Dear neighbors,
A recent event where a Tacoma police officer drove his SUV through a crowd of people was a horrific use of force that shocked communities across Washington. May those who were impacted by this senseless act find healing.
Your legislators are working hard to change our policing system to prevent these acts, and to hold police accountable when they commit them. Today I’d like to share with you the police reform bills pending in the Legislature this session.
SB 5051/HB 1082 would provide timely and effective enforcement of state standards for law enforcement officers, allowing the Criminal Justice Training Commission to discipline officers who abuse the privilege of carrying a badge and gun.
SB 5066 would establish clear standards for police officers to intervene when fellow officers use force unjustly and to report any wrongdoing by fellow officers.
SB 5259/HB 1092 would establish comprehensive statewide reporting and publication for use-of-force incidents involving law enforcement.
HB 1054 would ban the use of chokeholds, neck restraints, unleashed police dogs, no-knock warrants, military equipment, and the practice of officers intentionally concealing their badges.
SB 5089 would increase minimum age and education requirements for new police officers.
SB 5263 would modify a 1986 law that has prevented people who have been killed or injured by police from recovering damages from police departments.
SB 5055 improves transparency, professionalism and equity of the arbitration process for law enforcement collective bargaining.
SB 5067/HB 1088 would shed light on officers who are not credible witnesses because of their previous conduct.
SB 5069/HB 1089 would bring transparency to investigations into police uses of deadly force.
HB 1267 would mandate the independent investigation of deadly uses of force, custodial deaths, and other officer-involved incidents.
It’s important that I hear from you about these and other issues affecting our community.
Save the date!
Please attend our upcoming virtual town hall on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 10:00 a.m. to hear about what your 30th legislative district state legislators are doing for you, and to ask us questions. I will be joined by Rep. Jamila Taylor and Rep. Jesse Johnson, and you’ll be able to view it on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter, where you can enter questions into the comments during the live stream. Click here to submit a question in advance.
Where to watch:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenClaireWilson OR https://www.facebook.com/SenateDemocrats
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/wahousedems
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wahousedems
New vaccination sites
Two new coronavirus vaccine clinics recently opened in our area. These sites are in Kent and Auburn, and will focus on vaccinating people who face the highest risks. They are anticipated to give 500 doses of the vaccine per day, 6 days a week. For more information, click here.
Could you have unclaimed property to claim?
The Department of Revenue administers the state’s Unclaimed Property program, a free service that reunites property and assets with their rightful owners. Unclaimed property includes everything from uncashed checks, utility deposits and bank accounts to the contents of safe deposit boxes, unused rebate checks and more. It does not include real estate or anything with a property title. You can search the state’s unclaimed property database to see if you have anything to claim at claimyourcash.org. You can search by name, business, or organization name. Any property you find in your name can be claimed for free.
My office will continue to welcome your thoughts and concerns, so please let us know what issues are important to you and your community.
Sincerely,
Sen. Claire Wilson
