Espresso Tax Issue Settled; Pot Vote Hailed

With 97% of the vote counted, 68% of Seattle voters said no to the proposed tax on every cup of espresso or espresso-based coffee sold in the hometown of Starbucks Corp. In a vote on another issue, Seattle voters also approved a law that tells police to give enforcement of drug laws against marijuana possession the lowest priority so that they can spend more time protecting homes, streets and neighborhoods.

In a vote hailed by marijuana advocates as the most progressive in the United States, more than 58% of voters endorsed a bill that explicitly requires authorities to “make cases involving marijuana offenses, in which the marijuana was intended for adult personal use, the city’s lowest law enforcement priority.”