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OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law today that allows community and technical colleges in Washington to offer bachelor’s degrees in computer science.

Senate Bill 5401, sponsored by Sen. Joe Nguyen (D-West Seattle), creates more options for Washington students to earn degrees and enter the competitive computer science workforce.

“Allowing our community colleges to offer these degrees will extend opportunities to so many of our neighbors,” said Nguyen. “With all the talented people living in our state, it’s so important that we provide options and paths forward.”

Washington’s Employment Security Department estimates that more than 50,000 new computer-related jobs will be created in the state in the next decade. The new law will encourage Washington students to pursue relevant degrees and strengthen the local computer science workforce.

“Not every person is able to move far from their hometown to get a degree, and this is an important measure to create more opportunities for more residents in our state,” Nguyen added. “This is a great step towards equal access to education for everyone, everywhere in our state.”

Community and technical colleges may begin submitting degree program proposals in 2022.

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OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law today that sets in place the most comprehensive standards for police officer arbitration in Washington in decades.

Senate Bill 5055, sponsored by Sen. Joe Nguyen (D – West Seattle), increases transparency and reduces the risk of bias in officer appeals of discipline and in the arbitrator selection process.

Recent research indicates that in law enforcement arbitration cases across the country, discipline was either reduced or overturned 52% of the time. While the research relied on a sample across 28 states, local and state policy makers have no comprehensive access to Washington-specific data. For the first time ever, statewide data about the number of discipline arbitration hearings and their outcomes will be collected and accessible to the public.

“By improving our policies one by one, we are doing important work to rebuild trust and heal our communities,” said Nguyen. “It may not be a silver bullet to fixing our criminal justice and policing systems, but this is a massive step towards comprehensive reform and a fairer process.”

Under the new law, an arbitrator from a roster of nine-to-18 individuals appointed by the Public Relations Employment Commission will oversee all law enforcement discipline arbitration cases in Washington. Arbitrators appointed to the roster will be required to complete six hours of training on implicit bias and anti-racism, along with six hours related to daily law enforcement experience.

The historic legislation was modeled after work done in Minnesota following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. It was passed with wide bipartisan margins in both the House and Senate after months of meetings with Republican colleagues, city leaders, police unions, and community members.

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Additional information:
Crosscut: Seattle seeks state’s help to reduce power of police unions
The Washington Post: Fired/rehired. Police chiefs are often forced to put officers fired for misconduct back on the streets

OLYMPIA – Families that rely on Washington’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program could see an additional boost in benefits along with clarified expectations under legislation passed today by the Senate.

Senate Bill 5214, sponsored by Sen. Joe Nguyen (D-West Seattle), would allow more families to continue using the vital social program during times of high statewide unemployment.

The bill passed on a 29-19 vote and would allow for hardship extensions beyond the 60-month lifetime TANF limit if state unemployment is at or above 7 percent.

“Even before the public health crisis we are currently in, it was clear that our communities were not receiving all of the resources they needed to thrive,” said Nguyen. “Now, with an increased need for services for Washington families, it’s more important than ever that we make investments in the families that need an additional boost.”

2020 saw both a spike in unemployment applications and an increased demand for cash and food assistance as the coronavirus pandemic and corresponding public health actions resulted in business closures statewide.

“We shouldn’t be penalizing people who are unable to find work during an economic crisis,” Nguyen said. “Instead, we should be lifting residents up and using the tools we have to help Washington families get to the other side of a difficult time.”

SB 5214 would apply retroactively, covering any month after March 2020 with a statewide unemployment rate of 7 percent or more. It will now head to the House for consideration.

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