Firesteel

A recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court says that cities cannot outlaw people from sitting or sleeping in public when there are no possible alternatives. This ruling has big implications for cities in Snohomish County with these kinds of bans, and more complicated effects in King County and Seattle.

Black mothers are often targeted by payday loan sharks, who trap them into a debt spiral just to pay off their regular bills. Weak government regulation allows predatory banking to continue, disproportionately impacting those excluded from traditional financial institutions by racism.

Washington Initiative 940 for police officer de-escalation training and accountability is now headed to the ballot this fall after the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that it must be voted on by the people of Washington.

Today is Labor Day, and we're taking a moment to look back at the struggles and victories of working people who organized for change this past year.

A local advocacy group is working to overcome the barriers to voting faced by people experiencing homelessness. New laws passed in Olympia after pressure from advocates are also making it easier to become a voter in Washington State.

The King County Lodging Tax has raised $180 million this past year, and that money should go to urgently-needed affordable housing, rather than stadium maintenance. Our communities need relief from sky-high home prices and rising rents.