Seattle is losing police protection

Civilian safety depends on sufficient police capability. Too bad Seattle is stripping itself of defense as the people are losing the right to self-defense.

Crime wave fears in Seattle as it's revealed 200 cops - 20% of it's force - quit in last 16 months because of 'anti-cop climate' in the Democrat city (UK Daily Mail)

“We are at record lows in the city right now. I have about 1,080 deployable officers. This is the lowest I’ve seen our department,” Diaz said in an interview with local media. (Daily Wire) That takes the city back to deployable cop count of the 1980s.

The exodus makes sense given that Seattle City Clowncil members, namely Kshama Sawant, Teresa Mosqueda, Lorena Gonzalez and Lisa Herbold, have done all they can to demoralize police.

Violent crime is going up at the exact time we have fewer officers on the streets.

Homelessness is increasing. With that comes crime -- homeless people are generally easier prey for criminals.

Seattle saw a surge in crime when people were staying at home during the pandemic. Imagine what will happen when you have people walking around as targets.

Incredibly, the Seattle City Clowncil is considering new cuts of $5.4 million to the police department’s budget.

Whither goes the city of leftist paradise?

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Other sources: My Northwest, KIRO

A crime to openly carry -- SB 5038 is becoming session law.

Senate Bill 5038 makes it a crime to openly carry, on the person or in a vehicle, a firearm or other “weapon” if you are at or within 250 feet of a “permitted demonstration” in a public place. Even if you leave your firearm locked in the trunk of your car, it is considered "open carry" under this bill and you will be guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

Despite permitting individuals to use an area for the exercise of their First Amendment rights, anti-gun legislators want to ban individuals from exercising their Second Amendment rights in the same permitted space.  

Our Constitution was not written with gradually disappearing ink, where one right is more important than another.  The Second Amendment should not be infringed upon in any capacity, especially where other Constitutional Rights are being freely and openly expressed. 

Further, SB 5038 limits self-defense options on Washington State Capitol grounds.

Contact Gov Inslee and urge him to VETO SB 5038.   

Use the online form at https://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/contact/send-gov-inslee-e-message

or

• Call
  360-902-4111
  TTY/TDD call 711 or
  1-800-833-6384.
  If you need to speak with someone and you do not speak English, please leave a voicemail with your phone number and the language you speak, and we will return your call.
• Fax
  360-753-4110
• Write
  Governor Jay Inslee
  Office of the Governor
  PO Box 40002
  Olympia, WA 98504-0002
  

Olympia this week.

Democrat lawmakers send income tax on capital gains to Inslee’s desk (KIRO7)

Washington House Democrats passed the income tax on capital gains but added a deceptive clause that would prevent the people from repealing the tax with a voter referendum. Ultimately, House and Senate Democrats agreed to pass the bill without the emergency clause.

The tax passed the State Senate on a razor thin 25-24 vote this afternoon. The bill will face serious legal challenges, given our state constitution bans an income tax.

Is the Democrats' "excise tax on income" a display of incompetence or plain dishonesty?  The final bill passage link here.

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Democrats pass record-setting budget proposal  (SRC)

Democrats treated the new 2021-23 state budget with an unprecedented level of irresponsibility, from start to finish.

Senate and House Democrats both approved their respective budgets, which included out-of-control spending and an array of new taxes, weeks ago. Yet they chose to release the final version of the budget on the day before the end of session. Republican Sen. Lynda Wilson summed up Democrats’ actions by stating, “Why the delay? How could it possibly take so long to agree on a budget that will grow spending by double digits, despite a pandemic?” Wilson pointed out that, under Democrats’ timeline, lawmakers only had “24 to 36 hours maximum to look at a spending plan which could top $60 billion.”  Unfortunately, that’s just what Democrats did.

Draining the state’s “rainy day fund” and enforcing an income tax on capital gains, Democrats’ plan spends $59.2 billion over the next two years and uses $10 billion in federal stimulus funds.

Democrats’ new taxes will hit working families across Washington hardest at a time when many are struggling to recover from financial pain caused by COVID-19.

