Today the City Council approved a supplement to our 2013
budget that includes two innovative measures I proposed to increase gun
safety and reduce violence in Seattle:
(1) A one-time investment of $153,000 to University
of Washington’s Harborview Medical Center for dynamic, new research that will
lead to gun safety measures. According to NBC news, the City of
Seattle will be the first city in the nation to provide direct funding for
basic research into the causes and effects of gun violence.
(2) A one-time investment of $217,000 to
Seattle-King County Public Health to implement an Enhanced Mental Health
Emergency Management and Response system.
Gun violence is a public health crisis and this funding
package enables Seattle to take positive action now. By jump-starting research
blocked for so long by the NRA and by building the same emergency response
system used by the Red Cross, we will increase public safety in Seattle.