THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SEATTLE KING COUNTY POSITIONS

Local positions are the stands the League of Women Voters of Seattle King County (LWVSKC) has taken, through study and member agreement, on issues that affect people in Seattle and King County. They guide the League's advocacy.

This page summarizes each area in plain language. It is a summary, not the official wording: the full positions document is the authoritative text, and can be viewed HERE. The League applies all of these positions to further diversity, equity and inclusion in King County.

Governance and government structure

The League supports ethical, accountable local government that is open to the public, balanced in its powers, and keeps core services in public hands.

• Ethics and elections: Local governments should have a code of ethics covering conflicts of interest and gifts. Support nonpartisan municipal elections and election systems that give every voter a meaningful voice.

• Core services stay public: Courts, police, public health, public schools, jails and prisons, voter services, taxation, parks, and water and natural resources should not be transferred to the private sector.

• Public-private partnerships: Require early public involvement, public hearings, and independent review. Government employees and officials should wait two years before working for private companies they oversaw.

• Public involvement: County and city governments should involve the public early, publicize meetings well in advance, explain decisions, and make participation accessible.

• Balanced, accountable structures: Judge governments by separation of powers, checks and balances, clear responsibilities, and responsiveness. Support a county-wide policy-making body, home rule for Seattle, and a balance of power among branches in city government.

• Special districts and ports: Support public development authorities only in limited cases with public oversight and regular review, consolidating like special districts, and accountable public port districts.

Economy

The League supports a healthy local economy that meets basic human needs, spends public money wisely, and holds subsidies and budgets to public account.

• Healthy economy: Support affordable health care, quality jobs that pay a living wage, educational opportunities, a protected environment, and well-maintained infrastructure.

• Public money for economic development: Public funds should support sustainable, living-wage jobs and good business practices, and the results should be evaluated.

• Corporate subsidies: Tie subsidies and tax breaks to clear, measurable public benefits, with a public commission to oversee them and consequences if goals are not met.

• Tax structure: Support a more progressive tax structure for businesses and individuals.

• Budgets and finance: Programs that meet basic human needs get the highest priority, and the public should have ample opportunity to take part in developing budgets.

• Capital projects: Fund them with the right tools, such as bonds for long-term improvements, and have a public oversight committee monitor them.

Law enforcement and justice

The League supports well-trained, accountable policing, prevention and rehabilitation, and courts that are efficient and fair.

• Police training: Support a well-trained, adequate police force that is responsive to the public, with ongoing training in crisis intervention, mental health issues, diversity, and communication.

• Police accountability: Support independent public review of police conduct and a well-publicized, trustworthy process for handling complaints.

• Community relationships: Support community policing, collecting data on racial profiling, and protecting rights of free speech and assembly while providing safety for all.

• Immigrant communities: Build trust by asking about immigration status only when someone has been charged with a felony or misdemeanor.

• Prevention and rehabilitation: Support local programs focused on youth, community-based services, and equal justice for people of every economic background.

• Courts: Support strong court administration, less overlap between courts, and a judicial selection system that ensures qualified judges and informs the public.

Human resources and social policy

The League supports meeting basic human needs, affordable housing, equal rights for everyone, and support for children, youth, and families.

• Basic needs: Support measures to provide food, shelter, and health care for those who cannot provide for themselves, along with job training and employment opportunity, and funding for community mental health services.

• Housing: Support more housing choices and more affordable housing across the region, low-income housing that is well located near schools, jobs, health care and transit, and programs to prevent homelessness and help homeless families and single adults.

• Preventing discrimination: Support measures to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, disability, race, national origin, marital status, or socioeconomic status.

• Health and safety: Support public health services for everyone regardless of citizenship status, and public health as a basic function of government with adequate, sustained funding.

• Immigrants: Support local government sponsorship of English as a second language classes for immigrants.

• Women and families: Support child care, equal pay for work of equal value, and protection from sexual assault and domestic violence.

• Reproductive choice: Support policies that promote reproductive choice, including protecting the constitutional right of privacy to make reproductive choices and public funds for family planning, prenatal care, childbirth, abortion education and assistance, and contraceptive research.

