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Learn more about my legislation to create a Seattle Film Commission to bring the industry back to Seattle here.
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It was a busy couple of weeks at the City Council. Here’s what happened:
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CANNABIS (Bear with me, this is long.)
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On Tuesday, September 6, City Council approved three bills from Mayor Harrell aimed at improving equity in Seattle’s cannabis industry. They were voted out of the Finance and Housing Committee on August 17th and sponsored by Chair Mosqueda.
The legislation was driven by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 3000 and advances its efforts to regulate the cannabis industry. In January of this year, UFCW circulated a presentation outlining a tax on cannabis products that would generate $5 million per year to fund “safety training and workforce development training for cannabis workers” and reportedly hoped to secure the contract to provide these trainings. The tax would also fund a Cannabis Equity Commission that would provide “proposals for the design of new policies, programs, and projects (to further) workforce development.”
That tax proposal was not included in the legislation but CB 120391 calls for a “Needs Assessment” that would, among other things, “evaluate and determine the training needs of workers to advance beyond entry-level positions and those seeking to become new owners and make recommendations on whether to fund training and, if so, how.”
Because the bill initially did not define who would conduct this needs assessment, I proposed an amendment specifying that it “shall be conducted by an independent academic institution with local experience identifying training needs for workers in a variety of industries, developing industry- and job-specific training curriculum, and delivering job skills programs.” Several former cannabis business owners who gave public comment spoke in favor of my amendment.
Councilmember Mosqueda initially put forward an amendment identifying “a non-profit organization with experience in curriculum development, administering retail training and apprenticeship programs in the State of Washington, with expertise in the roles and functions of jobs within the cannabis industry, and that is not primarily funded by cannabis businesses or employer associations.” UFCW-affiliated We Train Washington is the only Seattle-based nonprofit meeting that description.
My amendment failed in committee but after much public attention including an article in the Stranger and this Seattle Times editorial, Councilmember Mosqueda and I came to a compromise on using an independent academic institution for the needs assessment. With that change to the bill, I voted in its favor. Our constituents expect two things from us – that we listen to them and that we work together, despite our differences, to do what’s best for the city – and that’s what we’ve done here.
I also supported CB 120392 which provides that when the state Liquor & Cannabis Board concludes its rulemaking and awards Cannabis business licenses to social equity applicants, the $3,500 license fee to operate in Seattle will be waived.
Finally, CB 120393 creates protections for employees of cannabis businesses in the event of changes in business ownership, specifically requiring new cannabis business owners to hire the workers employed by the previous owner and retain them for at least six months. I was ambivalent about this bill because I think it’s over-reach for the City to dictate the hiring and retention practices of employers and because it could undermine our equity goals by preventing new owners from hiring employees of color.
Job security depends on Seattle’s cannabis businesses thriving – and their biggest problem right now is the federal cannabis prohibition which renders this industry especially vulnerable to crime and financial risk. We’ll be working with our state and federal delegations to mitigate this problem. In the meantime, one of the functions of the needs assessment is to gather information on employee demographics which will enable us to make data-driven policy decisions going forward.
Despite my reservations, in the spirit of collaboration and absent opposition from cannabis retail owners, I ended up voting in favor of CB 120393 as well. I’ve been particularly focused on this issue since it first came up in committee in March because of the equity, labor, and small business implications involved. This package isn’t perfect but by incorporating the voices of those it’s intended to benefit and negotiating a neutral needs assessment, we’ve shown that this Council can come together in support of a more equitable cannabis industry in Seattle.
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Seattle Police Department Hiring Incentives
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It took five months since I first introduced legislation but SPD finally has authority to use unspent money for officer salaries and benefits on a robust new recruitment incentives plan. This will accelerate the hiring of new officers that are desperately needed to fight crime and gun violence that’s been skyrocketing during SPD’s historic staffing shortage.
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Seattle Storm
My staff and I attended a Seattle Storm game and watched them beat the Las Vegas Aces. The stadium was packed, and fans were excited to see Sue Bird’s historic final season as a Seattle Storm player (and I was excited to meet Seattle Storm co-owner, and Olympic Silver Medalist, Ginny Gilder!). Did you know that Climate Pledge Arena is leading the charge on being the first stadium in the country to pledge to be net-zero carbon by 2040?
