If you’re hoping to see shackles placed on the ability of police unions to hamper officer misconduct investigations, then I suggest you get to grips with an excellent slice of legislation: Section 3 of Senate Bill 5134. Because it may ...
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Friends:
The Legislature just wrapped up Week 4 of the 2021 legislative session. Lawmakers sent one major piece of COVID legislation to the governor’s desk for his signature with another one not far behind. We’re also working on bills focused ...
School district leaders, the statewide teachers union and other groups are urging lawmakers to address housing affordability for school employees. Right now, state law allows school districts with fewer than 2,000 students to build teacher cottages and other employee housing. ...
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State lawmakers are wading decisively into the difficult but necessary challenge of addressing the injustices and abuses that drove this summer’s historic Black Lives Matter protests. Last week, the House Public Safety Committee passed three police-reform bills, which were the products ...
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It’s crunchtime in Olympia for police accountability. Dueling Democratic bills have distinct differences. Sen. Jesse Salomon’s Senate Bill 5134 would cut negotiations around discipline and oversight out of police-contract negotiations, disallow arbitration for misconduct appeals and specify misconduct mandating officer discharges.
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Friends: If you’re getting this e-newsletter for the first time, welcome! I’m Jesse Salomon, your state senator from the 32nd Legislative District. I am one of your voices in the state Legislature in Olympia. I send these e-newsletters a few ...
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George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Manny Ellis. These were the names being chanted in the streets of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and many other Washington cities in 2020, as the Black community had enough and demanded change and accountability during months of ...
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This year the legislature is going hard on police reform. One bill calls for a ban on chokeholds, no-knock warrants, and tear gas. Other bills would establish a statewide body to review use-of-force cases. None of those bills would mean ...
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Labor leaders, police accountability activists and elected officials from across the state, including Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, testified Thursday in Olympia about two state senate bills intended to restructure or streamline the disciplinary process ...
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Critics say it’s difficult to improve police accountability because it’s governed by collective bargaining in union agreements with Seattle police and many other police departments. Fred Thomas testified about the shooting of his unarmed son by Lakewood police. “As an ...
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