By Alia Sinclair

SeaTac City Councilmember James Lovell made a motion to suspend the rules to discuss two motions not on the agenda at Tuesday night’s (Jan. 28, 2025) meeting concerning the rapid federal executive orders coming from the White House.

The first motion was to direct the City Manager to make two statements on or before Feb. 3, 2025 on behalf of the City of SeaTac affirming the city’s commitment to uphold the rights of all individuals, particularly transgender and LGBTQI individuals affording equal protections, cultivating public spaces, and working to defend SeaTac residents from hatred and oppression in all of its forms.

Councilmember Lovell was specific about preferring two different statements so as not to conflate transgender issues with those of the LGBTQI community, stating:

“I would prefer two statements just because I think people conflate issues around transgender identity and LGBTQI identity which can overlap just like any two identities, but the directive is to issue statements, and specifically for those two communities.”

The motion passed unanimously.

The second motion Councilmember Lovell proposed was for the council to direct the City Manger to work with City Staff to return on Feb. 11 with a protocol to streamline the release of values-based public communications from the city regarding future executive orders.

Councilmember Lovell stated the purpose of the motion:

“I am moving that we don’t take ten days, eleven days, twelve days next time. We don’t have to bring things right here before council. We work together to decide on a list of things if we think an executive order or federal guidance says something we think harms one of our values […] that the City Manager will work with his team to craft a statement in response.”

Councilmember Peter Kwon raised some concerns about how to determine which executive orders warranted a response and who would make that determination. Furthermore, Councilmember Kwon made the point that — while it’s important to take a stand — doing so may jeopardize important federal funding the city relies on, to which Councilmember Lovell responded that being the first to say something bold is where change starts, citing the $15 per hour minimum wage that began in SeaTac.

Urging the meeting forward, Mayor Mohamed Egal put the motion to a vote, where it passed unanimously.

Councilmember Simpson summarized, “It’s important to develop a framework for how to deal with these rapid changes, so I’m fully in support.”