Week in Review: March 15, 2024 - with Robert Cruickshank
Hacks & Wonks Week in Review: Presidential Primary, Legislative Retirements, Police Recruitment in Seattle, Seattle Public Schools Board, and Burien Gets Sued
Presidential Primary Takeaways\xa0
In this week's presidential primary, Trump and Biden secured enough delegates to clinch their parties' nominations. While Trump's impact worries moderate Republicans in Washington like Dave Reichert, Biden faces pressure from the "uncommitted delegates" protest vote demanding an end to violence in Gaza.
Washington Legislative Retirements\xa0
Several longtime Democratic legislators, including Frank Chopp and Karen Keiser, announced their retirements after the recent session. This exodus provides an opportunity for a new generation of more progressive leadership.
Police Recruitment in Seattle\xa0
The Seattle City Council discussed subsidizing housing and lowering standards to recruit more police officers amid a staffing shortage. However, mounting evidence and feedback from police suggest the culture within the department and lack of accountability are deterring recruits, not council rhetoric or compensation.
Seattle Public Schools Board Appointments
Seattle Public Schools is in the process of selecting two people to fill vacancies left by two departures from the Seattle Public Schools Board. Highlighting the diverse range of candidates, including labor leader Joe Mizrahi and Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce's Sarah Clark, the segment explored the potential policy implications and the importance of educational governance in the city.
Sheriff Sues Burien Over Unconstitutional Anti-Camping Ordinance\xa0
Burien passed a stricter anti-camping law aimed at homeless individuals, which the King County Sheriff's Office refused to enforce as likely unconstitutional. In retaliation, Burien moved to defund the county's contracted police services, prompting criticism that it is escalating rather than solving homelessness.
As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com.
Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today\u2019s co-host, Robert Cruickshank, at @cruickshank.
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Resources
Tacoma City Councilmember Olgy Diaz Shares Strategies for Running for Office from Hacks & Wonks
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\u201cTrump and Biden win Washington's presidential primaries\u201d by Melissa Santos from Axios
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\u201cHow did Washington's 'uncommitted' voters do on presidential primary night?\u201d by Katie Campbell from KUOW
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Senate Democratic Caucus Status | Northwest Progressive Institute
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\u201cShaun Scott Is Running for the State House\u201d by Hannah Krieg from The Stranger
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\u201cLongtime Washington state senator is leaving, but not right away\u201d by Jerry Cornfield from Washington State Standard\xa0
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\u201cSam Hunt to retire from the Washington State Legislature after many decades of service\u201d by Andrew Villeneuve from The Cascadia Advocate
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\u201cAs Seattle police applicants lag, City Hall looks to bureaucracy\u201d by David Kroman from The Seattle Times
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\u201cHigher salaries? Subsidized housing? What will it take for Seattle to recruit and retain more police?\u201d by Casey Martin from KUOW \xa0
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\u201cSeattle School Board narrows candidate field for open seats\u201d by Sami West from KUOW
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\u201cKing County files complaint over Burien's anti-camping ordinance\u201d by Jadenne Radoc Cabahug from Crosscut
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\u201cVIDEO: Sheriff files legal complaint against City of Burien regarding constitutionality of its expanded camping ban; City responds\u201d by Scott Schaefer from The B-Town Blog
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\u201cBurien\u2019s anti-camping ordinance is not an answer to homelessness\u201d by The Seattle Times Editorial Board
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Find stories that Crystal is reading here
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