Seattle's Mayor and City Council approve their own agenda for the state Legislature every year. For the 2017 legislative session, the city is calling for more protections for tenants and for people of color.
The city's lobbyists are still working out final details, but say they will advocate for rights and services that support immigrants and refugees. The city will also push for a Washington Voting Rights Act, meant to give underrepresented communities more leverage in local elections.
This year, like last year, the City Council wants to change a state law that affects tenants. That law prohibits local governments from controlling rent costs. Amending or removing that law could open the door for rent control, which some council members are calling for.
But it would also give the city legal protection for doing smaller things, like requiring landlords to give advance notice about rent increases.
The state Legislature convenes in January.
