility wherein persons willfully: (1) compare or contest relative speeds by operation of one or more motor vehicles, or (2) demonstrate, exhibit, or compare speed, maneuverability, or the power of one or more motor vehicles, in a straight or curved direction, in a circular direction, around corners, or in circles in an activity commonly referred to as “drifting,” or by breaking traction.

(corrected attribution) Councilmember Tanya Woo, co-sponsor of the bill, said the place for that kind of driving is at race tracks and other venues where drivers can safely pursue “their passion.” But as Pumphrey pointed out in his comments, legislation alone doesn’t accomplish anything – he spoke to the last council a year ago before they passed the “racing zone” bill authorizing cameras (which have yet to be installed) – enforcement will be key. Since this was an “emergency” bill, if and when the mayor signs it, the law changes immediately.

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One day after the City Council finalized it, the transportation-levy renewal/expansion got Mayor Bruce Harrell‘s signature in a City Hall ceremony this morning. With speeches from the mayor, District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, business and labor leaders, and others, the levy started its road to the November ballot. It does not have a catchy name (yet), unlike its predecessor Levy to Move Seattle – expiring at the end of this year after its nine-year run – or the one before that, Bridging the Gap, which covered 2006-2015.

You’ve likely already heard that the levy would raise $1.55 billion over eight years. The mayor noted that’s “$21 per month more than the current levy” if you have a median-value house (he didn’t cite a number but it’s supposedly in the $800,000 vicinity). The total is said to represent almost a third of the budget for SDOT, whose director Greg Spotts spoke today too. He declared the levy “balanced and practical … data-driven, community-informed.” Much was made in other speeches of consensus and collaboration; Saka was lauded for leading the full-council committee that reviewed and amended the original slightly-less-costly proposal originally sent by Harrell. Saka declared the levy “a victory for the people of Seattle” and concluded his speech with this quote from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The website for the levy promises updated documents are in the works, so we don’t have the exact text yet (but here’s the council’s most recent spending-breakdown document). And much of what it will fund will not initially be spelled out location by location, but as we’ve noted in coverage over the past few months, there are several planned West Seattle projects specifically identified – repaving and other changes for 35th SW between Alaska and Morgan, pavement repairs to Fauntleroy Way SW between 35th and Alaska to get it through the years of nearby light-rail construction, safety improvements at the east end of the Roxbury corridor, a sidewalk along part of SW Brandon in North Delridge. Saka also spoke of one of his late additions, a future West Seattle protected-bike-lane project to be named for Steve Hulsman, the rider killed on Marine View Drive last year, whose widow Rita Hulsman was in attendance at the ceremony. The levy projects listed by name in the “spending breakdown” also mention a protected bike lane for Highland Park Way SW, ostensibly a reference to the proposal to replace a downhill driving lane with either a PBL or a multi-use path.

You can read the city’s overview of the levy here. General-election voting will end November 5.

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‘STREET-RACING’ BILL: This morning at 9:30 am, the council’s Public Safety Committee takes this up again, this time likely for a vote, along with two proposed amendments from District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka (who is the committee’s vice chair). First, he is proposing that in addition to the $500 fine that would be faced by the owner of a car participating in racing or related activities, a second violation would carry an $800 fine, third a $1,500 fine. See that amendment here. Second, he proposes a $100 citation that could be given to anyone attending an “unlawful race event.” See that amendment here. The full meeting agenda (which also explains how to comment, and links to the full bill under consideration) is here. (You can watch via Seattle Channel.)

TRANSPORTATION LEVY: At this afternoon’s meeting, councilmembers will take their final vote on the $1.55 billion, eight-year transportation levy renewal/expansion that will go to voters in November. The version they’re voting on and the companion amendment are linked in the agenda; assuming they’ll pass it (since it was approved by the levy committee comprised of all councilmembers, chaired by Saka), the mayor is expected to sign it tomorrow. A council spokesperson notes in a memo to media: “The current transportation levy was passed in 2015 and is set to expire this year. It accounts for roughly 30 percent of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s budget for core services and new projects. Under this levy proposal, the estimated property tax bill for the median assessed value home would be $499 per year. That’s $16.58 per month more than the expiring levy.” If you have any final words about it, the agenda for today’s 2 pm meeting explains how to participate in the public-comment period.

NEW SAKA STAFFER: Saka’s staff has been particularly visible in the community so far, so changes/additions are noteworthy, and the councilmember has just announced one. During Monday afternoon’s “briefing meeting” – when councilmembers provide miscellaneous updates – Saka mentioned he’s just hired Ian Griswold as legislative director, joining chief of staff Elaine Ikoma Ko and district director Leyla Gheisar. We asked Ko for more details and she forwarded Saka’s announcement:

Ian is a home-grown Seattleite and grew up in West Seattle. He brings a diverse professional experience, having worked with the Washington Technology Industry Association and Seattle Police Foundation. He is a graduate of UW’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and earned his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law. He looks forward to providing strong legislative and policy support work for the office.

Saka’s staff had had an opening since Heather Marx departed as policy adviser in May.

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Some of the questions posed to State Sen. Joe Nguyễn during his Saturday morning Town Hall were about the biggest issues faced by state government – like school funding, public safety, and climate response.

Then, there was the attendee who wanted to know who had the power to keep the Blue Angels away.

Sen. Nguyễn, a West Seattle-residing Democrat in his second term as senator for the 34th Legislative District, spoke to and with more than two dozen people scattered around the back garden at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). As announced, the Town Hall lasted an hour – we recorded it on video:

Many of the questions were about climate/sustainability, not surprising considering that Nguyễn chairs the State Senate’s Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee. But school funding carried the most immediacy, given that Seattle Public Schools‘ superintendent Dr. Brent Jones has cited inadequate state funding as a reason he’s considering closing ~20 schools.