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GOP leaders respond to Inslee’s false attack on motivations to curb emergency powers (SRC)

Gov. Jay Inslee criticized the efforts of legislative Republicans to advance bills aimed at reforming the governor’s emergency powers during a recent interview. Inslee claimed that Republicans wanted to “gut the ability of the governor to try and save lives” rather than seeking to restore the balance of power.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, and House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, responding by stating in part, “Silencing the voices of the people, including those who might disagree with him, by shutting out the Legislature is wrong. We are a coequal branch of government and should have equal input on how the state moves forward.  Unfortunately, the Democrat majority has abdicated what little legislative oversight there was, giving the governor unchecked power indefinitely. Despite members of the Senate and House offering multiple legislative solutions, the Democrats have been entirely unwilling to even discuss the issue. That undermines the people.”

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Democrats’ “green” bills burden working poor and struggling middle class (Cross Cut)

In a recent article, Bill Bryant, founding member of the Nisqually River Foundation and former gubernatorial candidate, writes of how Democrats’ Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and cap-and-tax scheme dump new costs on the working poor and struggling middle class and creates new bureaucracies without substantively reducing emissions.

Bryant also points out that both bills failed to garner any bi-partisan support, which is “essential if we are to sell a climate-carbon package to skeptical voters.”

Bryant writes, “Jamming new taxes down voters’ throats will only invite an initiative opposing, and potentially eliminating, those taxes.” Any bipartisan climate package will “most likely need to be revenue neutral.” He explains, “Republicans will want projected carbon reductions to be worth the taxes imposed on workers and people living in rural communities.”

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Meanwhile, threats work in Puyallup (Washington Times)

A Puyallup pastor was forced to canceled an activist speaker, Charlie Kirk, because the church received “terrorist” threats.  The state government and Governor Inslee refused to do anything to investigate the threats.  In  America, it is sad to see a church pastor forced to cave in to terrorism. Governor Inslee should be ashamed.

When government refuses to serve the needs of it's people ... when  government serves only its own special interest ... when those special interests use violence or implied violence ... it is time to take special action to protect yourself and your family.

Olympia this week - new"emergency" income tax, gasoline powered cars banned

New audit: Employment Security Department may have lost as much as $1.1 billion in the 2020 fraud scheme (Seattle Times)

According to the State Auditor’s Office, the state Employment Security Department (ESD) may have understated the total fraud losses from last year’s fraud scheme.  Originally, ESD claimed to have lost more than $640 million in taxpayer dollars during the surge in jobless claims. But a new audit suggests the actual number could be nearly $1.1 billion after “all claims flagged for investigation are reviewed.”

Audits conducted thus far have also exposed serious cyber-security vulnerabilities – which resulted in thousands of stolen Social Security numbers – at the ESD. Despite cyber threats, the ESD failed to address these security vulnerabilities. 

New reports also expose customer service failures at ESD. In 2020, call-wait times reached as long as two hours for thousands of Washingtonians with legitimate unemployment claims. 

All of the losses occurred when the ESD was led by Suzi Levine, an Inslee appointee whose chief qualification was that she raised a lot of money for the governor and other Democrats.

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Inslee uses emergency powers to roll back three counties to Phase 2 (Seattle Times)

It’s been well over one year since Governor Jay Inslee used his emergency powers to issue executive orders in response to COVID-19. Despite Republicans calling for a special session in 2020 and presenting bills to limit the governor’s use of emergency powers, Inslee has run a one-man show since the start of the pandemic. And that continued this week. 

On Monday, Inslee ordered Pierce, Cowlitz, and Whitman counties back to Phase 2 of his arbitrary reopening plan, which refuses to acknowledge that 75% of the most vulnerable people in those counties have received at least one vaccine shot and their hospital systems have healthy capacity. That means businesses and residents of these counties must – once again – live under restrictions, including lowering capacity limits for indoor spaces from 50% to 25% occupancy. 

Responding to the heart of the matter, Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, and Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, stated, “What’s particularly frustrating is the governor made these decisions alone despite the fact we are in a legislative session. That means state lawmakers who represent these counties had no say in the matter. This is wrong. And it’s why we need emergency powers reform this legislative session – to bring the voices of state lawmakers and the constituents they represent to the decision-making process.” 

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House Democrats propose "emergency clause" amendment to state capital gains income tax (Washington Policy Center)

House Democrats have proposed an amendment on the state income tax on capital gains that – if the Senate concurs – will remove any tax relief (no funding for working family rebate) and prohibit a referendum by the people. Talk about the Democrats being anti-democracy when it serves them.

The Washington Policy Center’s Jason Mercier describes, House Democrats’ amendment is “essentially a back-door emergency clause in an attempt to deny the people their right of referendum on the proposed income tax.” 

