Bill would allow people to sue Washington cities and counties over public camping bans
While advocates for those living unhoused in Washington say the bill would be an important step to providing rights and protections for a vulnerable population, opponents argue the legal definition is subjective and would open up local governments to costly litigation at the expense of tax payers.
If passed, House Bill 1380 would require that any city or town, code city or county laws regulating 'the acts of sitting, lying, sleeping, or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property that is open to the public' do so in a way that it 'objectively reasonable as to time, place, and manner.'
It would also allow parties and individuals to take legal action against cities and counties they believe are enforcing such a policy in a way that is not 'objectively reasonable.'
The primary sponsor of the bill, Rep. Mia Gregerson (D-33rd District), said the legislation is part of a greater effort to codify rights and legal protections for homeless people. She referred to the idea as a 'bill of rights' for the homeless population.
In an interview with The News Tribune, Gregerson said the legislation would prohibit local jurisdictions from regulating camping on public spaces, but creates a framework for them to do so.
'If you are going to enforce, then enforce through this lens,' she said.
Gregerson said the bill is intended to create representation for an otherwise vulnerable population.
On Jan. 21, the bill was the subject of a public hearing by the House Committee on Housing.
Jazmyn Clark of ACLU Washington testified in support of the bill. Clark said HB 1380 is a vital step toward managing the homelessness crisis, in part, because it includes language requiring local governments to consider the 'totality of circumstances' when regulating camping on public property.
According to the bill, a local government must consider whether prohibitions on public camping protect the safety of both housed and unhoused individuals, whether there is accessible alternative shelter or housing available for those experiencing homelessness, and whether enforcement is proportional to the issue, among other factors.
Supporters of the bill say cities and counties would be protected from litigation as long as regulation of public camping considers those factors and is 'objectively reasonable.
Opponents say reasonableness is difficult to define in this instance.
During the Jan. 21 hearing, Curtis Steinhauer, a policy analyst at Washington State Association of Counties, testified in opposition to HB 1380.
'Counties are responsible for addressing homelessness in their jurisdiction, and we appreciate the efforts of this body to advocate for the most vulnerable members of our communities,' Steinhauer testified. 'However, this bill will result in unnecessary litigation for local governments without creating any new rights for unsheltered people.'
Steinhauer said the lack of a clear definition for what is 'objectively reasonable' would leave local governments to guess when drafting policies to regulate public spaces.
'The only way to find out what ordinances meet this standard is through litigation,' he told the committee. 'When litigation occurs, it will come at the expense of taxpayers in these jurisdictions, possibly paid for by revenue that could have been used to create more resources for vulnerable people that this bill is meant to protect.'
The City of Tacoma has an ordinance prohibiting camping in public spaces within a 10-block radius of a shelter or within a certain distance of a waterway.
Maria Lee is a spokesperson for the City of Tacoma.
When asked if Tacoma's camping ban ordinance would be considered 'objectively reasonable' under the bill, Lee told The News Tribune it is unclear.
'We recognize the intent of the proposed legislation, and we're seeking to understand how it will interact with current city ordinances, including the camping ordinance.' Lee told The News Tribune in an email. 'It's likely that further legal interpretation will be needed to provide clear guidance regarding enforcement and to ensure city ordinances meet the new standard.'
The bill has not been scheduled for a floor vote. On Feb. 28, it was referred to the House Rules Committee.
