Amid months of protests, Seattle mayor to sign budget that cuts police funding by nearly 20%
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In a year when the progressive campaign to Defund the Police has gained momentum, some cities have made actual moves to push the concept into reality. As Daily Kos covered, for example, the Minneapolis City Council announced a plan to dismantle the city’s pAmid months of protests, Seattle mayor to sign budget that cuts police funding by nearly 20%
In a year when the progressive campaign to Defund the Police has gained momentum, some cities have made actual moves to push the concept into reality. As Daily Kos covered, for example, the Minneapolis City Council announced a plan to dismantle the city’s police department and replace it with a community-led response. More recently, the Seattle City Council approved a new city budget that slices police department funding by about 18%, as reported by CNN. The agency was allotted $409 million for 2020, and for 2021, that number drops to about $340 million. According to a press release from her office, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan intends to sign the budget into law next week. The city budget passed with an 8-1 virtual vote. Notably, the opponent, Councilmember Kshama Sawant, was in support of a larger cut. How much larger? The 50% that many advocates and activists in the city called for amid the summer protests. Let’s break down the specifics below. Read more