Last year, millions of signatures were collected on six, citizen-led initiatives, forcing lawmakers to consider these issues during their legislative session earlier this year. Despite being required to make them a top priority, they wanted nothing more than to pretend they didn’t exist. They went weeks without giving any of them so much as a...
An initiative to restore reasonable police pursuits became law on Thursday, thanks to more than 400,000 Washington voters – from across the political spectrum – who demanded a change. As Brandi Kruse reports on the unDivided Podcast, some of the state’s largest law enforcement agencies say they are expecting the new law to help reduce crime.
Cities around Seattle are being hit with an influx of asylum seekers, but no one seems quite sure where they are supposed to go. The ordeal has placed a strain on an already faltering homelessness response in King County and beyond. Brandi Kruse has more on the unDivided Podcast.
Despite crafting a regional response to address the homeless crisis, 23% more people are living on the streets of King County today than in 2022. As Pierce County works to set up its own regional response, leaders would be wise to look to Seattle for a lesson on what not to do.
After gunshots erupted near a youth baseball game in Auburn, Brandi Kruse says state lawmakers are complicit in our worsening crime crisis.
Aaron Babcock owns a small car dealership in Eatonville, WA. He faces criminal charges for chasing a suspect who stole a truck off his lot – after police told him the law prevented them from pursuing. Brandi Kruse has more on the unDivided Podcast.
Sound Transit claims rider safety is its “top priority.” If that’s the case, the agency is failing miserably. Brandi Kruse has more on the unDivided Podcast.
How did our state legislators vote this year? Learn more in our Whatcom County 2024 Legislative Session Recap. The 60-day 2024 legislative session adjourned on March 7. Legislators debated several important bills during this year’s “short session” that lacked the biennial state budget present in odd-numbered years. Some of the critical policies considered included a plan...
While crime, homelessness, and drug abuse wreak havoc on Seattle, the city is threatening a small deli in Little Saigon with fines of $100 per day for not cleaning graffiti off their storefront quick enough. Brandi Kruse has more on the unDivided Podcast.
Ordinance #24-011, mandating environmental testing for toxic drugs in county-owned homeless housing, is a crucial step toward ensuring the safety and well-being of residents, visitors and staff. The closure of multiple, county-owned facilities due to meth and fentanyl contamination serves as a stark warning of the risks posed by drug contamination. By implementing regular testing,...
At their April 24th and May 1st meetings, respectively, the Everett City Council will be discussing and taking action on a proposal to raise property taxes by over 5% through a ballot measure. This could raise over $13 million per year in an attempt to balance the city’s budget, which currently faces a deficit. This levy lid lift proposal is expected...
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which will determine whether homeless camping bans amount to “cruel and unusual punishment” under the Eighth Amendment. Meanwhile, some cities in Washington state hope a favorable ruling will help them save lives as the drug crisis spirals out of control.
“As an American who has served my country and fought for our freedoms, I am very, very incensed that somebody’s trying to tell me how I must live my life. Why can’t I choose to have natural gas? Why should I be forced because we have a politically motivated agenda to decarbonize on a grid...
A Seattle property owner details how the city has time to harass him for minor code violations while ignoring larger issues plaguing the area – such as homelessness and crime. John Bennett spoke with Brandi Kruse on the unDivided Podcast.