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5 days ago
- Yahoo
Conflict shut down Q&A for East Pierce mayoral candidates before the election
A mayoral race has generated heated discourse in East Pierce County. Milton, a city of nearly 9,000, is getting a new mayor for the first time since 2017. The current mayor, Shanna Styron-Sherrell, has elected not to run for re-election. 'It has been eight years, I feel I have accomplished everything I have set out to do for the city,' Styron-Sherrell told The News Tribune. 'I'm ready to move onto another chapter of my life.' Three candidates are vying for Styron-Sherrell's seat in the primary election on Aug. 5. The top two vote-getters will face each other in November's general election. The candidates are: Steve Whitaker, a council member and the current mayor pro tempore. Megan Sheridan, a former member of the Maple Valley City Council who moved to Milton in 2021. Bruce White, a council member who also served on the Kent City Council from 2002 to 2005. Heated discourse about the race prompted moderators to shut down a Facebook group recently that was meant to help residents get to know the candidates. Milton in the Middle Susan Johnson – a former council member who serves on the city's planning commission – got the idea to make a Facebook group, 'Milton in the Middle,' at the end of May. 'I did create Milton in the Middle for purposes of discussion to create a question-and-answer forum for the three candidates in Milton,' Johnson told The News Tribune. 'Milton is known for controversial mayoral elections – one of the events that caused an issue is: 'Do we want only Milton people to be participating in this or do we want to open it to everyone?'' Johnson said about the Facebook group. 'At first it was closed, you would be approved to come in – and then I talked about it with [one of the admins] and said, 'Let's just do it, let's just open it up.'' Afterward, Johnson said, posts about national politics started flooding the group. 'After it was opened up outside of Milton – Fife, Edgewood, anyone else – we started seeing the real politicization in a nonpartisan race occurring,' Johnson said. On June 8, Styron-Sherrell made a Facebook post encouraging people to keep partisan politics out of the race. 'Voters should be evaluating candidates based on their character, experience, community involvement, and ideas, not their presidential vote or party affiliation,' Styron-Sherrell wrote. 'Asking a local candidate who they voted for at the national level, especially after the last election, is both irrelevant and inappropriate.' Johnson paused the group on July 21. Posts within it are still visible, but no one can post or comment in the group. Sheridan's time in Maple Valley Conflict arose after Johnson posted minutes from 2018 meetings of the Maple Valley City Council in the group, including minutes about Sheridan leaving the council. Johnson said that while she posted Sheridan's minutes first, she also posted minutes from Whitaker and White's time on the Milton City Council as well. 'You need to know the history of your local government and who's done what and who's done well and who hasn't done well,' Johnson said. 'I posted something from Maple Valley and all of it was directly from their website and then from a conversation with their city clerk.' Sheridan told The News Tribune that after Johnson's post, she got slammed with calls and messages accusing her of abandoning the City of Maple Valley. She said she left the city in 2018 because her son, a young Black man, was the target of racial attacks. 'He no longer felt safe and my number one priority is going to be to protect my kid and others – obviously, as a mom, protecting him [comes] first. We made the decision to move out of Maple Valley,' Sheridan said. 'So I shared that I was resigning from my seat and it was due to family concerns and left it at that.' Sheridan moved to Milton in 2021. The News Tribune asked her what made her decide to run for office again. 'I was an empty nester and saw that there was a need in Milton for a leader who looks at things proactively and making sure that we as a city are implementing a proactive strategy that's really based on facts and data,' Sheridan said. When The News Tribune asked Whitaker about the social media discourse surrounding the race, he said he hasn't given it a lot of energy. 'It's been like that since we've lived here and that was before social media was a big deal,' Whitaker said. 'I've lived in Milton for 20 years and it's, like, the elections have always been like this. They're passionate.' When The News Tribune asked White about it, he laughed. 'I'm sharply aware of it — however, I have decided not to engage in it at all,' White said. 'I just decided that people that are engaging in the nastiness have already made up their minds and me injecting myself into it wasn't going to change anyone's mind.' 'Personal agendas, misinformation, and divisive behavior' Styron-Sherrell, who initially planned to stay out of the race, endorsed Whitaker the same day Milton in the Middle shut down. 'He is thoughtful, grounded, and committed to serving the entire community with transparency and respect,' Styron-Sherrell wrote. 