Category Archives: In The News

The state’s bipartisan Redistricting Commission has been a source of recurring drama the past two months. The four voting commissioners — who were charged with the once-per-decade task of redrawing the state’s political maps — eventually agreed on new lines ...

At a press conference Tuesday, Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D – Seattle) said that the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) did not fully support ESSB 5226 until an amendment from Sen. Annette Cleveland (D – Vancouver) was added. ...

The Washington state Senate passed legislation in a 27-22 vote, during a virtual debate Tuesday, to reform police tactics and equipment. The bill will now return to the House to consider the Senate’s amendments. House Bill 1054 would ban the ...

SEATTLE (AP) — The Washington state Senate has approved a measure restricting certain police tactics and gear, including the use of neck restraints and tear gas, after police killings of Black people sparked tumultuous racial-justice protests last year. Majority Democrats ...

A coalition of 61 organizations, led by the ACLU of Washington, is continuing to press Democrats to make changes to Senate Bill 5226, legislation that aims to eradicate debt-based license suspensions. In a letter this week to House Speaker Laurie ...

SEATTLE (AP) — Lawmakers are on the cusp of overhauling policing and police accountability in Washington state, acting with unusual urgency to curb bad behavior by officers following last year’s turbulent protests for racial justice. As this week’s deadline for ...

Just a few months ago, facilities in Washington state began accepting bodies under the state’s new human composting option. Now, at least two more states are considering laws to allow the practice. The proposals come as more Americans seek “green ...

After nine long years of effort and a long debate Saturday afternoon, the Washington state Senate narrowly passed a proposal to tax capital gains on a 25-24 vote. Democrats who joined Republicans in voting against the measure predictably included Sens. ...

A contentious bill that passed the state Senate late Thursday could transform Washington’s police oversight agency from an anemic watchdog into a formidable instrument for police accountability. While other reform efforts in Olympia focus on high-profile police tactics, such as ...

The Washington Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would require police officers to intervene and report when they see another officer use excessive force, part of Democrats’ sweeping police accountability package. The bill passed on party lines, despite Republican opposition ...