It’s Wednesday, Sept. 18. The Seattle City Council voted yesterday to pass two new laws intended to disrupt drug and prostitution hotspots. One would create six "stay out" zones around the city from which people accused of certain drug crimes could be banned, and the other establishes a similar prostitution banishment zone along Aurora Avenue. The laws' detractors include homelessness and sex worker advocates, public defenders and criminal justice reformers.
A pedestrian crosses the intersection of North 45th Street and Aurora Avenue North on Thursday, March 16, 2023. Councilmember Cathy Moore sponsored a bill to reinstate Seattle’s prostitution loitering law and create a new banishment zone along Aurora. (Amanda Snyder/Cascade PBS)
The laws establish seven banishment areas for those convicted of or charged with offenses, but opponents argue they won’t solve underlying issues. Read more
Northwest Reports returns with a three-part series on Sept. 25, exploring the impact of gun violence on medical professionals. Listen now
More local stories on our minds:
🌳 The campaign to repeal WA's signature climate law is kicking into high gear, and the state's already shaky transportation budget is on the line. (NW News Network)
🍽️ China Harbor, a storied restaurant housed in one of Seattle's most iconic (and bizarre) buildings, will close on Sept. 29th. (Seattle Met)
⚖️ King County's juvenile probation officers are getting crushed by caseloads following budget cuts and an uptick in youth crime. (KUOW)
🏙️ At least 20% of Amazon employees are expected to have to relocate, and traffic will likely worsen following the tech giant's new return-to-office policy. But downtown associations are rejoicing. (KING 5)
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