Puyallup council approves 2044 comprehensive plan after contentious public comment on equity and tribal history

The Puyallup City Council adopted the second reading of the 2044 comprehensive plan update on July 22, approving the ordinance by a 4-3 roll-call vote after an extended public-comment period in which dozens of residents urged the council either to keep explicit equity language and references to the Puyallup Tribe’s history or to change the document to avoid potential conflicts with state and federal rules.

The decision comes amid sharply divided views in the community about proposed amendments that would replace the word “equity” with “equality,” remove or revise explicit references to the Puyallup Tribe and to the Medicine Creek Treaty, and change climate-related wording. Supporters of keeping the original language said deleting equity and historical language would erase lived experience and risk state funding; supporters of the amendments said the revisions seek race-neutral, legally defensible language and to avoid future litigation.

Councilmembers and community speakers framed the stakes differently: critics argued deleting equity…