Week in Review: protesters, rent, and strip clubs

Bill Radke discusses the week’s news with The Stranger's Vivian McCall, Seattle Channel's Brian Callanan, and political and public affairs consultant Sandeep Kaushik.

Protesters came to Seattle City Hall this week demanding support for hundreds of asylum-seekers who've been sheltering at a Tukwila church and elsewhere in King County. The city council strictly enforced its 20-minute limit on public comment. Protesters chanted and yelled; they didn't leave. The council president had security clear the chamber, the council went into recess several times, including for more than an hour at one point. Some protesters banged on the windows form the outside. Police made six arrests. Do you think this is a change in Seattle's government that has real effects on people?

The last city council said delivery companies like DoorDash, Instacart and Uber Eats had to pay gig workers a minimum wage. In response, those companies added a $5 delivery charge. They said this is to cover that rising wage cost. After the $5 charge, orders dropped. That hurts drivers, too. Now these companies are asking the new city council to reverse the minimum wage requirement. Labor advocates say the companies didn't have to add this extra fee, they were just retaliating. What will the city council do?

How could we make rent, if not more affordable, at least less unaffordable? We could limit how much landlords can raise rents. That’s what the state Legislature was considering. There would be a 7% annual cap, longer notice periods for rent increases, and a limit to late fees, move-in fees and security deposits. Democrats are in the majority, so it seemed like the measure had the backing to pass, but it didn’t. Why?

The state Legislature is on its way to passing a so-called Stripper Bill of Rights. Some of the requests are to have a security guard on duty, cap the fees clubs can charge dancers, put keypad locks on dressing room doors, and have staff training on how to prevent sexual harassment and assault, and how to de-escalate tense situations. It is also on the pathway to allow clubs to sell alcohol, but that remains under debate. Why?