'At a time when personal agendas, misinformation, and divisive behavior are far too common in our local politics, Steve stands out for his honesty, humility, and steady presence.' What are the candidates' visions for Milton? When The News Tribune asked the candidates what their priorities would be if elected, all of them mentioned traffic. 'Our leading indicators that we could directly focus on for our community is traffic – and taking our existing traffic data and making sure both are included in a traffic improvement plan and grants are directly tying into that data and using it effectively,' Sheridan said. Sheridan also mentioned that she would keep an eye on Milton's new 'megachurch' along Taylor Street, and monitor its impacts on traffic. 'We're probably a year or two out from really understanding the impact there,' Sheridan said. White said traffic is a big deal because people speed through Milton and put residents at risk. 'The number one complaint that I get at people's doors is that Milton is used as a pass-through town – people are speeding,' White said. 'I want to be transparent and listen to residents.' Whitaker talked about both traffic and infrastructure. He said he would address speeding with stoplight and school zone cameras, then use the money from those cameras to fund sidewalks. 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'I owned a brick-and-mortar business, so I understand how local businesses are impacted by what their cities do,' Sheridan said. 'With economic development, we can take retail reports and use it to proactively attract and partner with businesses so we know the data's available.' Sheridan said this would drive economic development and allow the city to 'diversify our tax burden on our residents and businesses.' All of the candidates did agree on one thing: their love for Milton. 'It's just that common love for the City of Milton,' Whitaker said. 'Everybody wants the best for Milton and I think when you have that in common focus, then that's powerful.' White said that extends to the candidates at the heart of the heated race. 'I can call Steve and I can call Megan and we can have a great conversation,' White said. 'We have our disagreements, but we will come out of this, whoever wins, as friends.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Yahoo
Growth, parking and small-town charm are at the heart of this Pierce County race
Ballots for the 2025 primary election are out, and Sumner is getting a new mayor. Mayor Kathy Hayden is not running for re-election. Hayden has been the town's mayor since 2022, serving a four-year term. Three candidates are now vying to follow in her footsteps – including the city's current deputy mayor and Hayden's predecessor who is fighting to reclaim his seat. This mayoral race has sparked conversations about growth, affordable housing, taxes, Sumner's historic downtown and more. Residents have until Aug. 5 to vote in the primary election. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election in November. Who are the candidates? There are three people running for Sumner mayor: deputy mayor Carla Bowman, former mayor Bill Pugh and attorney David Shelvey. Bowman serves on the Sumner City Council and has also served as a board member of the Tacoma/Pierce County Economic Development Board. She has worked in the aerospace manufacturing field for 28 years. 'I decided to run for mayor because I love our city, but I also feel it needs a strong, forward-thinking leader,' Bowman told The News Tribune. Pugh served as the city's mayor from 2018 to 2021. When The News Tribune asked him why he didn't run re-election after his last term ended, he said he needed a break – but that he is now itching to return. 'I was a little worn out – it was a tough time with the pandemic, we had an urban fire, we had flooding, we had snowstorms. So at the end of that, I said, 'OK, time for a break,'' Pugh said. 'But then I discovered that, 'No, [being mayor], that's my calling. That's what I want to do.'' Pugh served as the assistant city manager and public works director for the City of Tacoma from 1974 to 2008. Then, when he moved to Sumner, he served as the city's public works and public services director from 2008 to 2017. He has a master's degree in engineering from Pennsylvania State University. The News Tribune reached out to Shelvey, but did not get a response by deadline. According to the Pierce County Voters' Pamphlet, Shelvey is an attorney, tax advisor and volunteer president of the Tacoma Eagles Club. 'I am running for mayor of Sumner because I am committed to our community's future,' Shelvey wrote in the voters' pamphlet. 'Since becoming president of the Tacoma Eagles, I helped turn the struggling club around. With the support of officers and members, we have become one of the top ten Eagles' clubs in Washington for member growth.' Shelvey has a law degree and master's degrees in project management, intellectual property, taxes and antitrust law. Sumner's growth and affordable housing Bowman and Pugh both told The News Tribune that they would tackle growth, affordable housing and revitalizing downtown. 'I love the town, so I really want to see the city maintain its heritage and core values and not lose that while we grow,' Bowman told The News Tribune. Bowman said that while growth and development are inevitable – especially since Sumner has to meet certain growth targets from the state – she would prioritize projects that make sense for Sumner. 