 "Supreme Court" by Mark Fischer is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
On Tuesday, the King County Council in an 8-1 vote passed a motion I sponsored supporting reproductive freedom and affirming Roe v. Wade as the “law of the land.” The legislation was passed in response to the leaked draft Supreme Court decision that indicates a majority of the Court is ready to overturn what has been settled law for five decades. If the Supreme Court moves forward with this outrageous decision, they will take away the rights of women to make decisions about their own bodies.
As a nation, we must stand up to this kind of restriction on freedom and autonomy, in the same way we condemn assaults on freedom in any other country in the world. We must also renew our commitment to making abortion care widely accessible in King County and Washington state, including to anyone who needs to flee their own home to exercise their reproductive rights safely, legally and with dignity.
Read about the motion and news surrounding the draft decision here:
Advancing democracy here in King County
 This week, I introduced a King County charter amendment that would shift elections for County officials, including councilmembers, to even years. In talking with advocates, I became convinced that this change is fundamentally about advancing democracy and giving more people a voice in choosing their elected leaders. The data are undeniable: turnout in even year elections is double what it is in odd year elections in King County. Moving the executive, assessor, elections director and councilmembers to even year elections is a common sense reform for democracy and King County.
My proposal will be taken up at the Committee of the Whole on June 1 and I’m hopeful that by the end of June my colleagues will vote to put this proposed charter amendment on the ballot for consideration by voters on the November 8 ballot.
Shining a light on the affordability crisis
Affordable Housing Week is an annual opportunity to shine a light on runaway housing costs that are impacting the lives of too many people in our region. As in past years, I sponsored the Affordable Week Proclamation at the King County Council and spoke about the urgency of providing affordable homes for people across our region. On the Eastside, the average home cost has now climbed over the $1 million mark.
 As we start to come out of the pandemic, I am hearing from many constituents about astronomical rent increases. In early April, the Puget Sound Business Journal reported that as of February 2022, year-over-year rents were up 33% in Kirkland and 16.5% in Redmond and Bellevue. These are increases take hundreds of dollars a month out of renter’s pocketbooks and are further contributing to making our cities unaffordable for anyone but the wealthy.
We’re not just failing to increase availability of affordable housing—we’re rapidly losing what little affordability exists as modest homes are torn down and replaced not with more housing, but with high-end mansions that simply max out the entire parcel. By not addressing our housing crisis, we are becoming an exclusive enclave that is tantamount to building a physical wall around our region.
This is why I am working to support affordable housing investments around transit stations and leading the Affordable Housing Committee as we debate how to set regional goals for affordable housing in all King County cities. Restoring housing affordability will take time, but we must start working now at all levels of government to give more people the housing security they need.
Proclaiming support for Ukraine
 "Ukraine. Flag colors" by carefulweb is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Also this week, I signed a King County Council proclamation that commends the courage and resolve of the Ukrainian People; proclaims support for a secure, democratic and free Ukraine; condemns Russia’s war of aggression; affirms our nation’s support of Ukraine; and welcomes Ukrainian refugees to the US. While the County Council does not directly engage in international affairs, I agree it is important for King County to show its support on an issue that has both international and local impacts, particularly to the large Ukrainian community in King County.
New ORCA system launches Monday
Starting Monday, May 16, hundreds of thousands of ORCA Card transit customers across the Puget Sound region will have access to a new website, smartphone app, and real-time value loading for their ORCA cards.
 To transition to the new ORCA system, fares will not be collected between 3 a.m. Saturday, May 14, and 2:59 a.m. Monday, May 16, on most area transit systems. ORCA Card users are encouraged to create an account on the new website www.myORCA.com, beginning May 16, but a new account is not required to access the system.
Over the coming months, new ORCA card readers and vending machines will be installed at transit locations throughout the region. All current ORCA cards, including youth, senior, ORCA LIFT and reduced fare cards, will continue to work with the new system. ORCA customers do not need to get a new card.
Learn more about these big changes for regional transit at the Metro’s blog post and at the new myORCA website:
Spread the word!
Please forward this email widely and invite others to sign-up to my email updates to receive important and timely information for District 6 constituents.
Sincerely,
 Claudia Balducci
King County Council
District 6
|
