{"id":2342953,"date":"2024-09-18T15:35:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T19:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/seattle-passes-controversial-soap-and-soda-bills-targeting-prostitution-and-drugs-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-18T15:38:21","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T19:38:21","slug":"seattle-passes-controversial-soap-and-soda-bills-targeting-prostitution-and-drugs-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/seattle-passes-controversial-soap-and-soda-bills-targeting-prostitution-and-drugs-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Seattle passes controversial SOAP and SODA bills targeting prostitution and drugs &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fseattle-passes-controversial-soap-and-soda-bills-targeting-prostitution-and-drugs-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2342953&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Seattle City Council recently \u200dpassed \u2063controversial \u2063legislation aimed at combating prostitution and drug use through the establishment of buffer zones known as the\u2064 SOAP (Stay\u200c Out of Areas of Prostitution) and SODA \u2063(Stay Out of Drug \u200cAreas) bills. After extensive debate, \u200bthe council \u2062approved the\u200b measures with \u200ca vote of 8 to 1.\u2063 Advocates for the bills \u2064argue that these zones will help disrupt the increase in street crime and illegal markets, which are seen as contributing factors to community violence. <\/p>\n<p>However, critics, including Councilwoman Tammy Morales, claim the legislation is a superficial\u2062 solution that \u200cfails to\u2063 address the root \u200dcauses\u200c of the issues, such\u200b as human trafficking, addiction, and poverty. Many expressed concerns about the stigmatization of\u2064 sex\u200d workers and the negative impact on \u2062lower-income neighborhoods, arguing that funds could be better allocated toward \u2063support programs rather than law \u200denforcement.<\/p>\n<p>The SODA bill\u2064 would\u200d allow\u200d judges to \u200bissue orders barring \u2063individuals from specific areas following a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-democrat-mayor-after-drug-raid-on-home-husbands-arrest-attacks-are-political-i-wont-resign\/\" title=\"WATCH: Democrat Mayor After Drug Raid On Home, Husband\u2019s Arrest: Attacks Are Political, I Won\u2019t Resign\">drug-related arrest<\/a>, while the\u200b SOAP bill enhances penalties for prostitution-related offenses, focusing on targeting buyers rather than sellers. Proponents of the\u2062 SOAP \u2064bill argue it represents \u200ca new approach to \u200dcombatting the exploitation within communities, aiming \u200cto pursue\u200c those responsible for perpetuating the cycle of harm. The discussions around these bills attracted significant public interest, with\u200d many stakeholders, \u200bincluding sex workers and community members, voicing their opinions at the council meeting.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Seattle passes controversial SOAP and SODA bills targeting prostitution and drugs<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1413382\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/seattle.gov\/council\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Seattle City Council\">Seattle City Council<\/a> passed buffer zones on Tuesday to crack down on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/drugs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"illegal drugs\">illegal drugs<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/crime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"prostitution\">prostitution<\/a> after hours of heated debate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The controversial legislation &mdash; referred to as SOAP, or Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution, and SODA, or Stay Out of Drug Areas, zones &mdash; came after people on both sides of the matter flooded city hall to have their concerns heard.<\/p>\n<p>The bills, both passed 8 to 1, reflect a more aggressive pivot toward law enforcement than in years past.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Seattle is a largely liberal city that has struggled in recent years to curb crime, prostitution, and open-air drug use.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of SOAP and SODA said the anti-crime zones would disrupt growing street crime and illegal markets that can lead to violence. Critics said the bills would do more harm than good by further stigmatizing sex workers and people living in lower-income neighborhoods without addressing the underlying problems. They also took umbrage with money being spent on law enforcement rather than programs to help victims of&nbsp;human trafficking, addiction, and poverty.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Lots of tension building into tonight&rsquo;s hotly contested vote. People lined up hours ahead to speak during public comment. Police are here on standby.<\/p>\n<p>Will <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Seattle?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Seattle<\/a> City Council vote yes and create prostitution and drug buffer zones? Stay tuned. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/fox13seattle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@fox13seattle<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3GwCR3XHAs\">pic.twitter.com\/3GwCR3XHAs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Lauren Donovan (@LaurenDonovanTV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LaurenDonovanTV\/status\/1836150160948445331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 17, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Councilwoman Tammy Morales, the lone lawmaker who cast the dissenting vote, said the bills were, at best, a temporary solution.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Truly meaningful solutions to the problems we seek to address will not be found,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;&ldquo;These performative regulations are Band-Aids.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>She added that the bills &ldquo;may scratch an itch to make council members feel like they are doing something to address public safety, but to claim these laws will address any of these problems is dangerous, and it is the epitome of performative.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Nearly 100 people signed up to speak at Tuesday&rsquo;s meeting, including a lengthy list of the city&rsquo;s sex workers.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This policy will make many of us more dependent on pimps to find clients,&rdquo; one woman said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But Bob Kettle, the councilman who sponsored the SODA bill, said his motivation was about &ldquo;creating safe neighborhoods.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our neighborhoods have been hurting for too long,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We need to start with those in need, but this bill will help us build back community for neighbors, residents, small business owners, and employees who have been suffering from the crime that accompanies the illicit drug activity.