This week in Seattle: Mayor Ed Murray sues President Trump and demands the city be more data-driven; Sen. Cantwell wants to help small businesses fight cyber attacks; and bike-sharing comes to an end. Continue reading for the week’s top regional stories.
Seattle mayor sues Trump over immigration crackdown
“The time to act is now.” So said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray after announcing plans to sue the Trump administration over threats to withhold federal funding from so-called “sanctuary cities.” Seattle and other municipalities earned that nickname by refusing to help the federal government with its crackdown on undocumented immigrants. [Crosscut]
Federal judge hears U.S. Chamber’s case on Seattle’s Uber union law
During a hearing in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Thursday, attorneys representing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce claimed that Seattle’s ordinance allowing Uber drivers to unionize violates federal labor law. The Seattle City Council passed the ordinance last year. It would allow Uber’s independent contractors to bargain collectively as a union. The judge is expected to rule within a week on the U.S. Chamber’s motion for a temporary restraining order against the city’s decision. The Wall Street Journal editorialized against the union initiative this week. [Past GeekWire Coverage]
Seattle’s troubled bike-sharing program stops rolling
Say goodbye to those green and blue bikes. Friday marked the end of Seattle’s Pronto! bike-sharing program after more than two years of under-performance — a “disaster” in the view of Councilmember Tim Burgess. The Seattle City Council voted to buy the program last year for $1.4 million. After the shutdown, the city says it will go through a two-week “decommissioning process,” beginning on April 3. [MyNorthwest]
On paid family leave, Hillary wants tech to lead by example
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Silicon Valley should lead the nation on paid family leave — perhaps unaware that Seattle has taken up that mantle. To be clear, she said that the private sector should lead the charge, while Seattle and Washington state’s governing bodies are considering mandatory leave policies. It’s a hot-button issue for the tech industry, which often uses generous leave as a bargaining chip to recruit talent. [Recode]
Seattle Weekly editors slam Republicans for ST3 roadblocks
In a lengthy editorial, Seattle Weekly criticized Washington state Republicans for using outrage over car tab fees to cripple Sound Transit 3, a transportation plan that won a healthy majority of votes last fall. “The vote should have been a decisive end to the debate,” they write. “Unfortunately, state Republicans are intent on relitigating the matter, and have spent considerable time this legislative session proposing bills that, to various extents, will hamstring the regional transit agency.” [Seattle Weekly]
Cantwell champions bill to protect small businesses from hackers
Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell and four other Congressional Democrats have introduced a bill that would provide tools for small businesses to defend against cyber attacks. The bill, clumsily named, “Making Available Information Now to Strengthen Trust and Resilience and Enhance Enterprise Technology (MAIN STREET) Cybersecurity Act,” would create a voluntary cybersecurity framework to help companies protect their data. [Cantwell.Senate.Gov]
Seattle mayor champions data, debuts film on fighting homelessness
Mayor Murray wants the city’s decisions to be based on data. He signed an executive order instructing city departments to rely more heavily on data in their day-to-day operations and to make that information open to the public. Murray’s office also released the video above, describing how the city is leveraging data to curb homelessness. [Murray.seattle.gov]
