KUOW Blog
News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.
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Pray to play — Supreme Court sides with Bremerton football coach: Today So Far
- Supreme Court sides with Bremerton's praying football coach.
- What's up with the weather?
- Washington aims to further protect abortion rights.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 27, 2022.
Stay up to date with the Today So Far Blog!
Another U.S. Supreme Court decision on a local case is likely to cause some friction. I think I hear some Satanists getting ready for a demonstration...
After losing his case in lower courts, Bremerton Assistant Coach Joe Kennedy was victorious at the Supreme Court which has decided in his favor 6-3.
You may recall back in 2015, Coach Kennedy refused to stop praying on the 50 yard line at the end of every football game. The school district fired him for it, arguing that as a public employee he was crossing a line that kept government and religion separate. The district worried that his prayers would be considered an endorsement of a religion. The Supreme Court disagreed and said that Kennedy's actions were individual and personal.
RELATED: What does Kennedy v. Bremerton SD mean for how schools handle religious speech?
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the dissenting opinion and said the majority ignored the fact that Kennedy was often joined by students and players in prayer, and that he incorporated his religion in his football speeches. Kennedy has always argued that he never required players to pray with him — it was their personal choice.
Just like it is the choice of anyone under the thumb of an influential authority. It's a choice for children to be good for Santa Claus. It's a choice to pretend to like sports to suck up to your company's management. It's a choice to compliment a police officer who is deciding whether or not to give you a speeding ticket.
And it's my personal choice to get KUOW News Director Gigi Douban her morning latte each day, ensuring that it is exactly 112 degrees when it reaches her hand. And when she throws it on the ground because it mistakenly had soy milk instead of oat milk, it is my choice to race five blocks away to get her a replacement ASAP.
It's on the record that when Kennedy performed his post-game prayers, some students felt compelled to join despite not being religious. Court documents state that some felt that if they didn't pray, they wouldn't get to play. That is the influence of a coach, in this case, a coach taking a public employee paycheck, performing public employee duties. So like I said, this decision is going to cause some friction.
Which brings me back to the Satanists. When Coach Kennedy made headlines in 2015, a local congregation of Satanists demanded equal time on the field. They got it. No word yet on if local Satan worshipers will have a response to the Supreme Court's latest decision.
Speaking of Satan, it's getting hot around here (sorry, I needed some transition). It seems that the wonderfully dim and cool June weather has burned off and warmer temps have finally arrived. Despite the recent 80s/90s, temperatures are expected to drop into the 60s/70s over the coming week. Maybe even the 60s, and maybe even some rain, but I don't want to get my hopes up so let's move on.
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Washington abortion services bracing for surge in patients
Abortion providers in Washington are bracing for a surge of patients from out of state. That follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning decades long protections. At the same time, Northwest companies are adjusting their benefits to accommodate employees who may need abortion services.
Courtney Normand heads the Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates.
“We definitely are getting inquiries not only from people in Washington who need reassurance and clarity about what their rights are, but also from folks who think they may need to come here," Normand said.
Washington law protects abortion rights. But in neighboring Idaho, a trigger law banning abortion takes effect next month. Normand says Planned Parenthood is changing operations and logistics to handle the influx of out-of-state patients.
“We’re also doing things like moving as much family planning care online as much as we can in order to make more space for abortion care in our schedule," Normand said.
King County has also responded with $1 million emergency fund. Half will go toward the county's public health system. The other half to the Northwest Abortion Access Fund, which helps secure abortion services in the Pacific Northwest.
Meanwhile, some major Seattle-area companies will offer assistance to employees in areas where abortion services aren’t available.
Amazon, Microsoft and Starbucks will help with expenses for workers who must travel great distances to access abortions. Reuters reports that Amazon will give $4,000 in yearly travel expenses. And Microsoft will add travel expenses to its abortion benefits. Starbucks says it will reimburse employees who need to travel more than 100 miles to obtain care.
The Northwest companies join a list of corporations offering similar travel benefits, including Disney, Lyft, Tesla, Netflix, Kroger, and JP Morgan Chase.
Washington is not the only region expecting to see more patients. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is indicating that his country will continue to allow Americans to get abortions in Canada.
Trudeau says that the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn a constitutional right to abortion could lead to the loss of other rights. He's echoed concerns that the ruling could someday allow a rollback of legal protections for gay relationships.
Get more updates in KUOW's Today So Far Blog!