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National Nordic Museum
Taemin and I toured the National Nordic Museum in Ballard with leadership and learned about its history and some of the challenges that arose during the pandemic. Fun fact, it’s the region’s only national museum — sort of like the Smithsonian but smaller. Definitely check it out! And FYI, most Seattle museums are free for the public the first Thursday of every month. For a full list of museums that participate in this program click here.
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Public Safety
John Richards, owner of Capitol Hill’s Life on Mars, invited City Attorney Ann Davison and I to meet with other small nightlife business owners in the Pike/Pine corridor to discuss their concerns over public safety. Their message: staying afloat throughout the pandemic was a struggle but dealing with increasing crime is almost worse. I remain committed to keeping businesses open and helping their industry thrive.
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Working Waterfront
On a gloriously sunny July evening, I joined Port of Seattle and regional maritime industry leaders for a tour of Seattle’s working waterfront which reinforced my appreciation of the magnitude of the maritime-industrial sector’s contribution to our regional and state economy.
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Juneteenth Event
I kicked off the week of Juneteenth festivities at a reception hosted by the Northwest African American Museum’s Board of Directors and was moved by NAAM President & CEO LaNesha DeBardelaben’s opening remarks. I learned of the museum’s incredible resilience during the pandemic, and that they’re on track to reopen this fall! Please make sure you visit NAAM for any of their programs and events!
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Rescue story of the week: My constituent services lead, Taemin Um, answered a call late one Thursday afternoon from a Ballard constituent whose cat had climbed to the top of a Seattle City Light pole and couldn’t get down. The constituent and her neighbors had tried luring the cat down with food and even built a little ramp to aid its descent — but no luck, the cat was still stuck on the light pole. Taemin reached out to City Light operations and a crew working in the area agreed to come to the rescue after finishing its job. Luckily, a landscaping company working in the neighborhood got there first and reunited cat and constituent. Moral of the story is that if you need help on something city-related, reach out to Taemin at Taemin.um@seattle.gov.
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This summer I hired a new Policy Director! Steven Ellis serves as the clerk of the Economic Development, Technology, and City Light Committee, as well as staffing Land Use, Public Safety & Human Services, and Finance & Housing. He’s also our go-to person on all things policy.
Steven Ellis joins my office after five state legislative sessions staffing the Washington Senate Democratic Caucus, first as a communications specialist and then as policy counsel staffing the capital budget, the Business, Financial Services & Trade Committee and the Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee.
Before moving to Seattle in 2017, he served for seven years as an analyst, editor and spokesperson for the Vienna, Austria-based International Press Institute (IPI) - the world’s oldest global press freedom organization - including three years as director of advocacy and communications.
Steven previously covered courts and the legal community in Los Angeles as a reporter for a daily newspaper. He also practiced law in Michigan after serving as a legal clerk in the Office of Executive Counsel to the Governor and as driver and staffer to then-Attorney General Jennifer Granholm.
A Michigan native, Steven graduated with honors from the Michigan State University College of Law after completing undergraduate studies at MSU. He is a licensed attorney in Washington, Illinois (inactive) and Michigan. He is also a musician and was a charter member (bassoon) of the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic.
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City of Seattle Wins Digital Inclusion Trailblazer Award 2022!
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As Chair of the committee responsible for the City’s technology, I am thrilled that Seattle was recently named a 2022 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). The city made the list for the sixth time due to its leadership in digital equity. Seattle is one of 32 government agencies to receive this honor.
Receiving this recognition year after year highlights the ongoing work the City of Seattle pours into digital equity. It’s not just about making sure households have access to Wi-Fi, but also the skills, tools, and knowledge to use it to better their lives.
The City of Seattle works to ensure all residents and neighborhoods have access to the information technology capacity needed for education, employment, lifelong learning, and civic and cultural activities. The City offers considerable resources for residents, groups, and non-profits looking to support the digital equity needs of their communities. Learn more about the work, including Internet for All Seattle, Technology Access and Adoption Study, and the Digital Equity Progress Report by signing up for digital equity newsletters at seattle.gov/tech/initiatives/digital-equity. Learn more about the National Digital Inclusion Alliance and how they work to advance digital equity in communities.
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Councilmember Sara Nelson
Seattle City Council // Position 9, Citywide
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