The Morning News: Seattle Renters Will Have a Voice at City Hall, Another Black Man Fatally Shot by Police in California

Coming soon to City Hall: Seattle's first renters' commission! COURTESY OF CLAY SHOWALTER

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Seattle Now Has a Renters' Commission: The 15-member group, which will seek out members of marginalized communities to sit on its board and give them a "direct line to City Hall," is believed to be the first of its kind in the country, The Seattle Times reports. The commission will help ensure that renters laws, including regulations to cap move-in fees, and a first-come, first-served application process, are enforced. "Among the hot topics its members are likely to wade into are the pace of apartment construction, laws to protect tenants from being evicted, Airbnb and other rental services, and rent control — which is illegal statewide," the paper reported. "They’ll also be involved in making sure that existing laws to protect tenants are actually enforced. That includes a new regulation to cap move-in fees, and a first-come, first-served application process for tenants over which landlords are suing." Unsurprisingly, groups of landlords weren't in favor of the commission.

Some Stats on Renters: According to data gathered by the new renters' commission, more than 52 percent of Seattleites live in rental housing. These renters make less than 50 percent of what homeowners make.

Trump's "Very Problematic" Budget: It's "not great for Seattle," City leaders told KING 5. Sierra Howlett Browne, of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, said that the cuts could impact the Seattle Department of Transportation's planned Center City Connector and Madison Bus Rapid Transit line. But the cuts could be devastating for the City's Housing and Urban Development Office. "In a letter released late last week, Andrew Lofton, executive director of the Seattle Housing Authority, says the president's 2018 budget proposal, which includes a 13 percent cut, would trickle down to Seattle and mean a 'devastating' loss of $24 million," the news station reported. "[Howlett Browne] also said housing vouchers, homeless assistance grants, and similar programs could also be cut."

Body Found After Fire Breaks Out in Wedgwood Condo: Firefighters arrived at the scene around 2:25 a.m. and extinguished the flames before they could spread. An elderly woman was found unconscious in the building and later died at the site, but it is unclear if her death was caused by the fire, KOMO reports.

Huskies Women's Basketball Team Kicks Ass, Takes Names: They beat Oklahoma 108-82. Kelsey Plum, a senior, scored 38 points, making her the "single-season women’s college scorer," the Times reports. (I may not understand sports as well as many of you, but even I know that's impressive!) "For the second straight year, the Huskies return to the Sweet 16, where they’ll play No. 2 Mississippi State (31-4) at 4:11 p.m. PT Friday at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City," they report.

A Now-Famous Self-Defense Class: It's the same one runner Kelly Herron took, which helped her defend herself when she was attacked in Golden Gardens. More details here.

Please help this family put their loved one to rest. #Justice4DesmondPhillips#blacklivesmattersacramento https://t.co/UluDgFfkvZ

— BlackLivesMatter Sac (@BLMSacramento) March 19, 2017



Chico, California Police Fatally Shoot 25-Year-Old Desmond Phillips: David Phillips, Desmond's father, called 911 when his son, who is Black, had a mental health "episode" on March 17, Yessenia Funes reports for Colorlines. During a press conference, Chico Police Department Chief Mike O’Brien explained that David "asked for the fire and medical units, but they requested back up after Desmond appeared 'hostile'" and police officers arrived on the scene, she wrote. O'Brien said that the officers saw Desmond pacing the apartment while wielding two knives and attempts to calm him down were unsuccessful. When the officers later gained entry to the apartment, they tazed Desmond, who was near the door "in very close proximity to the officers" who then allegedly began to "slash" at them. David claimed that officers fired seven shots at Desmond, while another witness claimed to hear 10 shots. Desmond died later at a nearby hospital. Funes reports that the officers were not wearing body cameras.

The Officers Are on Paid Administrative Leave: On March 20, CPD Chief O'Brien identified the officers as Alex Fliehr and Jeremy Gagnebin, the Chico Enterprise-Record reports.

Fifty-Nine: That's the number of Black men and women who have been fatally shot by police in 2017, according to this database created by The Washington Post.