Seattle council briefing expands proposed state legislative agenda, adding revenue, housing, food and tribal priorities

Seattle City Council members on Monday reviewed an expanded draft of the city’s proposed state legislative agenda and a slate of amendments that would add priorities on progressive revenue, housing and homelessness, food access and a new section dedicated to native communities and tribal governments. Central staff told the briefing that the packet of amendments would effectively double the size of the printed agenda and will be considered at full council the next day.

Karina Bull of council central staff told council members the amendments package includes roughly 26 new priorities drafted by the Office of Intergovernmental Relations. “The first is amendment A, which is sponsored by Councilmember Lynn,” Bull said, summarizing seven changes that would add support for progressive revenue options, a guaranteed basic income pilot, expanded tax relief for low-income families and seniors, and protections for LGBTQIA+ communities. Councilmember Lynn framed the affordability items as steps to “tax the wealthiest in our community” and expand relief for fixed-income seniors and working families.

Other amendments would: call for state compliance with certain Growth Management Act housing requirements and stronger anti-displacement tools; expand local municipal revenue options and non-regressive alternatives (Amendment C); strengthen metal-recycling regulations to deter theft of public art and plaques; and add a climate-and-environment section supporting investments to fight and adapt to climate change, including removal of fish passage barriers.

Two related proposals focus on food access. Councilmember Saka’s Amendment D narrowly endorses universal free school meals; Councilmember Lin’s Amendment E would approach the subject more broadly by supporting food banks, universal meals and other measures that address food deserts. Saka said similar language was on last year’s agenda and that a targeted universal-meals priority could be easier to advance in Olympia.

A separate amendment from Councilmember Kettle would seek state changes to give social housing the same procurement and regulatory flexibilities now afforded to housing authorities and nonprofit affordable housing developers; Kettle tied the request to House Bill 1687, which staff said had been discussed in the prior session.

Councilmember Juarez introduced a new section on native communities and tribal governments with six priorities — including tribal representation in regional transportation planning, expansion of the Since Time Immemorial curriculum, retroactive exclusion of certain juvenile convictions from offender-score calculations, protections for sensitive tribal data, automatic voter registration for tribal members and federally approved tribal apprenticeship programs.

Members pressed staff for clarifications on likely prospects in the shorter 2026 legislative session and whether some amendments revive bills that failed in prior years; Bull said she compiled a crosswalk of past bills and would provide it to members. Several council members also urged sponsors to consider breaking multi-topic amendments into separate items or clarifying language where provisions might conflict.

The council did not take votes during the briefing. President Nelson thanked central staff for the research and said both the agenda amendment ordinance and the collective bargaining items would be before the full council at the next meeting for deliberation and any public comment.