Seattle councilmember warns state ALPR bill could 'decimate' city program

Councilmember Kettle told colleagues at the Jan. 26 City Council briefing that Senate Bill 6002, as introduced, contains provisions that could undermine Seattle's automated license-plate reader (ALPR) program and that the city is actively engaging with the bill sponsor to secure language fixes.

"As written it's very problematic," Kettle said, arguing the bill does not reflect features of Seattle's ALPR practice and could "essentially decimate our program" if left unchanged. OIR staff responded that the bill includes several provisions that could conflict with the city's current policy and offered to provide details and follow up outside the briefing.

Councilmembers asked for the updated bill number and for OIR to produce a concise tracker that ties the council's legislative agenda and prior resolutions to current bill numbers and committee statuses. Kettle said the city has already engaged the sponsor's office and emphasized the need to preserve functionality unique to Seattle's program while addressing state-level concerns about privacy and oversight.

The council did not take a formal vote on any ALPR-related action during the briefing; OIR will return with proposed language changes and a tracking document for members who want to advocate or testify as the bill moves through committees.