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Seattle area Catholics react to overturning Roe v Wade
When the Supreme Court announced it was overturning Roe v Wade on June 24, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops commended the decision. Locally, the Washington State Catholic Conference praised the news.
But views were mixed at a Catholic Church in Seattle over the following weekend.
Hortencia Plascencia attended the Spanish language mass at Holy Family Catholic Church in White Center. She’s in favor of the Supreme Court decision and hopes abortion becomes illegal in all 50 states, except when the pregnant person’s life is in danger.
"Porque la vida de un ser humano, desde el momento de la concepción, ya tiene vida. Y ese es un asesinato."
("Because life begins at the moment of conception, so [abortion or intentionally ending a pregnancy] is murder.")
But not everyone here agrees it’s a good idea to make abortion illegal. Elizabeth Cervantes is also Catholic and generally against abortion — but she thinks people should have the right to choose.
"Que nos dieran el valor de voto como mujer, y la opción de decidir."
("That women are valued enough to be given the choice, the ability to choose.")
Cervantes says she’s lost two pregnancies — one in the third trimester — and the experience convinced her that it’s important to trust women to make decisions about their own health.
"Puede ser un aborto instantáneo, y uno no tiene control en eso, entonces lo estarían juzgando como un aborto también."
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U.S. Supreme Court backs Bremerton coach who prayed on football field
The United States Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Bremerton football coach who was fired for praying at the 50 yard line after each game.
Seven years after Assistant Football Coach Joe Kennedy made headlines by refusing to stop praying on the field, the Supreme Court has sided with him. In a 6-3 decision, which fell along Conservative/Liberal lines, the court said that, as an individual, Kennedy should have been allowed to pray on the football field.
According to the Court's opinion, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch:
"Joseph Kennedy lost his job as a high school football coach because he knelt at midfield after games to offer a quiet prayer of thanks. Mr. Kennedy prayed during a period when school employees were free to speak with a friend, call for a reservation at a restaurant, check email, or attend to other personal matters. He offered his prayers quietly while his students were otherwise occupied. Still, the Bremerton School District disciplined him anyway. It did so because it thought anything less could lead a reasonable observer to conclude (mistakenly) that it endorsed Mr. Kennedy’s religious beliefs. That reasoning was misguided.
...The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike."
The court also acknowledges that players and others began praying with the coach, even in locker rooms, and that Kennedy also incorporated religious messages in motivational speeches.
The Court concluded:
"Respect for religious expressions is indispensable to life in a free and diverse Republic—whether those expressions take place in a sanctuary or on a field, and whether they manifest through the spoken word or a bowed head. Here, a government entity sought to punish an individual for engaging in a brief, quiet, personal religious observance doubly protected by the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment. And the only meaningful justification the government offered for its reprisal rested on a mistaken view that it had a duty to ferret out and suppress."
In other words, the Court ruled that the district was mistaken; Coach Kennedy's prayers were private and players were not required to join him, and therefore there was no conflict for the district to fix through firing him.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor authored the dissenting opinion and argued that he Court has consistently ruled in the past that, "school officials leading prayer is constitutionally impermissible."
Sotomayor says that the majority justices misconstrued the facts, and ignored that Kennedy, as a public school employee, was often joined on the field by students.
Sotoymayor further states that the majority failed "to acknowledge the unique pressures faced by students when participating in school-sponsored activities. This decision does a disservice to schools and the young citizens they serve, as well as to our Nation’s longstanding commitment to the separation of church and state. I respectfully dissent."
Bremerton coach prays on the football field
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Appalled, but not surprised: Seattleites react to SCOTUS ruling on Roe
People in Seattle and across Washington state are reacting to today's Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortions nationwide. Although abortions remain legal in Washington, people who were out enjoying the summer sun had strong opinions about the historic decision.
Carol Dole, pictured above, said she was "appalled" by the Supreme Court ruling.
"I'm scared, for all the women who deserve to take care of their bodies in the way they want to," said Dole, who lives in Jackson Park.
She was walking the Meadowbrook Pond trail with her friend, Rebecca Dietz, of Wedgewood. Dietz predicted chaos as women requiring abortions are forced to cross state lines to get the medical help they need.
"I have always given money, I have been a volunteer at various organizations, NARAL, Planned Parenthood — that's not gonna stop," Dietz said. "I just feel like all of us, you need to bring it up in conversation with people who aren't comfortable about it. You need to continue to get out and vote. Your vote does matter. Your local officials do matter. Who runs your state Legislature does matter."
