Morning Fizz
Seattle Remains Behind
1. The U.S. House passed the DREAM Act yesterday 216-198. The DREAM Act puts an estimated 500,000 young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally (who have succeeded in high school) on a path to citizenship—under the condition that they serve in the military or go to college.
True to his word on right wing radio this week, where he also said he didn't support the 14th Amendment's birthright citizenship clause, retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA, 3) voted against the act.
The rest of Washington State's Democratic delegation voted for it. Two of Washington State's three Republicans—U.S. Reps. Dave Reichert and Doc Hastings—voted 'No.' U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris, who recently had a baby, was absent and did not vote.
"We are deeply disappointed in the lack of courage shown by Representative Baird," said Pramila Jayapal, Executive Director of immigrants' rights group OneAmerica. The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the DREAM Act today. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray have been outspoken supporters of the bill.
2. In a presentation to Seattle City Council Member Nick Licata's housing and human Services committee yesterday on the 10-year plan to end homelessness, Committee to End Homelessness Project Director Bill Block said that although the city has helped more than 3300 people out of homelessness since 2009, Seattle remains, "behind some other places in the nation" in terms of best practices for ending homelessness, particularly when it comes to housing families and helping people with medical or mental illness problems who are well enough to leave the hospital but not well enough to find housing on their own.
3. A proposal to allow tax increment financing—a controversial development tool, currently against the state constitution, that would allow cities to sell bonds to make large infrastructure projects—is reportedly gaining the support of a large coalition of environmental groups, businesses, and local government leaders.
TIFs have long been opposed by some progressive groups, which argue that they constititue a developer giveaway; however, in the current dour economic climate, they're being embraced by pro-development enviornmentalists as well as local governments as a potential tool to spur econmic investment.
True to his word on right wing radio this week, where he also said he didn't support the 14th Amendment's birthright citizenship clause, retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA, 3) voted against the act.
The rest of Washington State's Democratic delegation voted for it. Two of Washington State's three Republicans—U.S. Reps. Dave Reichert and Doc Hastings—voted 'No.' U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris, who recently had a baby, was absent and did not vote.
"We are deeply disappointed in the lack of courage shown by Representative Baird," said Pramila Jayapal, Executive Director of immigrants' rights group OneAmerica. The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the DREAM Act today. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray have been outspoken supporters of the bill.
2. In a presentation to Seattle City Council Member Nick Licata's housing and human Services committee yesterday on the 10-year plan to end homelessness, Committee to End Homelessness Project Director Bill Block said that although the city has helped more than 3300 people out of homelessness since 2009, Seattle remains, "behind some other places in the nation" in terms of best practices for ending homelessness, particularly when it comes to housing families and helping people with medical or mental illness problems who are well enough to leave the hospital but not well enough to find housing on their own.
3. A proposal to allow tax increment financing—a controversial development tool, currently against the state constitution, that would allow cities to sell bonds to make large infrastructure projects—is reportedly gaining the support of a large coalition of environmental groups, businesses, and local government leaders.
TIFs have long been opposed by some progressive groups, which argue that they constititue a developer giveaway; however, in the current dour economic climate, they're being embraced by pro-development enviornmentalists as well as local governments as a potential tool to spur econmic investment.
