The Daily Digest: Rent limits, Crisis in Public Defense, Remembering Dave Allen
Rent in Cascadia will still be too damn high
One of the most pressing issues in the Pacific Northwest is the shortage of housing, which drives up prices. State and local governments have grappled with ways to address the situation with varied degrees of success. Yesterday, the WA Senate passed a bill limiting some rent increases to 10 percent per year plus inflation. While that sounds like a good thing, housing activists point that the original bill was 7 percent and landlords have been pouring tons of money into lobbying efforts to oppose a bill that's wildly popular among voters.
OR & WA schools reject Trump DEI threats
According to OPB, Oregon officials have declared they won't submit to Trump administration demands to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the state's public education system. Governor Tina Kotek said in a statement the state wouldn't tolerate the attempt to "take away resources promised to Oregon students." Earlier in the week, Washington state superintendent of public instruction Chris Reykdal also said the state's K-12 system would not comply with the Dept. of Education's demands.
Cascadia confronting a crisis in public defense
A great in-depth article at Investigate West looks at how a lack of public defenders is threaten the constitutional rights of people charged with crimes in Yakima County. High case loads, inadequate funding, and a shortage of public defenders is causing people to be held in custody without legal representation. Last year, I wrote for ABA Journal about the same issue in Oregon, where many people have been held without access to an attorney and lawsuits have forced the state to release some of these incarcerated people. One of the crisis points is Marion County, where the public defenders office has pushed back against against high case loads, and a judge may "force-appoint" counsel.
Portland bassist Dave Allen, of Gang of Four, dies
The Portland Mercury remembers Dave Allen, the bassist for the influential post-punk band Gang of Four, who lived in Portland for many years, was integral to the city's music scene, and died at the age of 69. Allen's distinctive style made Gang of Four one of the pioneers of a brand of punk that was more nuanced and musically complex. This live cut of "Damaged Goods" showcases Allen's funk-inspired lines as well as the jangly guitar of Andy Gill, who passed away in 2020:
--Andrew Engelson