The Senate debated a similar emergency clause on the floor prior to Democrats’ voting to pass the state income tax on capital gains. Ultimately, the Senate decided not to adopt the amendment. If the House moves forward with its version of an emergency clause, it is unclear whether or not the amendment will be a deal breaker in the Senate where the income tax passed by a narrow 25-24 vote.

Question: How can they enact an unconstitutional income tax, even if there is an emergency?

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Democrats pass a ban on gasoline cars (electrek)

Washington Democrats continue to reward their special interest donors at the expense of everyday people. By the end of the session, the Democrat-controlled state House and Senate will have likely agreed on and passed a cap-and-tax scheme and high-cost fuel standard (HCFS) that raises the gas tax to $1.23. Both policies are expected to only minimally reduce CO2 in our state. They will, however, fill the coffers of special interests. 

This week, Democrats added another victory for special interests to their 2021 roster. Legislators passed a new bill that seeks to end the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2030. The bill’s passage makes Washington State the first in the nation to pass a ban on gas cars legislatively. Also it imposes the earliest deadline to ban gas cars. Both California and Massachusetts have plans to ban gas cars by 2035, imposed by executive order.

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Democrats propose 33 tax and fee hikes for transportation (Seattle Times)

Democrat lawmakers proposed 33 tax and fee hikes to fund a new transportation package.  

The fees include:

• a 9.8 cents per gallon increase
• a cap-and-tax scheme
• a carbon fee
• a tax on new construction ($150 per $100,000 value residential $100 per $100,000 on manufacturing $300 per $100,000 for commercial zero for farms and timber)
• a 50-cents per trip fee on food deliveries taxis and ride-hailing services
• a sales-tax increase of 1% on auto parts
• a fee increase to $42 from $24 for an enhanced driver’s license and ID
• a fee increase to $60 from $54 for a standard driver’s license (six-year card)
• a fee increase to $15 from $10 for car-plates
• a car-rental tax increase to 6.9% form 5.9%
• a $10 weight-fee increase for cars and pickups
• a doubling of the taxes on boats over 16 feet

and much more.

Olympia This Week

Democrats pass carbon cap-and-trade scheme and Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)  (Capital Press) 

Farmers will feel the consequences first -- then the rest of us will.

Democrats passed both a cap-and-trade and LCFS bill, the impacts of which will increase the gas tax by 55 cents without any measurable effect on the environment or better roads. Combined with the current rates, total gas tax will eventually grow to $1.23/gallon.  In short, this is just a tax increase.

Sen. Judy Warnick, the top-ranking Republican on the Senate agriculture committee, said, “I think the high cost is going to hit the low-income people and our agriculture people harder than anyone else.”

Republican Sen. Perry Dozier, an Eastern Washington farmer, warned the two bills will be a “poison pill for agriculture” because everything in agriculture depends on fuel. The bills would “give the Department of Ecology authority to implement the two programs.” That entails “writing the rules for cap-and-trade alone would cost $27.3 million over two years and occupy the equivalent of 54.5 full-time state employees.” As Senate Republican Leader John Braun put it, “We’re handing over the economy to an unelected agency.”

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Democrats’ cap-and-trade and LCFS plans are studies in corruption (Washington Policy Center)

Democrats in the state legislature passed both a CO2 cap-and-trade bill and a low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS). According to the Washington Policy Center’s Todd Myers, both plans would have a “corrupting effect, rewarding insider special interests and favored political allies while doing absolutely nothing to reduce CO2 emissions.”

Myers notes that the official fiscal note estimates that under the bill the “price of CO2-reduction in 2030 would be about $33 per metric ton (MT). By way of comparison, the cost of the LCFS is likely to be similar to California’s current price of $200 per MT – six times as much for the same amount of reduction.

The LCFS doesn’t reduce any additional CO2 or benefit the environment, it just makes the already-required emissions reductions more expensive, with the extra money going to biofuel corporations.”

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Some Democrats now voicing frustration over Inslee’s slow reopening  (NW News Network)

Gov. Jay Inslee’s fellow Democrats are using words like, “inconsistent,” “disastrous,” and “senseless” to describe his plan for reopening the state.

For many months, Republicans have voiced frustration over the slow pace of reopening businesses across Washington – now, it appears, some Democrats finally admit the frustration is warranted.