Cindy House lives in Kent, and teaches a fitness class for older adults at the Meadowbrook Community Center in Seattle.
After her class was dismissed, she shared her thoughts about some states outlawing abortion following the court’s decision.
“I really feel that each individual woman should have her own right to make a decision on her own body," House said. "When somebody doesn’t want something, they don’t give it the care it needs.”
She says babies suffer – and mothers don’t get the help they need either.
“Well, then you have the baby, and you have no support," she explained. "So it’s hard, it makes life hard for the baby, it makes life hard for the parents, too. Nobody wins when you can’t make your own choice.”
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Washington license plates are about to get a lot more expensive
Vroom vroom! Ka-ching! The price of a Washington state license plate is about to increase.
Starting July 1, car owners will have to pay $50, instead of $10, for a new plate. Replacement plates will cost you $30.
If you're registering your car from another state, the price is shooting up from $15 to $50.
Motorcycle license plate prices are also going up. They're $4 now. A replacement plate will be $12, and a new plate will be $20.
The prices increases are slated to help pay for the $17 billion Move Ahead Washington transportation package that was signed into law earlier this year.
Washington's Department of Licensing has more details.
More updates on KUOW's Today So Far Blog
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Kirkland is exchanging gift cards for guns
The Kirkland Police Department will hold a Guns for Gift Cards Exchange on Saturday, June 25.
The event will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Kirkland Justice Center. And if getting up early enough to run an errand at 9 a.m. on a Saturday doesn't sound too appealing (maybe I'm projecting here), another Guns for Gift Cards Exchange will be held on July 20 from 5-7 p.m.
Kirkland residents who want to relinquish an unloaded gun can do so anonymously. In exchange, they'll get a gift card worth between $25 and $250.
Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold says they want to get these weapons off the streets and out of homes so they're less likely to be used in suicides and accidental shootings.
“Kirkland experienced six gun-related suicides since 2020. Encouraging community members to voluntarily relinquish ownership of unwanted guns is one step we can take to help reduce the likelihood of accidental injuries and suicides by firearms,” Arnold said.
No registration is required, but proof of Kirkland residency is needed to get a gift card (utility bill, etc.). No personal information will be recorded.
KPD is asking people dropping off firearms to:
- Stay in their vehicle when they pull up to the Kirkland Justice Center.
- All guns must be unloaded when dropping off.
- Have guns in the trunk or back seat of your car (basically out of reach of anyone in the vehicle.
The Kirkland Justice Center is located at 11740 NE 118th Street.
More updates on KUOW's Today So Far Blog
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Washington AG forms task force to tackle organized retail theft
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson is creating a task force that will focus on organized retail crime.
Ferguson says that unlike typical shoplifting or theft that is driven by poverty, these organized thieves are stealing goods to make a profit. And he says it’s become a problem not only for retailers but for consumers too.
For example: Parents who need baby formula.
"These thieves become resellers and online marketplaces," Ferguson said. "And that means that parents who unwittingly buy stolen formula on the secondary market may be putting their babies at significant risk if the thieves, for example, fail to store the product at the appropriate temperatures, or if the thieves manipulate the packaging such as changing the expiration date."
The President of the Washington Retail Association notes that this kind of theft also means a loss of tax revenue for cities and counties throughout the state.
The task force will be made up of local, state, and federal agencies, along with small business and worker representatives. . It will meet quarterly over the next year.
More updates on KUOW's Today So Far Blog
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Cuts at Seattle City Hall are on the table as city aims to fill $117M budget gap
The city of Seattle is facing a projected $117 million revenue shortfall in 2023. Senior Deputy mayor Monisha Harrell says the funding gap will have consequences around town.
"The city will have to cut back on some programs, we do know that," Harrell said. "We are evaluating all of our programs at this point in time. We are evaluating programs to make sure that we're getting the return on investment that we are seeking."
Seattle's economic growth was stalling out before Covid struck in early 2020. The pandemic snarled efforts to address the funding gap in the meantime. While pandemic relief from the federal government helped, that money is now drying up.
What kind of cuts could Seattle be considering?
Deputy Mayor Harrell says staff cuts will be the last option on the table. The city is considering leaving some open positions vacant, however.
Mayor Bruce Harrell is required under state law to submit a balanced budget to the City Council by late September.
