Washington in Focus

Washington state’s long-time attorney general and a former county sheriff will face off to be Washington’s next governor this November. Based on Tuesday night’s initial returns, Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson will face former King County Sheriff and U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, a Republican, in the general election. Initial primary returns showed Ferguson way out in the lead with 49.5% of the vote, with Reichert garnering 27.92% of the vote. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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It’s been nearly two months since Initiative 2113 was implemented, restoring vehicular pursuit options for law enforcement agencies across Washington state. I-2113 was passed by the Legislature this session and went into effect on June. 6. The law allows police officers to pursue vehicles when they have reasonable suspicion that the driver has committed a crime and is a threat to public safety. The change came at the urging of police agencies and citizens who raised concerns about community safety with criminals feeling emboldened to flee, knowing officers were prevented from giving chase in many circumstances. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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The Washington state agency tasked with overseeing tort claim investigations and determining whether individuals should be compensated as a result is defending its decision to assign an investigation to the state Attorney General’s Office in which the AGO and its client, Washington State University, are named defendants. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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A potential subcontractor for a state police use of force database project who has had a long-running feud with the state Attorney General’s Office and Washington State University has now filed a $42 million tort claim that includes accusations of racketeering. Police Strategies CEO Bob Scales was among potential bidders on a request for proposal put out in 2022 by the AGO via Senate Bill 5259. A former King County prosecutor, Scales was also consulted by legislators as the bill advanced through the Legislature, and advised them on similar bills introduced in prior sessions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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The annual Crime in Washington 2023 report found that overall violent crime went down, but hate crimes and vehicle thefts increased. The report, with data from 225 law enforcement agencies across the state, was presented Tuesday by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. The numbers of murders, other violent crimes and property crimes went down compared by 2022, but in many areas of the state, residents are still victimized at alarmingly high rates compared to other states. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Backers of Initiative 2066 turned in more than 431,000 signatures Tuesday afternoon to the Secretary of State’s Office in Tumwater with the hope of getting the measure to protect energy choices like natural gas and propane on this November's ballot.

The Building Industry Association of Washington, Let’s Go Washington and other partners held two news conferences on Tuesday, one at noon in Redmond and another at 3 p.m. at SOS headquarters to deliver signatures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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A choice available to voters on the November ballot could already be saving them money at the pump. This November, voters in Washington state will have the final say on Initiative 2117, which would repeal the Climate Commitment Act and prohibit state agencies from implementing a cap-and-trade program. However, there is some evidence that I-2117 may already be impacting the price of carbon credits, given a major decrease in the price of carbon credits during this year’s first two auctions as compared to last year’s auctions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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The Washington State Attorney General’s Office has drawn criticism for providing legal advice to the Secretary of State’s Office regarding a request by Attorney General Bob Ferguson through his campaign attorney to alter the order of candidates on the November election ballot. Last month, two men also named Robert Ferguson filed to run for governor. State election laws has the order of candidates listed on the ballot to be chosen at random. Both Robert Fergusons would have appeared above Attorney General Ferguson on the ballot. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Washington is now the 11th state in the country to ban child marriages via a new law that went into effect on June 6 that makes it illegal for anyone under 18 to get married. House Bill 1455, passed by the Legislature this session and signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee in March, took effect on June 6. Prior to the new law, Washington was one of five states with no age requirement to marry. In those other states, children of any age can be legally married with permission from a judge, and 17-year-olds only need parental permission. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Beginning Thursday, June 6, law enforcement officers in Washington can once again pursue someone if they have reasonable suspicion that person has violated any law. Lawmakers amended the stricter policy after a voter initiative was submitted to the legislature and was adopted into law earlier this year. The 2021 law that significantly restricted police came as part of a package of reforms which Republicans and law enforcement say gave criminals the upper hand and led to huge spikes in crime.

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Full stories:

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_279992a2-2364-11ef-80c1-07e8aec81eab.html

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_19955b46-229c-11ef-b8f9-6771a16e5e05.html

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_15580482-229e-11ef-bca5-3f85f7254ca5.html

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_ead41ec4-21d7-11ef-ae01-3705cdd938b9.html

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