Government

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes has been a longtime supporter of legalizing marijuana. But when he was elected in 2009, he said he never would have imagined that his goal would be achieved so quickly. This week Initiative 502 takes effect, or at least the part of it that allows people to possess small amounts of marijuana for recreational use.

King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg is pushing for tougher penalties for kids that commit crimes with guns in Washington state.  Under current rules a judge can call for detention for up to 30 days for the first gun offense.  Under the proposed change, juvenile offenders would get a mandatory 10 days in detention after the first offense.

Officials with the Washington state Patrol say about 8 percent of the drivers they pull over turn out to be impaired by drugs. A lab test verifying marijuana in the blood is a factor in showing driver impairment, they say, but there’s never been a legal limit the way there is for alcohol. That changes with the new law allowing marijuana possession, which takes effect Thursday, Dec. 6. It contains a new limit on marijuana components in a driver’s bloodstream.

Do you have complaints about the RapidRide bus service? Or are you loving the WiFi? Ross Reynolds talks to listeners about the state of their mass transit commute. How’s your bus, train, ferry commute going these days?

Marriage certificates in Washington state will look a little different next month. Terms like bride and groom will be out. The Department of Health wants to use something more gender-neutral, now that same–sex marriage is legal. The agency is taking suggestions at a public hearing on Wednesday.

There’s a new sheriff in town, at least in King County: John Urquhart will officially take over as King County Sheriff today.

Urquhart was the long-time spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, and he was well known for his colorful press releases, with titles like: “Two Men Arrested After Dragging Cow With Car.”

After months of speculation, Seattle City Councilmember Tim Burgess officially launched his campaign Tuesday to unseat Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.

“I think our city faces significant challenges that call for new leadership -- leadership that can bring people together and get things done,” he told KUOW.