OLYMPIA — Gov. Bob Ferguson on Thursday signed landmark legislation that prohibits local, state, and federal law enforcement officers — including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents operating in Washington — from wearing face-concealing masks while interacting with the public. Substitute Senate Bill 5855, sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez ...
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OLYMPIA - The Washington State Senate gave final approval Monday to legislation prohibiting local, state, and federal law enforcement officers - including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents - from wearing face-concealing masks while interacting with the public. Senate Bill 5855, sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle), strengthens existing law requiring officers to be reasonably identifiable through clearly displayed names or other identifying information. The bill bans opaque face ...
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OLYMPIA — The Washington State Senate today passed landmark legislation prohibiting local, state and federal law enforcement officers — including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents — from wearing face-concealing masks while interacting with the public. Senate Bill 5855, sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle), strengthens existing state law that requires state and local officers to be reasonably identifiable through a clearly displayed name or other ...
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OLYMPIA — The Washington State Senate on Wednesday passed Senate Bill 5098, legislation sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle), to restrict the possession of weapons in certain public spaces where children and families are likely to be present. After passing the Senate last year but not advancing in the House, the bill again cleared the chamber as ...
Read MoreOLYMPIA — Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle) introduced legislation Monday to prohibit law enforcement officers — including federal immigration agents operating in Washington — from wearing face-concealing masks while interacting with the public. Senate Bill 5855 is a direct response to ongoing immigration raids under the Trump administration during which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents wear ...
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OLYMPIA — Following Tuesday’s press conference with Gov. Bob Ferguson, Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle) issued the statement below in response to recent threats from the Trump administration to penalize Washington and other states that maintain so-called “sanctuary” laws: “Today, I stood proudly with Gov. Ferguson to reaffirm what Washingtonians already know to be true: Our state will not ...
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OLYMPIA — The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Biden administration regulation Wednesday aimed at controlling "ghost gun" kits, which enable individuals to easily acquire parts to assemble firearms from online sellers. In response, Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle) issued the following statement: “I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold regulations that will help keep our communities safer ...
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OLYMPIA — Legislation to protect families and children from gun violence in public spaces passed the Washington State Senate Wednesday. Senate Bill 5098, sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle), enhances public safety by prohibiting weapons in government buildings, public park facilities, and fairgrounds — places where families and children gather. Gun violence remains a ...
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OLYMPIA — A bill to streamline the path for skilled international medical graduates to join Washington’s health care workforce passed the Senate Wednesday. Senate Bill 5118, sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle), removes outdated barriers while keeping rigorous medical standards to protect patient safety. Washington faces a growing doctor shortage, leaving many families struggling to ...
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OLYMPIA — Legislation to expand voter registration services through government agencies passed the Senate Wednesday. Senate Bill 5077, sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle), directs the governor to designate additional state, local, federal, and tribal agencies to offer automatic voter registration. The expansion aims to increase voter participation, particularly among historically underserved communities. “This bill ...
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