News Releases

OLYMPIA – A package of law enforcement accountability legislation was signed by Gov. Jay Inslee today, increasing state oversight of police conduct, banning dangerous and unnecessary police practices, and raising standards for police conduct. “The public outcry over a series of high-profile deaths of members of Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities has now led to the most significant new accountability ...

OLYMPIA – Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault will gain crucial protections and supports, and abusers will be held more accountable, under legislation signed into law by the governor. “This year, we made our justice system more responsive to the trauma of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence,” said Sen. Manka Dhingra, chair of the Senate Behavioral Health ...

OLYMPIA – Washington will extend its public-health approach to substance use disorder by establishing a temporary new legal framework the possession of controlled substances and providing nearly $90 million to significantly expand treatment infrastructure, under a bill passed today by the Legislature. In a Feb. 25 decision in the case of State v. Blake, the Washington State Supreme Court struck down ...

REDMOND – Today Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) released this statement regarding the shooting at FedEx in Indiana:

“My deepest condolences go out to the families of everyone killed in this senseless shooting. Every loss of life is a tragedy. My heart goes out especially to the Sikh community of Indianapolis, which was so deeply hurt by the loss of four beloved ...

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OLYMPIA – Upon voting against her own bill, SB 5476, after an amendment was adopted that fundamentally altered it, Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) today released this statement:

“After the Washington State Supreme Court struck down the statute concerning controlled substances, I asked two key questions before drafting legislation in response. “First, does the state need to act? The answer was and ...

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OLYMPIA – Washington would extend its public-health approach to substance use disorder by establishing a new legal framework for the possession of controlled substances, under a bill introduced today by Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond). In a Feb. 25 decision in the case of State v. Blake, the Washington State Supreme Court struck down the state statute that made possession of controlled ...

Please join your lawmakers from the 45th District for a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 17. This is their chance to hear from you as well as update you on their work in Olympia on your behalf. The 45th District includes all or parts of Woodinville, Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish, and Duvall. WHO: Sen. Manka Dhingra, Rep. Larry ...

OLYMPIA – Washingtonians caught in the cycle of intergenerational poverty would have greater hope for a pathway to self-sufficiency, under a bill passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of the Senate today. “This bill is about changing the manner in which we think about helping people,” said Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), the bill’s sponsor. “State aid should not merely be ...

OLYMPIA – Washington state could provide hope to incarcerated people who have transformed themselves, under a bill passed by the Senate today. “The criminal justice system sees people at their worst moment in life,” said Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), the bill’s sponsor. “The system has not been doing a good job recognizing that people change. For many years, our country ...

OLYMPIA – In a decision released this morning, the Washington Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the state law that makes simple possession of drugs a felony crime, because it does not require prosecutors to prove that the possession was intentional. “This is a huge decision that has far-reaching consequences we are just now analyzing,” said Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond). “Under ...