Washington in Focus

On May 31, 2020 more than a thousand individuals rioted in downtown Bellevue, with looters attacking stores at Bellevue Square, the Bellevue Connection, and Lincoln Square. The rioting prompted a civil emergency declaration by the city along with a 12-hour curfew. Afterwards, the Bellevue police department arrested 46 people and undertook a massive investigation into the incident that included sifting through 10,000 hours of video footage and the formation of a task force dedicated to the investigation.

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The Metropolitan Improvement District is set to sunset on June 30, but Seattle City Councilmember Sarah Nelson is proposing a 10-year renewal that would collect nearly $3 million more from downtown property owners. The district is managed by the Downtown Seattle Association, with employees, also known as “ambassadors” tasked with services such as daily cleaning of downtown streets and sidewalks.

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The Washington House has passed a bill allowing shelters to keep runaway juveniles from their parents to get an abortion and/or gender surgeries that include removing a girl's breasts or uterus. Although framed by proponents as a bill to protect youth suffering from abuse, SB 5599 only stipulates that the minors be "seeking or receiving protected health care services" for a homeless shelter or "host home" to avoid informing the parents or legal guardians, as otherwise required by state law.

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A Washington Senate bill aims to crack down on rampant catalytic converter thefts that have put the state worst in the nation. However, Senate Bill 5740 sponsored by Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, has left industry and law enforcement groups divided over the bill’s provisions that underscore the ease with which the thefts can occur and difficulty in tracking down stolen car parts.

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There were 26 Seattle City employees that made over $200,000 in overtime pay in 2022. Out of the 26 employees, there were 17 Seattle City Light employees who made over $200,000 in overtime pay. That is the most out of any Seattle department. 

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Two Washington State Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation this week that would fund access to health care by imposing an income tax on the annual pay of certain highly compensated hospital employees.

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A Washington State House of Representatives committee gave a do-pass recommendation on a 6-3 vote during executive session to an amended version of legislation that would reclassify possession of a controlled substance as a misdemeanor rather than a gross misdemeanor. A misdemeanor is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, while the maximum punishment for a gross misdemeanor is 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.

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Washington is among 14 states that doesn’t have a parole system for releasing convicted felons prior to the end of their sentence. Under House Bill 1189 sponsored by Rep. David Hackney, D-Tukwila, that authority to commute sentences would still remain in the hands of the governor, though it would reshape the Clemency and Pardons Board, or CPB, in an effort to make the process more “equitable." Some critics say that will result in violent felons being released early and further erode public safety, with Rep. Jenny Graham, R-Spokane, telling colleagues on the House floor on March 4 that "this could very easily be the death of our justice system."

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The Seattle Police Department is seeing small improvements in its recruitment compared to last year, but there is still a net loss of officers so far in 2023. From the beginning of 2023 through March 16, Seattle Police have hired 19 officers, which is nine more than last year’s year-to-date total of 10 hires. Notably, during the department’s presentation to the Public Safety and Human Services Committee on March 28, officer separation statistics were left out. However, a version of the presentation available online reveals that there was a net loss of 6 officers through March 16, 2023. That is an improvement over the 2022 year-to-date net loss of 28, but is not on pace to reach the city’s goal of a net gain of 500 officers in the next five years.

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As Washington state continues to experience a fentanyl epidemic, a House bill aims to crack down on the mass production of fentanyl pills through the use of tableting machines. House Bill 1209 sponsored by Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-Lakewood, would make it a Class C felony for a person to misuse sell, buy, or use those machines for the purposes of producing illegal drugs. Unlike other potential legislation surrounding the prosecution of drug offenses, there’s little argument over this proposal, which cleared the House unanimously 95-0 on March 7. The number of drug overdose deaths has risen in Washington in recent years, especially in King County. In 2019, there were 422 drug overdose deaths. By 2022, that number had reached 1,033, with roughly 70% of them attributed to fentanyl. Three months into 2023, there have been almost 300 drug overdose deaths.

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