In the News

InvestigateWest: New WA Legislation Prioritizes Human Trafficking Prosecutions And Support For Child Victims

InvestigateWest: New WA Legislation Prioritizes Human Trafficking Prosecutions And Support For Child Victims

Washington state lawmakers have passed a bill that takes steps to prosecute more human trafficking cases and fix the state’s “Safe Harbor” law meant to protect child sex trafficking victims. In early March, Washington legislators unanimously passed Senate Bill 6006, which aims to increase prosecutions of human trafficking cases by expanding some ...

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Big Country News: $500K will fund genetic genealogy testing for all unidentified remains in Washington

Big Country News: $500K will fund genetic genealogy testing for all unidentified remains in Washington

In 2023, at the recommendation of the task force and request of Attorney General Ferguson, the Legislature established a Cold Case Investigations Unit to focus on solving cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and people. Rep. Lekanoff and Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, another task force member, championed the legislation. ...

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WA State Standard: Child sex trafficking survivor says update of WA laws will help prevent stories like hers

WA State Standard: Child sex trafficking survivor says update of WA laws will help prevent stories like hers

When Yvonne Hubbell was 16, she stabbed an 81-year-old man soliciting her for sex in self-defense. “He was trying to throw me around and punch me,” Hubbell said of the incident, which took place in 1997 in Kitsap County. “I remember him saying he was a Golden Glove boxer. I was ...

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Crosscut: WA legislators are pushing new gun bills. Here’s what could pass

Crosscut: WA legislators are pushing new gun bills. Here’s what could pass

Senate Bill 6246, sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, would require a court to prohibit a person judged incompetent to stand trial from having the right to own a firearm, if that person is not committed to a facility for treatment. Democrats, with some GOP help, passed this in the ...

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AP: Washington Lawmakers Advance Bill Making It A Felony To Threaten Election Workers

AP: Washington Lawmakers Advance Bill Making It A Felony To Threaten Election Workers

The Washington state Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to make harassing election workers a felony, three months after four county election offices received envelopes containing suspicious powder — including three testing positive for fentanyl — and had to be evacuated. “This cannot be something we take as normal,” Democratic Sen. Manka Dhingra ...

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WA State Standard: Ban on child marriages in Washington could soon be law

WA State Standard: Ban on child marriages in Washington could soon be law

Child marriage is still legal in Washington. That may soon change: The Washington Senate on Friday passed a bill on a 48-1 vote setting a minimum marriage age of 18. Before 2018, child marriage was legal in all 50 states. It’s now legal in 40, according to Unchained at Last, a ...

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KIRO 7: How a new state bill could help save students’ lives

KIRO 7: How a new state bill could help save students’ lives

Legislation aimed at helping students in emergency situations unanimously passed the Washington State Senate. According to a news release from Washington State Democrats, SB 5790 would provide schools with bleeding control kits. It would also help bystanders be prepared until professionals arrive. “Bystanders can help save lives with simple techniques — having ...

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Everett Post: Dems, Republicans take different approaches to recruiting police officers to WA

Everett Post: Dems, Republicans take different approaches to recruiting police officers to WA

Democrats suggest their approach is better designed to address the officer shortages and difficulty recruiting. Senate Majority Leader Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, during a meeting with reporters this week,said, “The approach that Democrats are taking with the regional training centers has been completely ground changing.” “We used to have a backlog of individuals ...

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The Imprint: Washington Law Gives CPS Broader Authority to Investigate Alleged Abuse in Residential Schools and Treatment Centers

The Imprint: Washington Law Gives CPS Broader Authority to Investigate Alleged Abuse in Residential Schools and Treatment Centers

Beginning this month, Washington officials have new authority to root out abuse and neglect of children housed in private boarding schools, residential treatment centers and the state’s school for the deaf. Senate Bill 5515 tasks the Department of Children, Youth and Families with investigating allegations and approving licenses for facilities that had ...

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KUOW: Should Washington stay in standard time? These lawmakers say 'yes'

KUOW: Should Washington stay in standard time? These lawmakers say 'yes'

As lawmakers return to Olympia for the 2024 session, the Washington state Legislature is taking another run at eliminating the twice-yearly ritual of changing clocks. “I’m working with colleagues in Oregon and California and they’re going to be trying to get similar legislation through their states so that the Pacific time ...

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