• Children, teens, and youth: Support funding for programs that meet the health, safety, education, and welfare needs of children and teens, and community treatment instead of incarceration for at-risk youth.

• Libraries and culture: Support free fundamental library services and government support for cultural activities.

Education

The League supports strong public schools that challenge every child, are adequately and fairly funded, and involve the community.

• Quality public schools: Support an educational system with quality staffing and public involvement that helps every child gain basic skills, reasoning ability, self-esteem, and social skills, and challenges all children to reach their full potential.

• Funding: Support adequate, long-range financing for public schools, with equitable and dependable state taxes, particularly a state income tax. Local levies should cover special needs, not basic services.

• Community voice: Support an elected school board that makes policy, public involvement in school and district decisions, and open, easy-to-understand school budgets.

• Curriculum and climate: Support a curriculum that includes academics, the arts, physical education, and work skills, fair discipline for all students, and schools free of prejudice, hate, and harassment.

• Teachers: Support compensation that reflects local cost of living and rewards growth, evaluations based on multiple measures, and funding for professional development.

• Early childhood: Support public funds for programs for children from birth through age eight, with the goal of serving all children in the community with quality programs.

• Children at risk: Support programs and staff that identify children at risk early and provide counseling or referral.

Land use

The League supports planning that involves the public, protects the environment, and builds livable, diverse cities and neighborhoods.

• Comprehensive planning: Support planning based on studies of the land, strong and enforced building and housing codes, a long-range capital improvements program shared with the public, and a planning commission that represents a balance of interests and areas.

• Livable cities: Support cities with diverse people and opportunities, good schools, personal safety, quality health care, a lively downtown, and strong community organizations.

• Neighborhood planning: Support a process open to all stakeholders, with outreach to ensure diverse viewpoints, adequate city staff support, and stable, equitable funding.

• Zoning: Support zoning that is flexible, enforced, easy for the public to understand, and gives neighbors early notice and a voice. Downtown zoning should preserve or replace low-income housing.

• Density: Support density that is well planned, respects neighborhoods, supports public transit, protects critical areas and open space, and includes community participation.

Transportation and growth management

The League supports concentrating growth and building a balanced, connected transportation system that people can rely on.

• Growth and transit: Support concentrating population growth, coordinated with growth management plans, to support mass transit and reduce sprawl.

• Balanced system: Support a seamless system with rail, ferries, buses, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, transportation for people with special needs, bicycle use, and safe pedestrian access to transit and services.

• Using transit: Support convenient, affordable, secure transit, employer trip-reduction programs, park-and-ride lots, and transit-oriented development.

• Funding and coordination: Support more state, regional and local transportation funding for high-priority projects, with coordination across governments.

• Hazardous materials: Support coordinated regulation, training and enforcement for transporting hazardous materials.

• Airports: Support cooperation among King County, the Port of Seattle and nearby cities on land use near airports, with public involvement.

• Public property and historic preservation: Support clear procedures for surplus public property and public notice before it is sold, and a preservation process with public hearings and appeal. Support Seattle Center as a unique urban park.

Natural resources and the environment

The League supports protecting farmland, parks, water and air, and managing energy and waste responsibly, with public participation.

• Farmland: Support programs, including taxation and zoning, that protect the most productive soils and support King County agriculture, with food production as the principal use.

• Parks and open space: Support planning, acquiring and preserving parks, greenbelts and sensitive areas, with a park within walking distance of each neighborhood, access for people of all incomes, and public involvement.

• Energy: Support clear energy policies, conservation, research on new energy sources, and protections for low-income households. Support a cautious approach to deregulating the electric industry.

• Waste, air and litter: Support waste reduction and recycling first, reducing carbon dioxide, and controlling litter.

• Stormwater: Support policies that protect habitat, using low impact development and natural drainage.

• Water supply and rights: Support water conservation, a regional approach to water resources, protection of groundwater and aquifers, and measuring well withdrawals.

The League’s local positions were last re-adopted by members in 2023. They are scheduled for review and possible re-adoption at the 2027 Annual Meeting. This page summarizes the positions and will be updated after each re-adoption.