'I know that the state has mandated a certain number of housing units by a certain year,' Bowman said. 'It doesn't mean that we have to develop, it means that we have to have the capability to develop. I would make sure the development aligns with our community's character.' She said she would also work on ways to engage with the community on future projects, such as hosting forums at the senior center. '[I want to] pull people in and listen to residents and business owners and give them a seat at the table in shaping how our city grows, instead of just an open house where people can come in and put comments on a Post-It board,' Bowman said. Bowman also said she would fight for more affordable housing by pursuing grants at the federal, state and county levels, and standardizing housing plans so that it is cheaper to build affordable housing. She also said she would go after tax reductions and exemptions for seniors and other vulnerable groups. 'I walk the city a lot with my husband and I have actually talked with people that are out front, gardening in their homes, and they are selling their family home that they grew up in because they can't afford the property taxes,' Bowman said. 'These are people on a fixed income, they're seniors, and they just can't continue to live there because of the rising costs.' Pugh also said that he would embrace growth, meet the state's growth targets and be strategic about keeping Sumner's charm and small town feel. 'We have a plan to increase densities with higher buildings in the downtown area near city hall and also near the YMCA,' Pugh said. 'And we did that so we can preserve the quality of our neighborhoods, which are truly unique, and so we've continued to do to that to make sure housing gets built.' During Pugh's first term, the city participated in the South Sound Housing Affordability Partners. He said Sumner contributed to a fund that developed affordable housing in Pierce County, and he would continue to do that if re-elected as mayor. Visions for downtown Sumner Bowman and Pugh both said they would prioritize bringing growth and sustainability to Sumner's Main Street. Pugh called downtown Sumner 'a treasure.' 'It's one of the things that drew me to Sumner,' Pugh said. Pugh said one of the biggest issues facing downtown is parking. 'An issue that I heard from a lot of the merchants has to do with parking … if you don't have parking then there's no cars and you don't have customers,' Pugh said. 'But at a certain point, if you have an overabundance of parking, that can restrict your customers from getting into downtown.' Pugh said parking would be something the city is 'really going to have to watch,' and that he would work with merchants, the Main Street Association and Sound Transit to evaluate the parking situation. He also said he would monitor the new Sumner station once it's built and see if it improves parking. He also said he supports current projects underway to revitalize Heritage Park and Hops Alley. Pugh said he is proud of many accomplishments from his first term, including replacing the Cannery Bridge and upgrading the Traffic Ave interchange. He also said he would support establishing a transportation benefit district, which would collect taxes for local infrastructure projects. 'Some priorities that we need to work on [include] maintaining our local streets,' Pugh said. 'The council is considering a transportation benefit district and I think that's a good approach.' Bowman said she would prioritize bringing more people to downtown. 'We have adorable shops and I know that we don't always get enough people in the town for these shops to make a lot of revenue,' Bowman said. She said she would look into putting billboards on freeways to lure people into downtown, and she also wants to bring a big business to Sumner for the economic boost. 'We could put stores like a Trader Joe's or a Northwest Market – something that will pull people in,' Bowman said. 'Our citizens drive up the hill to shop in Bonney Lake, or up the hill to shop in Puyallup.' 'There is a strong sense of community' Both candidates said the community is their favorite part of living in Sumner. 'Not everybody agrees on everything, but there is a strong sense of community in Sumner and I want to see the community thrive and I want to support people in the town that they live in,' Bowman said. Bowman said she wants to be a strong, forward-thinking leader for Sumner, while Pugh said his best quality is making partnerships that bring change. 'I don't want to see us go backwards, and I want things improved and the only way you can do that sometimes … is through partnerships,' Pugh said. 'There's partnerships with the school district, or the library, or the YMCA, or other nonprofits. That's what I'm good at, is partnering, and in fact, I believe that's the only way you really move a community ahead.' Residents can learn more about both campaigns at and the 'Vote Carla Bowman for Sumner Mayor' Facebook page. For information on registering to vote, drop boxes and more, visit the Pierce County Elections page at Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