A trio of Olympia Peninsula Democrats wrote in a recent statement, “[I]t is clear that the governor’s plan exhibits a disastrous disconnect with the realities of our communities and, as their elected representatives, we must demand a reopening plan that is fair and sound.”
Democrats from counties like Clallam and Jefferson have voiced frustration over Inslee’s reopening plan, which gives preferential treatment to King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties while punishing rural regions of the state.

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Seattle Times op-ed: Capital gains is income, contrary to Democrats’ claims  (Seattle Times) 

A new op-ed in the Seattle Times calls out Washington Democrats for deceptively mislabeling their state income tax on capital gains.

Democrats categorized the tax as an excise tax rather than an income tax.

The op-ed explains that “were a capital-gains tax an excise tax, it would fall on the entire sales price (or a specific price per transaction), not just the net gain. It would be imposed on each transaction, not the aggregate of gains and losses.”

Undeniably, the “net proceeds from the sale of an asset are income, or that this money in an investor’s possession is — per Washington courts’ definitions — intangible property subject to ownership.”

The op-ed ends by warning, “The sleight of hand that disguises a tax on capital gains income as an excise tax is employed just as easily to tax all income, including wage income.”

Olympia This Week

Senate Democrats pass massive spending bill that depends on illegal income tax (HeraldNet)

Senate Democrats passed their two-year tax-and-spend proposal on Thursday. Not a single Republican voted to approve the plan. Democrats insist the that the record setting $59 billion proposal – which includes draining the state’s rainy-day fund – is needed to address COVID-19 challenges, claiming that state revenues had disappeared because of COVID.  But an updated state revenue forecast proved this is not true. 

State revenue has returned to pre-pandemic levels. The spending bill depends on House Democrats pushing through a state income tax on capital gains – a tax Senate Democrats already passed. The tax will face a constitutional legal challenge if passed. Republican Sen. Lynda Wilson stated, “I’m bothered by the fact that the people will have to foot the bill for the lawsuit that will happen afterwards.”

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Republican lawmakers urge end to Inslee’s state of emergency  (Seattle Times)

House and Senate Republicans have – once again – called on fellow lawmakers to end Gov. Jay Inslee’s coronavirus state of emergency. A letter signed by 23 Republicans lawmakers urges “legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle for help in terminating the state of emergency before the 2021 session ends on April 25.” 

The letter comes after Democrats failed to take seriously several bills that would have curbed the governor’s emergency powers. With less than one month left in the 2021 legislative session, these bills will almost certainly not pass the Democrat-controlled House or Senate. 

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Farm groups oppose cap-and-trade, contrary to Democrats’ claims  (Capital Press)

Democrat State Sen. Reuven Carlyle (Seattle) called agriculture an “enthusiastic supporter” of cap-and-trade during a recent committee hearing. That claim is false. 

The Washington Farm Bureau opposes cap-and-trade, a position they consistently held. 

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers and Food Northwest – among several other agricultural groups – testified against the cap-and-trade bill during this session. 

In fact, not a single agricultural group supports the cap-and-trade bill. The reason is simple – cap-and-trade would push up the cost of electricity and transportation fuels, ultimately putting farmers out of business.

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State Senate unanimously approves transportation budget (The Lens)

The state Senate unanimously approved a 2021-23 transportation budget that “seeks to continue critical project work while taking into consideration a significant loss of gas tax revenue during the state-imposed economic lockdown.” 

The budget would spend $11.8 billion, including $1 billion in transportation funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Of the federal money, “$600 million would be used to cover revenue losses, while $400 million of that would be used to remove fish barriers on Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) highways subject to a U.S. court injunction.” Additionally, $726.4 million would be spent on replacing culverts.

Olympia's Gun Control Legislation Nearly Enacted

Late Sunday night, the Washington House of Representatives quietly attempted to go to work passing unconstitutional anti-gun legislation off the House Floor.  ESSB 5038 prohibits open carry in many public circumstances.

Despite overwhelming outcry from the public, hours of debate and offers of amendments that would have prevented law-abiding Washingtonians from becoming criminals, the House voted along party lines 57-40 to pass ESSB 5038.

ESSB 5038 will now head back to the Senate for concurrence. 

Your voice is needed to urge Senate Democrat Majority Leader, Andy Billig, to hold the bill and prevent a concurrence vote on this unconstitutional piece of legislation. Billig's email is andy.billig@leg.wa.gov.

