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.
Bill Summary
This bill supports the saying: “A great threat to justice is the Committee for Justice.” In short, it is another move toward a soft-on-crime mentality. HB 1131 expands the Clemency and Pardons Board, not only doubling its size but also changing its composition in ways that risk politicizing decisions that should be impartial. Rather than requiring legal or judicial experience, the bill mandates the inclusion of individuals based on subjective criteria like “lived experience” or affiliation with specific groups, which could compromise the objectivity of such a critical board.
Even more concerning is the shift from the current high standard of “extraordinary circumstances” for granting clemency to the much lower and vague “interest of justice” standard. This dilutes the gravity of commutation and potentially opens the door for more frequent and less justified sentence reductions, undermining victims, courts, and public safety. The removal of Initiative 593’s age-related recommendation—ensuring only elderly, non-threatening individuals are considered for release—further signals a loosening of protections meant to guard society.
The Attorney General’s office and law enforcement groups have rightly raised constitutional and procedural red flags, particularly around the improper expansion of gubernatorial powers. By turning a serious legal process into something closer to a political or ideological exercise, this bill threatens to erode public trust in the justice system. Citizens should reject this bill to maintain the integrity of the clemency process and uphold the rights of victims and communities to fair, balanced justice.
Bill Summary
House Bill 1133 is a needed update to Washington’s civil commitment laws surrounding sexually violent predators (SVPs). It ensures that individuals who pose an ongoing threat to public safety are thoroughly evaluated, monitored, and treated with modernized procedures that prioritize community protection. The bill improves the process by which SVPs may petition for release, requiring more thorough mental health reviews and limiting repeated or premature petitions that waste court resources. It also allows the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to propose placements for less restrictive alternatives (LRAs), ensuring they meet strict safety criteria before an SVP can be reintegrated into the community.
Importantly, HB 1133 expands the definition of a sexually violent offense to include military and tribal convictions, closing loopholes and ensuring that all dangerous individuals are subject to the same legal standards. It further strengthens oversight by authorizing the Attorney General to issue civil investigative demands, speeding up and improving investigations without unnecessary court delays. To prevent manipulation of the system, individuals on LRA status would no longer earn early release credits through supervision compliance, a necessary protection to ensure they serve full terms of oversight.
This bill strikes a balance between civil liberties and public safety. It empowers the state to better manage the most dangerous offenders while allowing for fair review of those who may truly be ready for supervised release. HB 1133 is a bipartisan effort designed with the safety of families and communities in mind.
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Safety
Promoting public safety and deterring unlawful firearm possession by increasing criminal penalties for unlawful possession of a firearm.
Bill Summary
In a bid to crack down on criminal activity in Washington state, Rep. Sam Low, R-Lake Stevens, has pre-filed legislation to increase penalties for unlawful firearm possession. The bill, which was crafted with input from law enforcement and public safety leaders in Snohomish County, would ensure those who illegally carry firearms face greater consequences for breaking the law.
House Bill 1139 introduces significant changes to existing law, including reclassifying unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree as a violent offense, increasing sentencing penalties for offenders, and mandating jail time for violations.
“A large number of gun-related crimes are committed by individuals who are in illegal possession of that firearm,” said Low. “This bill is not about gun control, nor is it anti-Second Amendment. Our goal with this legislation is to better protect our communities by ensuring firearms stay out of the hands of dangerous individuals who are already barred from owning them. If passed by the Legislature, offenders will no longer receive a slap on the wrist or benefit from catch-and-release policies. Instead, they will face tougher penalties that ensure accountability and safer communities across our state.”
Bill Summary
House Bill 1140 has been introduced by Rep. Travis Courture, R-Allyn and Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen. This legislation would create new “empowerED scholarships” using Education Savings Accounts. The proposal would specifically fund ESA’s for low income students, special needs families and students who are trapped in failing schools. The funds would be available via a state-issued debit card, with oversight capability. The money would have to be spent on education, including tuition, fees, textbooks, tutoring, therapies and more. The fund would receive revenue from the legislature, as well as a B&O tax credit, where businesses could offer support on a voluntary basis. The maximum scholarship for students without disabilities would be $12,700, but those who are special needs could receive more.
Democrats control near super majorities in the Washington legislature, and the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction has made it clear he has no interest in providing families with more options, despite the state’s dramatic increase in education spending and equally dramatic poor public education outcomes. Instead, it appears more likely that lawmakers will simply throw more money at public education, even as fewer and fewer students attend public schools. In Washington, more than 118,000 students and their families now opt out of the state’s public school system.
Those who can afford to send their child to private school, or home school, already do so. But those who can’t are left behind, something this bill aims to fix. ESA’s are extremely popular with the general public – more than 70% support the policy nationwide.