Category Archives: In the News

02 Mar
0

PubliCola: New Drug Possession Bill Emphasizes Coercive Treatment

Democrats in the legislature are making procedural moves that will decide what the state’s new drug possession law will look like—an exercise that became necessary after the state supreme court’s 2021 ruling Blake v. State of Washington invalidated existing law.

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28 Feb
0

Suburban Times: Quan Huynh ’25 Discusses her Internship at the Washington State Senate

Pacific Lutheran University Pre-Law Club President Quan Huynh ’25 unexpectedly stepped into the world of state government, with a bold new perspective. A self-described political newcomer, Huynh proudly represents PLU in Olympia as an intern at the Washington State Senate. ...

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22 Feb
0

Columbia Herald: Domestic violence bills look to improve victim safety

Victims of domestic violence will get more protection under a package of bills now moving through the state Legislature. Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, is sponsoring House Bill 1715. The bill challenges the idea that domestic violence victims need to go ...

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16 Feb
0

Crosscut: Push to decriminalize fades as WA Senate considers new drug law

As Washington lawmakers try to reshape how the state deals with substance-use disorder, a Senate bill is advancing that would make most drug possession a gross misdemeanor instead of a felony, while also encouraging substance-use treatment. Lawmakers earlier this month ...

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15 Feb
0

NewsBreak: Washington State Lawmakers Hold Bipartisan Press Conference to Address Domestic Violence Legislation

OLYMPIA, WA – Twenty percent of all murders in Washington State are the result of domestic violence. A quarter of rapes and more than half of simple assaults are as well. Washington State legislators held a press conference today at ...

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14 Feb
0

Spokesman-Review: Washington lawmakers highlight bills to address domestic violence, missing and murdered Indigenous people

Police could call judges at a domestic violence crime scene to issue no-contact orders, and a cold case unit would be formed to examine cold cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women under several bills under consideration by Washington legislators. ...

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14 Feb
0

GeekWire: Seattle-area police use adhesive GPS trackers to catch fleeing suspects, prevent high-speed chases

The Redmond Police Department implemented new GPS technology last month that has helped result in three arrests. The technology, called StarChase, uses a high-powered air compressor mounted on a police car to fire a GPS tracker at the fleeing vehicle. ...

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14 Feb
0

KXLY: Lawmakers, advocates call for adequate funding, stronger protections for domestic violence survivors

SPOKANE, Wash. — Lawmakers and advocates say Washington is not doing enough when it comes to protecting domestic violence and funding life-saving services. In a press conference Tuesday, they urged for more state legislation to help stop the violence. There ...

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09 Feb
0

Spokesman-Review: Washington Senate panel approves bill to make drug possession gross misdemeanor

OLYMPIA – The Legislature is moving forward with a proposal to fix the state’s drug possession laws after a Senate panel on Thursday approved a bill with a larger focus on treating addiction . The bill has 15 co-sponsors, including Senate ...

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06 Feb
0

King 5: Big companies must share efforts to stop human trafficking under bill

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Large businesses operating in Washington state would be required to disclose efforts to eradicate human trafficking within their supply chains under a proposed Senate bill. SB 5541 would require every seller and manufacturer with more than $75 million ...

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