Kudos to Futurewise for all of their work on HB 1490.

Housing on transit routes is more affordable than housing in exurbs because you don't need to own a car to live there. Well designed, walkable communities and affordable housing are not mutually exclusive. Also, an enormous public investment is being made in mass transit. We need to ensure that the greatest number of people benefit from that investment.

All animal related bills are not "fucking nuts" - how about HB 1148, allowing judges to include pets on domestic violence protection orders?

I thought I'd add, re: HB 1490, that while the Seattle Displacement Coalition is against the bill, affordable housing activists actually do support it. In fact, the state's largest coalition of affordable housing organizations, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, is partnering with environmental group Futurewise to advocate for denser AND more affordable transit-oriented communities in this bill.

Just for the record.

The Transit Oriented Communities bill will be way better for low income communities than doing nothing in transit areas and letting gentrification happen.
If it passes, it would be one of the strongest affordable housing programs in the country.

SECB,

Oh, by the way, while not as interesting as being buried with your pet, there's a small little bill that would revolutionize how we fund public education in the state of Washington. HB 1410/SB5444 is the result of years worth of real deal policy and financial analysis and sets the stage for real reform.

Advocates like the League of Education Voters and many others are working very, very hard to help legislators improve our state's public education system.

(Back to paying attention in a legislative hearing).

Ciao,

Reuven Carlyle, State Representative, 36th District (the heart, soul, passion and spirit of Seattle).

Umm, I dunno, but NOT shitting on the bus kinda sounds like a good idea...

On the other hand, why are the legislators so interested in our asses?

Since I can usually count on The Stranger to help identify upcoming egregious violations of human rights… It surprises me that that there was no mention of (in my opinion) the UGLIEST bill this session: House Bill 1142- requests state funds (our tax money) to study the viability of “subcutaneous radio frequency identification tags”. Those are the same sort of implanted electronic devices veterinarians currently use in cats and dogs so they can be identified by shelters if lost. Don’t get me wrong – we all want a safe society, but in my opinion the threat of an overarching government that can force a person into a surgical procedure and electronically track their every move for the rest of their life… is a bigger threat to our humanity than any single creep who ever committed a sex offense ever will be. Once we rationalize “chipping” sex offenders, it becomes a scary and slippery slope as politicians dance around who will be allowed their human rights… and who we hate enough to treat like animals. Yes, we must appropriately punish those who have violated and caused harm to others– but as we were recently reminded with Gitmo, the hurtful actions of others do NOT permit us as a society to violate basic human rights.

This bill is a very blunt instrument that will not lead to the kind of neighborhoods we want. Basically it requires that all the neighborhoods near rail and bus rapid transit stops be zoned for 50 housing units per total acreage within 1/2 mile. That's double the current density of First Hill/Capitol Hill. And those neighborhoods are farther below their current targets for job growth but almost at their targets for housing growth.

This bill should be defeated, we should wait to see what comes out of neighborhood planning and then revisit the issue if housing growth isn't achieved that way. The affordable housing provisions were added as an afterthought to sell the housing density. Neighborhoods need to have something worth going to, not just housing.

Have you ever had to see someone use the bus for a toilet and then be told by the driver that it is not illegal? I have. It's no fun, I assure you.

You go, Geoff Simpson!

While I completely agree that this is not the year to be pushing for licensing, ultimately it is VERY important to register and license individuals performing colonics. This can be a potentially harmful treatment if done by untrained therapists. As consumers, I encourage everyone who is seeking colonics, ear candling, acupuncture, etc to ENSURE that their therapist has a background of education to support the services they offer. A great way to check is to find out what associations they belong to. For example, massage therapists are often part of AMTA or ABMP. While it's not essential that therapists are part of these communities, it's an easy way to ensure liability and a higher level of education.

I don't know that there is any scientific evidence that one's colon needs or benefits from an enema, but if people want to have someone give them an enema (can't you do this to yourself in the privacy of your bathroom?)more power to them.

However, I think a little background check into the giver (enemer?) might be a good idea. Who except some pervert really want to administer an enema?

It is already illegal to pee or poo in public. A bus is a public place. So how can peeing on a bus NOT already be illegal?

@ anonymous
There are also at least two other bills that seek to regulate and restrict the use of RFID technology.
I would be pretty shocked if 1142 went anywhere.

Big shock that the likes of Jonah SL et all are all for felons voting, cuz they vote for dem damn demoncrats who feel sorry for them. And of course, Jonah never saw any skat he didn't like

I like the idea of no shitting on buses too, but how long am I going to have to for the House Bill on people SMELLING like shit on the bus?

urchasing:
There are plenty of things to watch that are 'no fun' - but yet should never become illegal: homelessness, PDAs, unwashed protestors, city hall meetings, Seattle professional sports.

This no poo on transit law crosses into the grey band between nanny/police state and free democracy - not on specifics, but on broad principles: the point at which we have a feces-on-transit problem isn't time for new laws, it's time for re-evaluating where the problem comes from.

urchasing:
There are plenty of things to watch that are 'no fun' - but yet should never become illegal: homelessness, PDAs, unwashed protestors, city hall meetings, Seattle professional sports.

This no poo on transit law crosses into the grey band between nanny/police state and free democracy - not on specifics, but on broad principles: the point at which we have a feces-on-transit problem isn't time for new laws, it's time for re-evaluating where the problem comes from.

Wow, I hope there are no diapered children riding the bus these days.

Or people who wear depends or people taking medications that cause anal leakage or .... maybe someone should think through the implications on colostomy bags, too. The ADA's nondiscrimination standards probably need to be addressed since many transits are funded at least partially by government grants...but flat out dropping a load on the bus for the purpose of offending is more likely considered an art form.