Here is a suggested text for an email:  

"ESSB 5038 should not become law.  All it will do is make felons out of harmless citizens by victimizing them.  For that reason alone it is wrong morally and socially and should not become law. "

The National Rifle Association is a help, at this link https://act.nraila.org/actions/campaigns/11329.

Olympia This Week

Senate Democrats’ budget proposal relies on capital gains income tax (Seattle Times)

Washington Senate Democrats released their two-year budget plan that includes a state income tax on capital gains. Their proposed $59.2 billion state operating budget isn’t the whole picture as it does not include additional spending of $7 billion from the federal government’s COVID-19 relief package. And – in a move that can be only described as irresponsible – Senate Democrats’ budget proposal relies on an illegal tax.

The proposal depends on a state income tax on capital gains of 7% on income above $250,000. Of course, Washington state’s constitution bans an income tax. If passed, a state income tax on capital gains will face a lengthy legal challenge, leaving funding for Democrats’ record-breaking spending uncertain. Making Democrats’ budget proposal even more irresponsible, spending also relies on completely draining the state’s rainy-day fund. This is despite greater than expected revenue projections

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Senate Democrats’ budget proposal indicates both cap-and-trade and LCFS (Washington Policy Center)

Washington Senate Democrats’ budget proposal includes both a cap-and-trade system and a low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS). That would add an estimated 20 cents to the cost of a gallon of gas in 2023. Costs would then increase by “between 41 and 50 cents per gallon, using current projections, in 2028.” The number would increase even more for diesel.  Senate Democrats’ budget also includes more than $10 million to implement both an LCFS and cap-and-trade.

As the Washington Policy Center’s Todd Myers explains, contrary to supporters’ claims, costs are entirely passed to consumers. The approaches are “needlessly wasteful, and the additional cost does nothing extra to reduce CO2 emissions.” Rather, it “simply increases the amount of money Washington residents pay to biofuel companies.”

In other words, Democrats’ climate policy is “first about generating state revenue and rewarding special interests, and effectively reducing CO2 emissions is secondary.”

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WA Democrats pass bill to restore voting rights to felon directly following release (My NorthWest)

A bill HB 1078 (https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1078&Year=2021&Initiative=false) – sponsored by Democrat State Rep. Tarra Simmons – that restores voting rights to felons the moment they are no longer incarcerated passed the state legislature. Under the bill, felons would “retain that right regardless of whether or not they can pay off post-incarceration expenses.”

In other words, felons will retain voting rights despite failing to fully pay back their debt to society. Democrats shut down amendments to the bill, including ensuring sexual offenders against children must finish their sentences before voting, ensuring people who are back in confinement because they have violated their community custody are not eligible to vote, and more. Senate Democrats also floor leaders shut down debate on final passage. All Senate Republicans voted no.

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Inslee updates K-12 social distancing guidelines (The Chronicle)

Following new federal guidelines, Gov. Jay Inslee updated the minimum requirements for distancing between K-12 students in classrooms from 6 to 3 feet. The guideline shift is effective immediately. Inslee’s decision to update the guidelines also comes after the request of State Republican leaders Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, and Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, urged Inslee to follow the CDC’s new guidance allowing for 3 feet. 

Wilcox and Braun wrote, “We’re hearing from school districts that the six-foot spacing of students is the largest hurdle to reopening classrooms… The children limited to remote instruction have been ready for a long time to see their teachers in person. Families need for their students to receive the best possible form of instruction. Students who have been allowed back on campus have shown they can follow established safety protocols.”

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Senator Mike Padden on housing affordability  (Cheney Free Press)

In an op-ed for the Cheney Free Press, Republican Senator Mike Padden (LD-4) explains why he introduced Senate Bill 5024, “a measure to help increase the supply of affordable housing by removing barriers to condominium construction.” With housing costs on the rise across Washington state, SB 5024 seeks to reduce the cost of developing condominiums, making units more affordable.

Padden points out that – right now – the “cost of a condominium unit can be as much as $200,000 more than the cost of an identical unit that happens to be a townhome.” This is due to the “additional inspection costs required for condominiums.” If the legislature approves Padden’s bill, “condominiums with 10 or fewer units and with no more than two stories would be exempt from the costly requirement to submit building enclosure design documents and obtain periodic inspections throughout the course of construction.” It would also “allow funds deposited for the purchase of a unit to be used for construction costs, under certain conditions.” 

