Seattle City Council Deals Blow to BLM, Rejects Police Defunding

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

A majority of Seattle’s City Council on Wednesday voted down a proposal to slash the police department’s remaining 2020 budget by 50 percent.

The vote by the budget committee—which came one day after the city’s mayor and police chief held a press conference to criticize the proposal—was a setback for Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality advocates who’ve pushed to defund departments across the U.S. and reallocate funds to community services, including housing and youth programs.

The plan, proposed by council member Kshama Sawant, would have cut $54 million from the Seattle PD immediately through layoffs and reallocated it to programs, including $34 million for affordable housing. Sawant was the only member to vote in favor of the proposal, while another council member abstained and the remaining seven voted against it.

While the council’s budget committee voted on a variety of amendments related to police funding, activists marched from a King County juvenile detention facility to City Hall. One reporter on scene captured demonstrators chanting, “Bad boys. Bad boys. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when we defund you?”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/seattle-city-council-deals-blow-to-blm-rejects-police-defunding/ar-BB17ChqL?li=BBnb7Kz

[ret5hd]

1. Referendum? Just asking, don't know the local rules.