Essential information on each bill is below. For more details, click on the bill number – e.g., “SB 5000.” The new page will show the progress of the bill, videos of debate, and the link to send a comment to your legislator about the bill.
Bill Summary
Washington State House Bill 1125, the “Judicial Discretion Act,” proposes amendments to the state’s sentencing laws. The bill will give our liberal judges more authority to modify lengthy sentences for dangerous inmates who reportedly meet specific criteria, such as age at the time of the offense or terminal illness. The act also establishes procedures for petitioning for sentence modification, including victim notification and legal representation provisions, and addresses the financial implications of such modifications by creating a flexible fund for victim services. Finally, it modifies existing laws related to exceptional sentencing and collateral attacks on convictions.
The number of Democrats supporting this legislation and the absence of any conservative lawmakers should be your first clue that this is a bad bill. You have witnessed how well the Democrats ’soft on crime’ approach has worked over the past several years. Rather than admit their mistakes, they just continue to push for more leniency.
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Safety
Improving school safety by extending penalties for interference by, or intimidation by threat of, force or violence at schools and extracurricular activities and requiring schools to notify the public of such penalties.
Bill Summary
Washington State Senate Bill 5272 aims to improve school safety by increasing penalties for violence and intimidation at schools and extracurricular activities. The bill strengthens penalties for interfering with school activities through force or violence, specifically targeting threats against school officials and volunteers at athletic events. Increased fines and jail time are proposed, along with mandatory exclusion from school or events for those convicted. The bill also mandates public signage notifying people of these enhanced penalties. Finally, the bill expands the definition of those protected under the law to include more school personnel and volunteers.
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Safety
Concerning the management of individuals who are placed in juvenile rehabilitation institutions.
Bill Summary
Senate Bill 5278, also know as the Juvenile Rehabilitation Overcrowding Relief Act (J-RORA) addresses overcrowding in Washington’s juvenile rehabilitation institutions. It amends existing statutes and creates new sections to manage the population and protect youth and staff. The bill focuses on transferring juveniles to community-based programs, work release facilities, or, in some cases, to the Department of Corrections. It outlines eligibility criteria and procedures for these transfers, aiming to reduce institutional populations to rated bed capacity. The legislation also emphasizes assessments, rehabilitation programs, and risk management, while prioritizing public safety.
The bill notes that DCYF would be required to establish a safe maximum capacity at all juvenile-reform facilities and transfer residents to a DOC facility when the population exceeds 105% of that capacity. A resident who is at least 18 years old and convicted as an adult would gain the option of requesting a transfer to a DOC facility, with DCYF handling the transfer. In addition, a resident of a juvenile-reform facility who assaults a DCYF employee would be transferred to a DOC facility and hearing requirements would not apply. The same would apply if DCYF has reasonable cause to believe the resident and a DCYF employee engaged in sexual contact, unless the resident was a victim of the employee. Finally, a hearing within 10 days would be required in the event of a prison riot or the discovery that a resident is in possession of a cell phone, other electronic recording device, any narcotic drug or controlled substance, alcohol, cannabis or other intoxicant.
Bill Summary
Senate Bill 5284, pedaled by Democrats as an environmental bill, is actually a hidden tax on groceries. This bill expands government control over recycling by creating extended producer responsibility (EPR) organizations, which will ultimately drive up costs for Washington families. Producers will be forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars. These costs will be passed directly to consumers at the grocery store. Industry leaders have warned that grocery prices could spike as much as 16% because of this bill. Washingtonians are already paying some of the highest grocery prices in the country. The last thing families need right now is another cost hike, especially one driven by our government, once again, imposing additional regulations on businesses. This is a carbon copy of what has happened in our housing industry.
There remain serious questions as to whether EPR programs actually improve recycling rates and reduce waste, or if they create inefficiencies and bureaucracy without any significant environment benefits. For instance, without proper investments in recycling facilities and technology, requiring producers to take responsibility for recycling could lead to logistical challenges, in addition to the higher costs. Lastly, these imposed compliance costs and regulations will disproportionately impact smaller producers and businesses that will struggle to meet these requirements. Please oppose this bill.
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Safety
Incentivizing cities and counties to increase employment of commissioned law enforcement officers.
Bill Summary
Bipartisan Senate Bill 5235 allows cities and counties to levy a 0.01% sales tax to specifically support law enforcement efforts and to hire more officers. That money would then be credited against the state portion of the sales tax, resulting in no additional cost to the taxpayers. The bill also directs the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center (CJTC) to increase the number of basic law enforcement training classes to 27 in fiscal year 2026 and 28 classes in fiscal year 2027.
Washington must take a serious look at the policies put in place by the ruling party here in Olympia the past several years that have made law enforcement careers less attractive to people coming out of high school and college. This once respected position of service, authority, and respect in our communities has been castigated, abused, and neutered. Let’s send a message to the law-abiding citizens of Washington that we are going to make our streets safe again.