Heat, smoke, and a Washington Supreme Court decision, this week

Bill Radke reviews the week's news with Q13 correspondent Brandi Kruse, KIRO 7 reporter Essex Porter, and Unite Magazine publisher and editor in chief, MK Scott.

Washington State, King County, and city of Seattle employees have two month to get vaccinated against Covid, unless they have a religious or medical exemption. That’s the announcement this week from Governor Inslee, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, and King County Executive Dow Constantine. State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah estimated more than 60,000 state government employees and about 400,000 licensed health care providers in the state could potentially be subject to the mandate. Superintendent Chris Reykdal said he has “encouraged” Gov. Jay Inslee to consider requiring public school employees to be vaccinated as well. Republican legislative leaders called this heavy handed, and said Washingtonians should be free to make that vaccine decision themselves. But will the state, city, or county actually fire people who refuse to get vaccinated?

If you thought we’d be done with heat after our first heatwave, you were wrong. Both heat and smoke have returned to Seattle this week. Friday even has the potential to break some heat records - Seattle's highest temperature for August 13th is currently 92 degrees, set in 2002. Seattle is forecast to be around 96 degrees, and Tacoma will likely be even warmer at 98 degrees. These temperatures could be dangerous to people living outdoors, or without air conditioning. What does all of this mean for Washington?

On Thursday the Washington Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a $547.12 fine imposed on Steven Long, who was illegally living in his car, qualifies as an excessive fine. Long took the city to court after he came home one day from work and found the truck he’d been sleeping in was towed. This ruling will help keep people living in their cars from having those vehicles towed and auctioned off. Under yesterday's ruling, if someone says a vehicle is their ‘home’, they will be afforded the same protections as a typical homeowner. Will this ruling impact any current Seattle policies?

Another item on homelessness this week, the City of Seattle has removed most of the tents from an encampment at City Hall Park near the King County courthouse. The Seattle Times reports that the vast majority of the 70 or so campers did not just move their tents down the street, they took referrals to shelters, tiny home villages, or hotel rooms. Are we in a new era of tent clearing and getting people into housing?

Finally, last week Aberdeen city councilwoman Tiesa Meskis confronted local business owner Don Sucher about a sign in his store. The sign said “If you were born with a "slang word for male genitalia" you are not a chick”. Councilwoman Meskis, who identifies as a trans woman, says the sign is hateful toward the LGBTQ+ community. Sucher told King5 “I don’t give a [expletive] about feelings anymore. I went to Vietnam to fight for all this [expletive]. Do you think I care about some [expletive] feeling? Absolutely not!” What should we take from all of this?