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'It's a sad day': Seattle pastor on the overturning of Roe v Wade
While reporting on breaking news that the Supreme Court officially overturned Roe v Wade Friday morning, KUOW Reporter Kate Walters reached out to local clergy for their response.
Pastor Derek Lane with Seattle's Maranatha Seventh-day Adventists Church sent the following comments, allowing KUOW to reprint them here.
At 8:57 this morning, shortly after the decision was announced, I received a voice recording of the decision from one of my church members.
I shared a two-worded response. "Sad day"
It's sad because there is an assumption that all people of faith stand in solidarity with this decision. While my own particular religious denomination recognizes the multi-layered aspects of the debate, it does lean towards a more conservative stance and emphasizes the sanctity of life.
But upon closer examination people of faith within my faith tradition as well as many others who represent a 'silent majority' have long recognized another valuable and equally important aspect of faith, and that is freedom. The Bible and all other sacred texts recognize the value of both life and freedom and do not see it as a zero-sum game.
As a faith-based leader and community activist I lean towards freedom because that is what I see my sacred text and values promote above all else.
It's a sad day because the same court that restricts freedom and promotes life by denying women the right to choose also expands that same freedom to make it easier to take a life by granting permission to carry a concealed gun outside of the home.
It's a sad day because abortion providers will now have to close their doors to the poor and BIPOC communities who already experience limited healthcare options because of economic injustice in our healthcare system.
It's a sad day because we have finally exposed the hypocrisy of a system and society that places more value on life before the womb than after. We expend energy, resources, and a half century to protect the unborn but deny them fair housing, free healthcare, and a living wage.
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From 'fight back' to 'life wins.' Washington leaders weigh in on overturning Roe v Wade: Today So Far
- Local leaders respond to overturning of Roe v Wade.
- Will Washington pause its gas tax?
- SPD is not welcome at Seattle Pride Parade.
- Social housing is one step closer to Seattle's ballot.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 24, 2022.
The Supreme Court knocked down Roe v Wade this morning (officially, since we already knew it was coming). It didn't take long for Washington's leaders and other prominent voices to weigh in, from, "We are going to stand up and fight back" to, "Today, life wins."
The "fight back" crowd includes Gov. Jay Inslee who announced today that Washington is joining forces with Oregon and California to "fight like hell" to protect abortion rights. In a statement with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the three governors said that the West Coast will not only uphold abortion rights, the three states will fend off attempts from outside parties to ban abortions. They will also work to counter efforts to intimidate or investigate people who travel to the states for medical services.
The "Today, life wins" crowd includes Congressmember Dan Newhouse (who made that statement) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers who further stated, "This is one of the most momentous days in American history for the dignity and sanctity of every human life." Just about every politician used the news to hype fundraisers or score political points. Though, McMorris Rodgers took it to a dystopian sci-fi level by claiming Democrats have a radical agenda on par with China and North Korea. Read more on that here.
And for what it's worth, Pearl Jam said that, "No one, not the government, not politicians, not the Supreme Court should stand in the way of access to abortion, birth control, or contraceptives. People should have the freedom to choose. Today's decision impacts everyone and it will particularly affect poor women who can’t afford to travel to access health care."
RELATED: Retired nurse remembers how 'everything changed' after Roe v. Wade
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'West Coast states will fight like hell' to protect abortion rights in wake of Roe v Wade overturning
As news broke Friday morning that the Supreme Court officially overturned Roe v Wade, Washington's leaders quickly weighed in.
Among those statements was an announcement from Governor Jay Inslee that Washington is joining with Oregon and California to "fight like hell" in a multistate partnership that will protect abortion rights. The states will fend off attempts to spread abortion bans, and counter efforts to intimidate or investigate people who travel to the states for medical services.
Via Twitter, Gov. Inslee noted that Washington state's laws remain unchanged — abortion is still legal and protected in the state.
"...but the threat to patient access and privacy has never been more dangerous. Even in Washington state, Republicans have introduced about 40 bills in the past six years to roll back abortion rights and access to reproductive care."
"The right of choice should not depend on which party holds the majority, but that’s where we find ourselves," Inslee said. "More than half the nation’s population now lacks safe access to a medical procedure that only a patient and their doctor can and should make for themselves."
RELATED: Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
Inslee added that Washington is joining a multistate "Commitment to Reproductive Freedom," along with Oregon and California.
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