One day after the Washington State Legislature passed a new state law governing controlled substances, Seattle Councilmembers Alex Pedersen and Sara Nelson introduced legislation to criminalize the possession and public use of those substances.
The two Councilmembers worked with City Attorney Ann Davison to draft the proposed law, which would empower the Seattle City Attorney to prosecute possession and public use of controlled substances as misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors in accordance with state law. Because the City Attorney can only prosecute violations of the Seattle Municipal Code, the City must incorporate the new law into the City’s code.
The Council’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee will consider the legislation. The Committee’s chair, Councilmember Lisa Herbold, expressed opposition to considering earlier legislation until the state took action on controlled substances.
