From LWVWA 2/25/24 Newsletter:

There are only 11 days left in this legislative session. Below, you will see several action alerts intended for the Senate Ways & Means Committee, whose last day to take action on a very long list of bills is Monday, February 26. That Committee will have worked long hours on Friday and Saturday already, to get through all of the bills referred to it.

The next step, Friday this week—March 1—will be the cutoff for each chamber to pass bills referred to it from the other chamber. In other words, the Senate will have to pass bills from the House and vice versa for the House, by the end of the day, Friday.

PRIORITY ACTIONS

Correct Past Sentencing Injustices

If someone is convicted of a felony as an adult, their juvenile adjudications (juvenile points) can be used to lengthen the term of their sentence. In 2023, the legislature passed HB 1324, making the inclusion of juvenile points discretionary rather than mandatory. However, the retroactivity provision of the bill was removed, leaving behind between 809 and 1,437 people currently incarcerated with sentences that have been increased by juvenile points. The removal of retroactivity was particularly devastating for communities of color who are the most disproportionately impacted by juvenile points. By reinstating retroactivity, HB 2065 fixes the inherent unfairness of requiring people to serve vastly different sentences for the same offense and addresses the racial disparities contributing to mass incarceration. Please ask the Senate Ways & Means Committee to vote YES on HB 2065 here by February 26.

Support Improved Housing Stability for Tenants

Many landlords have raised rents by exorbitant amounts since the pandemic, and this has exacerbated the homelessness crisis. It has also caused some middle-income families to have to move unexpectedly. HB 2114 would put a limit on annual rent increases that a landlord can normally charge as well as provide additional notice to tenants so they can prepare. Ask the Senate Ways & Means Committee to pass HB 2114 here by February 26.

Support Police Accountability

A task force convened by Governor Inslee to look at the issue of police use of deadly force recommended (1) creation of an Office of Independent Investigations and (2) establishment of an Independent Prosecutor’s Office. Both steps are necessary to ensure that, when the police take someone’s life, they will be treated fairly, but not preferentially. HB 1579 creates an Office of Independent Prosecutions within the Attorney General’s Office to prosecute cases referred by the Office of Independent Investigations. Please ask the Senate Ways & Means Committee to vote YES on HB 1579 here y February 26.

Support Additional Behavioral Health Funding

Behavioral health services are important to the well-being of Washington State residents. The House and Senate supplemental budgets each provide some funding for critical behavioral health services, but the final budget must include all of the behavioral health funding each chamber has proposed to best serve Washingtonians. Ask your Legislators to include funding for the necessary behavioral health services in the final supplemental budget here. 

To learn more, see all action alerts here. And don’t forget to sign up for the weekly LWVWA Legislative newsletter here.