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Councilwoman Tanya Woo, who held a press conference with Kettle and other SODA advocates on Tuesday morning, called the intersection of Third Avenue and Pike Street in downtown Seattle &ldquo;ground zero&rdquo; for public disorder and said the city must &ldquo;reclaim neighborhoods.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SODA zones target drug use<\/h2>\n<p>The SODA bill states a person can be ordered to stay out of a &ldquo;zone&rdquo; after being arrested in that area for a drug crime or for a non-drug crime that led to illegal drug activity. A judge can issue an order for drug possession and public drug use, as well as for crimes such as assault, theft, harassment, and trespassing. A person with a SODA order can be charged with a gross misdemeanor if he or she is found in the area where the person is supposedly banned.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It gets a little more complicated if a person relies on public transit and if that transit takes the person through the exclusion zones. He or she is allowed to go through the zone on a bus or train but is not allowed to deboard. People with SODA orders can ask the judge for special permission to see relatives who live in exclusion zones or to attend appointments.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SOAP to clean up streets and target prostitution<\/h2>\n<p>The SOAP bill revises a prostitution loitering law that was largely used against women and underage girls selling sex versus going after the buyers. The reworked version brings back prostitution as a misdemeanor but encourages law enforcement to target people willing to buy rather than sell sex. It also creates a new misdemeanor charge called &ldquo;promoting prostitution loitering&rdquo; that goes after people caught driving someone repeatedly to a known prostitution area.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Supporters said it would help law enforcement go after pimps without relying on testimony from people working under them who are too afraid to speak out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This bill is the first time the city has been on record to go after the people who are perpetuating the trauma and harm in our communities: the buyers and the pimps,&rdquo; said Councilwoman Cathy Moore, who sponsored the legislation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Moore said Seattle needs stronger police enforcement and that it is &ldquo;common knowledge who&rsquo;s engaging in this activity, who the pimps are. They are driving women and others to Aurora. They are sitting in the car, surveilling, and monitoring this behavior.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/france-to-cut-down-on-mandatory-face-masks-in-some-schools\/\" title=\"France To Cut Down On Mandatory Face Masks In Some Schools\">people pushed back<\/a> on Moore&rsquo;s comments, questioning whether police officers would be able to enforce the law properly and saying they didn&rsquo;t trust the officers to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-governor-encourages-people-to-call-police-on-neighbors-violating-covid-orders\/\" title=\"Oregon Governor Encourages People To Call Police On Neighbors Violating COVID Orders\">make informed decisions<\/a>. They added that leaving it up to law enforcement to define what they viewed as &ldquo;suspicious behavior&rdquo; would open the door to people of color and those living in marginalized communities to be unfairly and disproportionately profiled.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But to Councilman Rob Saka, getting drugs and prostitutes off the streets is a necessity.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\" \"> <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Criminal behavior is no longer tolerable on our streets,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This legislation sends a strong message to the public that this council has heard their demands for stronger safety measures. It is illustrative of our council&rsquo;s commitment to working closely with constituents and crafting public policy that is supported by data.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The SODA and SOAP bills are now headed to Democratic Mayor Bruce Harrell for his signature.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1413382\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1413382\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seattle City Council has approved contentious SOAP and SODA bills aimed at addressing prostitution and drug-related issues. The council established buffer zones on Tuesday following extensive discussions, with the legislation passing by a vote of 8 to 1. This move marks a shift towards more stringent law enforcement in a city that has faced challenges with crime, prostitution, and open drug use in recent years. Proponents argue that these anti-crime zones will help reduce street crime and illegal markets that can lead to violence. However, opponents contend that the bills could exacerbate stigma against sex workers and low-income communities without tackling root causes like human trafficking, addiction, and poverty.<\/p>\n<p>Councilwoman Tammy Morales was the only member to oppose the bills, describing them as temporary fixes rather than genuine solutions to public safety concerns. She criticized them as performative measures that do not effectively address underlying issues.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting drew nearly 100 speakers, including many sex workers who expressed concerns about increased dependency on pimps due to these policies. In contrast, Councilman Bob Kettle defended the SODA bill by emphasizing its goal of creating safer neighborhoods for residents affected by illicit drug activity.<\/p>\n<p>The SODA bill allows judges to issue orders barring individuals from certain areas after they are arrested for drug-related offenses or crimes linked to drugs. Violating this order could result in misdemeanor charges.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the SOAP bill revises existing laws around prostitution loitering primarily targeting buyers instead of sellers while introducing new penalties for those facilitating prostitution activities.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters believe this approach will enable law enforcement to better target pimps without relying solely on testimonies from vulnerable individuals involved in sex work. Critics raised concerns about potential biases in policing practices under these new regulations.<\/p>\n<p>Both SOAP and SODA bills are now awaiting approval from Democratic Mayor Bruce Harrell before becoming law<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2342954,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/rainbow-fentanyl-m30-1024x452.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7137,18470,7035,17231,13196],"class_list":["post-2342953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-drugs","tag-prostitution","tag-seattle","tag-soap","tag-soda"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/rainbow-fentanyl-m30-1024x452.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2342953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2342953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2342953\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2342954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2342953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2342953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2342953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}