News Releases

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) was appointed to a newly formed bipartisan Special Committee on Economic Recovery in the Washington State Senate to address the state’s long-term economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The committee will hold its first meeting in June and is tasked with making recommendations on COVID-19 recovery legislation in advance of the 2021 legislative session, ...

From the Suburban Times On Wednesday, March 5, the Washington state Senate passed House Bill 1783 to reduce systemic disparities in Washington state government. The bill would establish the nation’s first statewide Office of Equity within the Governor’s Office. “This is about bringing equality for all to every community in Washington,” said Rep. Mia ...

From the Spokesman-Review Washington likely will be the first state to create an office focused on reducing firearm violence through data analysis and a grant program to help communities and Indian tribes. “We don’t need to wait until shots have been fired,” said Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, in a statement. “We need to intervene to prevent violence before it happens.” The ...

An overwhelming bipartisan majority in the House passed Senate Bill 5720 on a 95-2 vote Thursday, reforming Washington’s Involuntary Treatment Act to put medical care first when people with behavioral health problems pose a danger to themselves or others. “The bill updates civil commitment procedures and removes barriers to people getting the help they need,” said Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), ...

House passage of Senate Bill 6288 today will make Washington the first state in the nation with a dedicated office to collect statewide data on firearm violence, make the data available for public health research, and fund innovative prevention programs in local communities. “This bill is about understanding where violence occurs in our communities and how we can address it.,” ...

From India-West The office of state Sen. Manka Dhingra of Washington state announced that Dhingra and fellow state Sen. Mona Das were among legislators in the Pacific Northwest state that passed a resolution honoring Sikh Americans.

From the Kent Reporter The state House in Olympia passed ‘Safe Harbor’ legislation (House Bill 1775) to better help child survivors of sex trafficking. “Children cannot consent to sex. They are victims of serious crimes,” said prime sponsor Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, in a Washington House Democrats news release. “Traffickers target the most vulnerable, which ...

Today, the Senate passed legislation to collect statewide data on firearm violence and fund innovative prevention programs in local communities. Senate Bill 6288 would establish the first-in-the-nation Washington Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention, which would work with law enforcement agencies and others to collect and centralize data on firearm violence, including suicide. In addition, the office would administer the ...

Graham Van Niman, 15, served as a page in the Washington State Senate during the week of February 7th. Pages are typically sponsored by the senator from their legislative district. Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) sponsored Graham’s week in the Legislature. The page program offers a hands-on opportunity for students to find out how state government works. The interactive learning experience includes classes ...

OLYMPIA — A bill passed unanimously today by the Senate would improve the state's medical and legal response in sexual assault cases. Senate Bill 6158, sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), creates a task force to develop model protocols for hospitals and clinics across the state that would ensure a coordinated community response for sexual assault survivors. "Sexual assault does more ...