In the News

Seattle Times: With the Washington Legislature halfway through its session, here’s where policing bills stand

Seattle Times: With the Washington Legislature halfway through its session, here’s where policing bills stand

OLYMPIA — When state House lawmakers earlier this month passed a bill that creates a clear standard for when police officers can use physical force, DeVitta Briscoe said it felt like a victory moment in a football game. “Like how you see in a touchdown, I screamed in my living room,” ...

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King 5: Washington state justices strike down drug possession law

King 5: Washington state justices strike down drug possession law

The Washington Supreme Court has struck down the state's felony drug possession law because it doesn't require prosecutors to prove that someone knowingly or intentionally possessed drugs.

Democratic Sen. Manka Dhingra said state lawmakers can clarify, or rewrite the law, but she said the deadline ...

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AP: Senate OKs bill making police intervene to stop undue force

AP: Senate OKs bill making police intervene to stop undue force

SEATTLE (AP) — The Washington state Senate on Tuesday approved a measure requiring police to intervene if they see a fellow officer using excessive force — one of several measures in the Legislature prompted by the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd and ensuing Black Lives Matter protests ...

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Seattle Times: Police officers who witness excessive force must intervene, Washington state Senate votes

Seattle Times: Police officers who witness excessive force must intervene, Washington state Senate votes

A bill to curb excessive force by law-enforcement officers got the approval of the Washington state Senate on Tuesday, becoming the first piece of police accountability legislation to pass out of a chamber this year. “You have to make sure that these good, honorable, ethical law-enforcement officers have the tools they ...

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Columbia Basin Herald: Pregnancy services bill passes Senate

Columbia Basin Herald: Pregnancy services bill passes Senate

A bill that would ensure women can receive services for pregnancy complications passed in the Senate in a 29-20 vote during a virtual floor debate Wednesday. Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, shared a story during the debate about a woman who was turned away by a Bellingham Catholic hospital three times in ...

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Bellevue Reporter: Inslee names Karen A. Johnson director of new state Office of Equity

Bellevue Reporter: Inslee names Karen A. Johnson director of new state Office of Equity

Karen A. Johnson will be the director of the newly created state Office of Equity. Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, applauded the appointment, which is effective March 8. “The Office of Equity Task Force benefitted tremendously from the great experience and strong moral force that Dr. Johnson brought to the table,” said Dhingra, ...

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Seattle Times: Fund a national suicide-prevention response network

Seattle Times: Fund a national suicide-prevention response network

By Tina Orwall and Manka Dhingra Special to The Times Imagine you have a family member or friend who is in such emotional pain that they are struggling with suicidal thoughts and have a plan to take their life. What do you do? Who do you call? Since calling 911 is the only ...

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Centralia Chronicle: Washington Legislature Takes Up Excessive Force by Law Enforcement

Centralia Chronicle: Washington Legislature Takes Up Excessive Force by Law Enforcement

The issue of police accountability has been playing out in the Washington state Legislature over the last two weeks with bills being discussed in the House of Representatives and Senate. Discussions continue Monday, as a bill that would compel officers to intervene and stop excessive force by other officers goes ...

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The Daily World: Lawmakers want to ban openly carrying firearms at state Capitol, protests

The Daily World: Lawmakers want to ban openly carrying firearms at state Capitol, protests

OLYMPIA — Openly carrying firearms or other weapons at public demonstrations and the Capitol Campus could become prohibited if a state Senate bill passes this session. In its first public hearing, the bill received some support from Democratic lawmakers and gun reform advocates, while Republicans and gun rights supporters said it ...

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Pew: State Capitols Reckon With Racism in Policing

Pew: State Capitols Reckon With Racism in Policing

Racial equity is on the docket in state capitols this year. It’s been eight months since Minneapolis police killed George Floyd. Millions marched to declare Black lives matter and demand changes to police accountability, tactics and biases. This anti-racist movement, built over decades, has seeped into state capitols nationwide and promises to ...

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