Homeless services are at risk during Pierce County's legal battle with Trump
Pierce County was recently notified it would receive nearly $5 million of the federal grant funding it was promised by the previous administration. Much of the federal funding it was expecting to help address the region's homelessness crisis is tied up in a legal battle, making the future of services and programs unclear. On May 2, Pierce County joined a coalition of eight local governments, including King County, New York and San Francisco, in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration's Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other agencies. The suit alleged requirements tied to grant funding by Trump's executive orders regarding gender ideology, undocumented immigrants and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices were vague and directly contradicted federal and state laws. Days later, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction on the administration's grant-funding requirements. 'Defendants have put Plaintiffs in the position of having to choose between accepting conditions that they believe are unconstitutional, and risking the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grant funding, including funding that they have already budgeted and are committed to spending,' U.S. District Judge Barbara J. Rothstein wrote in her injunction decision. On July 3, Pierce County received a grant-agreement letter from HUD confirming it would receive the more than $4.9 million in housing and homeless funding it was awarded during the previous administration. The services and programs to be funded by the grants include rental assistance, supportive housing, rapid-rehousing and homeless data management support. The letter, signed by HUD official Margaret Keller, said the funding would be provided free from the requirements made by the Trump administration as a condition of the injunction. 'Please be advised that should the Preliminary Injunction Order in this matter be stayed, dissolved, or reversed, there will be no grant agreement in effect and HUD will reissue a new grant agreement,' the letter stated. Pierce County Human Service spokesperson Kari Moore told The News Tribune the county's legal team is 'hopeful' the county will be able to provide money to service providers soon. When asked if the legal challenge had caused a delay to the funding or services, Moore told The News Tribune the yearly funding package from HUD had been signed near the end of June the previous two years. This year, the grant agreement was received near July 7. Pierce County did not answer questions about specific HUD-funded contracts that were either being delayed or at-risk due to the legal challenge. 'Due to the volume of contracts we process and attorney-client privilege, we are limited in how much detail we can provide about numbers and rationale related to our decisions on federal contracts,' Moore told The News Tribune on July 9. Moore said the county was reviewing contracts that could be impacted by the Trump administration's requirements. 'We are examining all federal contracts as they come in and making determinations if we can sign them on a case-by-case basis,' she told The News Tribune on July 8. 'If we feel we cannot sign, we may need to seek protection from the courts.' Moore said some of the requirements were 'overly broad' and 'vaguely defined' putting the county at 'significant legal risk.' 'The vague new terms and conditions have unclear definitions for terms like 'DEI' or 'gender ideology,'' she said. 'One example required us to certify that Pierce County and award recipients do not promote DEI in a way that violates any federal anti-discrimination laws, but there is no detailed guidance from the federal government on what they consider a violation. Because of this, we cannot say with full certainty that we meet this condition even though we believe our programs comply fully with the law.' During a Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness meeting on June 27, Pierce County Human Services director Gary Gant said the county was conducting a risk-assessment analysis to understand how loss of federal funding could impact operations across all its agencies. Gant said the county receives about $100 million in federal funding annually, about 6% of its entire budget. 'Cancellation of the federal grants and programs combined with changing terms and conditions for federal contracts means that Pierce County is likely to lose most, if not all, of its federal funding,' he told the coalition. While Gant said the county is doing everything to review the terms of the contracts, he urged service-providing organizations that rely on federal grants to have contingency plans to continue providing services without such funding. He said the more than $4.9 million recently agreed to by HUD was for the highest-priority homeless and housing projects identified by the county for this fiscal year. Gant confirmed services and programs could lose funding at random based on their individuals contracts. 'This uncertainty is stressful and cruel, but we also know we will communicate as much information as we can and remain focused on serving those who will be most harmed by these federal actions,' he said.