The bill passed the Senate with a 37-12 vote.  The bill is currently in the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee. You can comment on the bill here.

Oppose the Carry Gun Ban -- Urge Your State Representative to Vote No

The Washington State House will vote soon.  Click Here to fill out the form in opposition to Senate Bill 5038.  It's easy to do.

Senate Bill 5038 makes it a crime to openly carry, on the person or in a vehicle, a firearm or other “weapon” if the person is participating in, or attending, a “permitted demonstration” in a public place

SB 5038 conflicts with both the US Constitution of the Washington State Constitution.

First SB 5038 contravenes the Washington State Constitution: "The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired... (Article 1, Section 24)."  Since “permitted demonstration” become the vehicle to control the people's use of weapons, the state constitution is challenged on the ground of  "The right of petition and of the people peaceably to assemble for the common good shall never be abridged (Article 1, Section 4)."   5038 would limit certain kinds of assembly, especially protests against gun control.

Second, SB 5038 conflicts with the US Constitution.  Despite permitting individuals to use an area for the exercise of their First Amendment rights, anti-gun legislators want to ban those individuals from exercising their Second Amendment rights in the same permitted space.  The Constitution was not written with gradually disappearing ink where one right is more important than another.

The right to be armed should never be infringed upon in any capacity, especially when other Constitutional Rights are being freely and openly expressed. 

Further, SB 5038 specifically makes it a crime to carry openly a firearm on Washington State Capitol grounds.  Open carry on the capitol campus during 2A rallies has always been peaceful and without a single incident of violence, however, it will now be banned without reason.  Now their left's agenda become clear.

Tell your representative to vote against Senate Bill 5038.  Click Here. 

Olympia this week.

Seattle Time Editorial Board: “Shelve” state capital gains income tax “entirely” (Seattle Times)

Washington’s revenues are $3.2 billion over expectations, according to the latest state revenue forecast. That means – as the Seattle Times Editorial Board put it – the state has “enough money to provide necessary government services critical to the pandemic recovery.”

The fact that revenue projections are back to pre-pandemic levels is “a strong reason to pause a new tax that could hobble the long-term economy.”

With the Democrats already having rushed to pass the state capital gains income tax out of the State Senate, the editorial board urged the House to shelve the bill entirely.  “[State] revenue projections swamp any argument the state needs the money now.” And the bill itself “does a poor job of stating why it would be needed in the future.”

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Sen. Wilson addresses “record failures” at state unemployment agency (Daily News)        

Republican State Sen. Jeff Wilson (LD-19) wrote an op-ed covering the state Department of Employment Security’s (ESD) record of failure – “one of the all-time worst.”

The failures of ESD during 2020 were especially harmful to Washingtonians. Wilson writes that the 2020 “meltdown at ESD denied thousands the unemployment checks they needed as the state-ordered COVID shutdown sent unemployment soaring to record highs.” Importantly, “big payroll-tax increases point to a systemic problem that requires state attention.” Wilson calls on the state Legislature to prioritize fixing the problems as ESD and address the fundamental problem facing businesses (the law passed spreading tax increases over several years does not do enough).

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Sen. Rivers responds to State Supreme Court drug possession ruling (WAStateLeg Republican Caucus)

A recent KING 5 News report featured Republican State Sen. Ann Rivers (LD-18) on the State Supreme Court drug possession law ruling. Rivers warned drug-related crimes would increase unless drug possession is a criminal offense, subject to arrest.

Republican lawmakers are pushing to make drug possession an arrestable offense again following the shocking court ruling that the current law is unconstitutional. It is the responsibility of state lawmakers to re-write the law. Unfortunately, Democrat lawmakers appear uninterested in working on any such law.

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Democrats move forward on early release of violent criminals (News Tribune)

House Democrats have passed HB 1282, a bill that would change the present law on the early release of prisoners on good behavior.

Currently, the law allows for the early release of prisoners under conditions met by “good time.” The law exists on a tiered system, “low level offenders can earn up to a third off their sentence; for violent and sex offenses, up to 10% off.” If Senate Democrats move forward with HB 1282, the law would change to allow “one third good time applicable to all offenses and apply it retroactively to those already in prison.”

Mary Robnett, Pierce County Prosecutor, warns in an op-ed for The Tacoma News Tribune that the “wholesale release of our most serious violent criminal and sex offenders into our community while we grapple with resurgent crime rates and court backlogs is the last thing we need.”