Nguyễn noted that his wife is a teacher and their kids attend Seattle Public Schools. But he didn’t offer much hope for a near-term solution to the funding problem. In response to questions asked by attendees including a high-school student and a parent, he called the way our state funds education – mostly through property tax – “horrific” and “unnecessarily complex,” a funding model he blamed on a “split Legislature” before he took office. He suggested that legislators should “revisit” how schools are funded, including what resulted from the McCleary decision, but didn’t say whether he or anyone is actually working specifically on that “revisiting.” He did say that “allies” need to be found “across the state” in order to get the education-funding formula “shifted.” He also warned that if voters throw out the state’s relatively new capital-gains excise tax (which would happen if they approve State Initiative 2109), that would hurt education funding. Tax reform in general remains a major need, Sen. Nguyễn said, saying the state’s regressive tax system is often the root of many problems.

An attendee pointed out that what school districts find themselves having to do now to balance budgets has collateral damage – the savings have their own costs, such as school closures leading to fewer students being within walking distance of their schools, in turn meaning they don’t walk – which affects their health – and they have to use transportation that pollutes the air.

On the topic of climate/sustainability, Nguyễn had touted the Climate Commitment Act in his opening remarks, saying it was not only “building better future but undoing historical harm.” So an early question asked, what about the initiative, 2117, that would undo it?

While making it clear his remarks were not intended as campaigning against that initiative, he said its provisions already have raised $2 billion, and that it’s “the most transformative climate policy in the US so far … our state is probably the only state on track to meet Paris Accord (targets) …” He said that in his view 2117 is a “poorly crafted initiative” – the CCA can be “tweaked,” Nguyễn said, but “unwinding it and preventing future efforts is ridiculous.” He pointed out that it’s funding 30 percent of transportation budget, so you won’t want to support the initiative “if you care about ferries, roads,” etc. Yes, some of its provisions come with a cost for people, but he contended that there are ways they can get help with that, such as energy rebates. The CCA is not “perfect,” but he’s determined to defend it “for our kids” – against what he considers a “poorly written initiative funded by one guy who has an agenda and is trying to impose it on Washington state.”

Next climate/sustainability question was the one about the Blue Angels. An attendee explained they’re affiliated with the Seafair Climate Action Campaign, which among other things wants to “end military airshows” during the summer festival. The question was, who has the power to say “no” to the Blue Angels? they asked. “Some of us are offended by having carbon sprayed on us … our group is trying to find out who has accountability. There seems to be no one who feels they can say no.” They said they’ve taken their case to Seafair and its board already, but wondered who has veto power beyond that. The senator said he doesn’t know – it’s never come up. But, he said, sustainable aviation fuel is being worked on. (A few questions later, he said sustainable aviation fuel is most likely to work for “regional flights,” and that a future with electric planes is in view, observing that while we’ve flown hydrogen-fueled spaceships, we haven’t come up with a hydrogen airplane yet.

Another attendee asked about marine fuel, and Nguyễn talked about electrification of boats, from state ferries to the Port of Seattle’s shore-power push (including West Seattle’s Terminal 5). And there was a question about the chemical in tire dust that has proven lethal to salmon in Longfellow Creek, with the attendee wondering if electric cars being heavier is causing a worse problem with that. Nguyễn said the chemical, 6PPD, is starting to be removed by manufacturers.

The issue of public safety factored into one key moment in the Town Hall. District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s chief of staff Elaine Ikoma Ko recapped Saka’s promise at Wednesday’s Alki community meeting to advocate for changes to a state law that prevents investigators from questioning juvenile suspects until they’ve talked with a lawyer (the law is from HB 1140, passed in 2022, with yes votes including Nguyễn and both of our area’s state House reps, including Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, who co-sponsored it). Nguyễn said any changes would have to be “nuanced,” but that it’s being worked on right now. He also suggested the law may not be as big a hindrance as some suggest, because “97 percent of the time” juveniles can be connected with a lawyer quickly, and it can be done by phone.

Other big issues discussed included homelessness; asked if there was a solution in sight, Nguyễn’s reply was a dismayed “God, no!” The “issues around homelessness are systemic,” he observed, adding that transitional and supportive housing are important, “you’ve got to just get people off the street. He said the state is “doing what it can with local jurisdictions” but – without naming any – noted that some jurisdictions “don’t want” that help. He suggested that many of the related problems can be traced back to “things that happened in the ’80s” but overall “we’ll never have enough resources to solve all our problems.”

In opening remarks. Sen. Nguyễn – after explaining that the two local House reps weren’t allowed to be there because it’s campaign season – offered a few datapoints about this past session of the Legislature: The average year sees more than 3,000 bills; last session, 381 were passed, “360 of those were bipartisan,” and the few that were not, he said, involved issues such as “reproductive rights, gun safety, climate.” He said that unlike some other levels of government, the two parties work together at the Legislature in a “respectful and thoughtful” way. Overall, he said, this past session was focused on “getting back to normal” though, he said, there’s a unique challenge – while federal funding to cover some needs went away, the needs did not. “Our food banks are the busiest they’ve ever been,” for example. He listed overall legislative accomplishments as including the creation of more law-enforcement-officer training facilities in other parts of the state so that Burien isn’t the only one. He also said the Legislature had “done a lot around opioids,” including creating an apprenticeship program so that more providers would be coming into the field – he said that even if there was enough space for treatment, there’s currently a shortage of providers.

TO REACH YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS: Follow the links here. Remember that ours is technically a “part-time” Legislature; next session is scheduled to convene in mid-January.

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