Seattle becomes the first jurisdiction in the U.S. to prohibit caste discrimination with legislation that goes into effect today.

Why it matters: While the ordinance directly impacts discrimination in housing, employment and public places in Seattle only, other jurisdictions with large South Asian workforces may follow suit, according to a legal analysis of the new law.

Background: With roots in Hinduism, the caste system — which assigns a person their lifelong social status at birth — is believed to be the world's longest-surviving social hierarchy, according to Human Rights Watch. Although it was officially banned in India, its influence persists.

• With a growing South Asian population in the Seattle region, the new legislation allows those subject to such discrimination legal recourse, according to the bill's summary.

Zoom out: A similar measure introduced in the California Legislature last week could lead to the first statewide ban on such discrimination.

Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, who sponsored Seattle's bill adding caste to the city's anti-discrimination laws, said in a news release that caste discrimination has become an increasingly grave contributor to workplace discrimination and bias.

• She cited data from Equality Labs that shows one in four caste-oppressed people faced physical and verbal assault, one in three faced education discrimination, and two in three faced workplace discrimination.

The other side: Opposition to the ordinance came from groups such as the Hindu American Foundation which said caste discrimination is already prohibited under U.S. law, and that the new legislation suggests "a prevalent form of prejudice and malice" amongst people of Indian and South Asian descent.

Of note: The Seattle legislation cites 2020 U.S. Census data showing 167,000 people from the South Asian diaspora living in Washington, mostly in the Seattle area, and that it is the fastest-growing ethnic group in the city.

What they're saying: The new law is "a beacon to cities and states around the country and for working people elsewhere to build movements to also ban this horrific form of oppression," Sawant said in February.

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Washington's highest court upheld the state's capital gains tax in a much-anticipated ruling Friday.

Yes, but: The decision didn't give progressives something some have long sought: carte blanche to enact a graduated income tax targeting the wealthy.

Why it matters: The 7% capital gains tax, which Washington's Legislature approved in 2021, is projected to raise about $500 million per year for public education and child care programs.

The tax applies to profits from selling capital assets, such as stocks and bonds, if those profits exceed $250,000 per person (or per married couple) in a year.

Flashback: Democrats — who control both chambers of Washington's Legislature — argued the capital gains tax was necessary to help balance the state's tax code, which relies heavily on sales taxes and doesn't tax personal income.

• Democrats have long criticized that system as highly regressive, meaning it leads to lower-income people paying a higher share of their income in taxes than wealthier people.
• Republicans, meanwhile, argued the capital gains tax is an income tax that violates the state constitution.

What's happening: In its 7-2 decision, the court agreed with the state's assertion that the capital gains tax is instead an excise tax that isn't subject to the same constitutional restrictions.

• At the same time, the court declined to reconsider a 1933 legal precedent that considers income to be property, which the state constitution says must be taxed uniformly and limited to a 1% rate.
• That means state lawmakers will likely still be restricted from enacting graduated income taxes, in which a person's tax rate is based on their income.

What they're saying

What's an observant Jew in Seattle to do when the region's only kosher pizza shop stops keeping kosher?

Joke a little and grieve a lot, Shmuel Tennenhaus, a member of the Orthodox Jewish community and host of a Jewish comedy podcast, told Axios.

• "For the Jewish community, the closing of the only kosher pizza shop is equivalent to the feeling the Seattle community at large would experience if Microsoft/Amazon/Starbucks PLUS the 520 & 405 highways all shut down for good on the same day," he said.

Driving the news: Island Crust Cafe on Mercer Island announced on Facebook this month that they would no longer be preparing their food under rabbinic supervision.

Why it matters: In a region with already extremely limited dining out options for people who keep kosher, the loss of Island Crust — and the pandemic closure of Bamboo Garden Vegetarian Cuisine — has made for very slim pickings indeed.

State of play: According to Va'ad HaRabanim of Greater Seattle, the area now has only three kosher-certified caterers and four restaurants, one of which is the Krispy Kreme on First Avenue.

See the kosher spots

⚡️ Seattle has chosen 31 new sites for curbside electric vehicle charging stations. Construction may begin as early as April, with many of the stations expected to be completed by the end of May. (Seattle Times)

🏈 Bobby Wagner, one of the greatest defensive players in Seattle Seahawks history, is poised to be reunited with the team following a one-year, $7 million deal. (ESPN)

A string of blazes in vacant buildings in recent weeks has the Seattle Fire Department asking owners to check that their buildings are secure. (KOMO News)

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