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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The work in Olympia continues as we head into the last half of the 105-day legislative session. To see a list of good and bad bills that are still alive and moving through the process, along with ones that are considered “dead” for the session, click here.
I hosted a Crime Victims' Call to Action this week at the Capitol steps in Olympia. I was joined by several Republican lawmakers and crime victims from around the state. There were picture frames with testimonials and stories about how crime has impacted them as well as pictures of loved ones.
My intention for this event was to first honor and recognize the many victims of crime who feel left behind by the criminal justice system. Their stories, their pain, and their experiences matter. I wanted them to know that we stand with them and recognize them. I drafted House Resolution 4626 to honor crime victims and their families:
I also wanted to initiate a call to action to get people involved in the legislative process. There are too many bills coming out of Olympia that put criminals above victims. You can read more about these bills in this short list here.
Victims are the only ones in our criminal justice system who DO NOT VOLUNTEER to be there! And they are the ones with the least amount of state support.
- Help for victims drops to 'crisis level' in WA – The Seattle Times
To rectify this inequity, I am sponsoring legislation to create a state ombudsman for crime victims. House Bill 1845 will allow important data to be collected and give victims an advocate at the state level when dealing with the criminal justice system.
I'm also sponsoring legislation to hold legislators accountable for their actions when passing laws. Too many people have been negatively impacted by the poor public safety laws coming out of Olympia that favor criminals. Legislators should be held accountable. You can listen to my radio interview with KVI's Ari Hoffman on this issue here, and one with KTTH's Victoria Taft here.
Finally, you can read a story about my Crime Victims' Call to Action by The Center Square here. And you can click on the image below to watch a short video of my opening remarks at the rally.
I'm so grateful for all the attendees and for the stories and pictures sent in by citizens from around the state. I'm hopeful this can become a yearly rally. We need to stand up for our children, families, and communities in the face of these ridiculous laws being passed by the majority party in Olympia.
Vehicular pursuits
One of the most important issues of the legislative session is the ability for law enforcement to pursue criminals again. Legislation passed by Democrats in previous legislative sessions has resulted in a massive increase in auto thefts, property crime, and other violent crime. The inability for law enforcement to pull over criminals has even resulted in three deaths in just the last few weeks, including two children in Yakima:
- Troopers say suspect in Sunnyside crash that killed 2 children wasn't stopped earlier because of state pursuit law – The Yakima Herald
We need to allow police to do their job of protecting our communities and families. Recently, I joined with my House Republican colleagues in attempting a parliamentary maneuver that would have pulled the bipartisan House Bill 1363 to the floor for a vote (it was bottled up in committee). Our efforts were voted down by House Democrats:
While the Senate did pass a bill addressing police pursuits, it is not even close to what we need. It is less than a half step in the right direction. You can read more about this issue in the media stories below:
- For community safety, state House must pass new police-pursuit law – The Seattle Times
- With Washington House bill broken down, Senate passes police pursuit reform – The Center Square
- Editorial: House Democrats disappoint on police pursuit bill – The Columbian
Thank you for reading this email update and for staying involved in state government issues. If my office can be of service, or if you have questions or concerns about state issues, please feel to contact me. We are here to serve you.
Sincerely,
Jenny Graham
