Morning Fizz
U.S. Supreme Court Rules Petition Signatures Can be Made Public
1. The Seattle Times
reported late last night that Mayor Mike McGinn is making an announcement today, speculating that he may name the new SPD chief.
At a McGinn press conference about dealing with crime in Belltown earlier this week where acting chief John Diaz stood at McGinn's side, Erica asked if Diaz was going to get the gig. (The other candidate is Ron Davis, the current chief of East Palo Alto, California, who's seen as more traditionally progressive.)
Here's Erica's report :
Erica will report from McGinn's press conference later this morning.
2. The U.S. Supreme Court sided with gay rights groups and Washington State AG Rob McKenna this morning, ruling 8-1 (nay Justice Clarence Thomas) that the names of people who sign initiative petitions can be made public.
However, as LawNerd pointed out after the case was argued in late April, that doesn't mean the names on the R-71 petition (the subject of this case) will definitely be released. Even though the ruling upheld the constitutionality of Washington State's public disclosure act, the ruling says that releasing names can be reviewed for exemptions. This one is likely to head back to district court.
Late last week, McKenna's team won a national award for its brief in the R-71 Supreme Court case.
PubliCola's LawNerd is reading the decision now and will report back.
3. Demonstrators shut down Madison St. and 2nd Ave. yesterday afternoon for a rally as One America, an immigrant rights organization, demanded comprehensive immigration reform. Forty to fifty activists staged a sit-in, sign-toting, sing-along protest at the downtown intersection. Placards calling for a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the U.S. Senate this year featured Republican senators in border states.
“We’ve been told to wait for too many years, for too many decades. Every year there’s another reason why we need to wait, and we’re tired of waiting,” said Pramila Jayapal, Executive Director of One America. (One America has a seven-point reform platform which includes a path to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S.)
Jayapal outlined the message of the protest: “Republicans are blocking immigration reform so far. They talk a good game that’s just pure politics around fixing the border,” she said.
But Jayapal didn’t let Democrats off the hook either: “If the Republicans aren’t going to go forward, the Democrats need to move forward with a bill for comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate this year.” Jayapal gave a brief praise to Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray for supporting the path-to-citizneship approach, based on the fact that the Washington senators had sent letters to President Obama pressing for action, but “we need them to do more. This is why we elected them, to deal with hard issues.”
One America began its recent push with a giant rally in Occidental Park in early April and has been following up with subsequent demonstrations.
At a McGinn press conference about dealing with crime in Belltown earlier this week where acting chief John Diaz stood at McGinn's side, Erica asked if Diaz was going to get the gig. (The other candidate is Ron Davis, the current chief of East Palo Alto, California, who's seen as more traditionally progressive.)
Here's Erica's report :
Last week, Pickus told us McGinn would announce his choice for a new police chief—a post that has been filled by interim chief John Diaz—”within the month.” Asked whether Diaz’s place at his side today indicated that he had made up his mind, McGinn responded, “We will have an announcement when we have an announcement.”
However, in response to a subsequent question, McGinn said Diaz “has been acting like a chief and has been doing a great job in the department.”
Erica will report from McGinn's press conference later this morning.
2. The U.S. Supreme Court sided with gay rights groups and Washington State AG Rob McKenna this morning, ruling 8-1 (nay Justice Clarence Thomas) that the names of people who sign initiative petitions can be made public.
However, as LawNerd pointed out after the case was argued in late April, that doesn't mean the names on the R-71 petition (the subject of this case) will definitely be released. Even though the ruling upheld the constitutionality of Washington State's public disclosure act, the ruling says that releasing names can be reviewed for exemptions. This one is likely to head back to district court.
Late last week, McKenna's team won a national award for its brief in the R-71 Supreme Court case.
PubliCola's LawNerd is reading the decision now and will report back.
3. Demonstrators shut down Madison St. and 2nd Ave. yesterday afternoon for a rally as One America, an immigrant rights organization, demanded comprehensive immigration reform. Forty to fifty activists staged a sit-in, sign-toting, sing-along protest at the downtown intersection. Placards calling for a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the U.S. Senate this year featured Republican senators in border states.
“We’ve been told to wait for too many years, for too many decades. Every year there’s another reason why we need to wait, and we’re tired of waiting,” said Pramila Jayapal, Executive Director of One America. (One America has a seven-point reform platform which includes a path to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S.)
Jayapal outlined the message of the protest: “Republicans are blocking immigration reform so far. They talk a good game that’s just pure politics around fixing the border,” she said.
But Jayapal didn’t let Democrats off the hook either: “If the Republicans aren’t going to go forward, the Democrats need to move forward with a bill for comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate this year.” Jayapal gave a brief praise to Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray for supporting the path-to-citizneship approach, based on the fact that the Washington senators had sent letters to President Obama pressing for action, but “we need them to do more. This is why we elected them, to deal with hard issues.”
One America began its recent push with a giant rally in Occidental Park in early April and has been following up with subsequent demonstrations.
