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Law & Justice
AWC Priority
Offender Reentry (ESSB 5070)
ESSB 5070 passed out of the House Human Services Committee on March 28 and is now in the House Appropriations Committee. The bill was amended in the committee to scale back some of the bill provisions, including limiting housing assistance to a pilot program, eliminating the pilot program for county transition networks, and limiting some of the education provisions.
The bill still includes language similar to SHB 1669, establishing a gross negligence standard of liability for offender supervision, which was scheduled to be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday, March 30 at 12 pm, and was scheduled to be passed out of the committee the same day. This is an AWC top priority and we are pleased that it continues to move.
AWC Priority
Emergency Worker Volunteer Immunity (HB 1073)
HB 1073 would provide that volunteer workers or their sponsoring agencies would not be liable in emergencies and natural disasters or during emergency management training exercises. This bill is by request of the Military Department and has the Governor’s support. This AWC Priority bill passed out of the Senate Governmental Operations & Elections Committee on Thursday, March 29 and is in the Senate Rules Committee.
Indigent Defense Grants (HB 1793)
AWC supports this bill to remove the cap on the number of cities eligible for indigent defense grants through the Office of Public Defense. The bill passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and was placed on second reading by the House Rules Committee on March 23.
ESHB 1030, an act related to eluding police and E3SHB 1001, an act relating to enhancing penalties for auto theft and creating an auto theft authority to provide assistance for regional efforts to combat these crimes, were both heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 28. Both bills are scheduled for executive session as this Bulletin is going to print, and we are hopeful they will be passed out of the committee before the legislative cut-off on Friday, March 30.
Gang-Related Crimes (SSB 5987)
This bill, which would establish a statewide work group to address gang-related crimes, was amended again in the House Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Committee to move responsibility for convening the work group to the Washington State Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs. The work group will include representatives from local law enforcement and municipal attorneys, who will be appointed by the Legislature. The bill is now in the House Rules Committee. AWC continues to support this effort to develop common definitions and goals related to gang crimes.
Wrongful Injury or Death of a Child Causes of Action (ESHB 1873)
ESHB 1873 was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, March 27. Thank you to Gayla Gjertsen, Tumwater finance director, who testified on behalf of cities as part of the panel in opposition to this extensive expansion of liability for these causes of action. For more information, see the March 16 Bulletin.
Basic Law Enforcement Academies – Your help needed!
AWC supports the Governor’s request of $3.464 million to create additional training capacity at the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) and would encourage city officials to send e-mails or write letters to Senator Margarita Prentice (D-Renton), Representative Helen Sommers (D-Seattle), and local legislators expressing support for the Governor’s funding level.
This money will help to reduce the waiting list for law enforcement officers to go through the Basic Law Enforcement Academy – the required training before they may be commissioned as a law enforcement officer in Washington State.
According to the CJTC, newly hired officers may wait as long as 5˝ months before being accepted into the training academy. During that time, they may not serve as law enforcement officers, further reducing cities’ ability to keep their communities safe. Both the Senate and House proposed budgets include enhancements to help train new law enforcement officers through the CJTC, but fall short of the $3.464 million requested by the Governor. For more information on academy funding and other ways the Governor, House and Senate’s proposed budgets impact cities, visit AWC’s website at www.awcnet.org.
Objections to Issuance of Liquor Licenses (EHB 2113)
AWC supports EHB 2113, which would require the Liquor Control Board to give substantial weight to objections by cities and counties regarding the issuance or renewal of liquor licenses. The bill was heard in and passed out of the Senate Labor, Commerce, Research & Development Committee on March 29.
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