Police & Courts
Conservative Latino leaders wary of how disputed legislative district lines will be redrawn
Latino civic leaders on Thursday warned the redrawing of a Yakima Valley legislative district could do more harm than good for communities they represent in south-central Washington. They said they worry that when a federal judge finishes redoing the disputed map for the 15th Legislative District, it will cost Sen. Nikki Torres of Pasco, Washington’s […]
Inslee’s COVID-19 eviction ban was legal, state Supreme Court rules
A divided Washington Supreme Court on Thursday rejected claims that Gov. Jay Inslee exceeded powers granted to him under state law when he imposed an emergency ban on evictions during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. Landlords sued over the restrictions, arguing Inslee overstepped his authority and violated the state constitution. Lower courts sided against […]
Oregon governor directs state police to crack down on fentanyl, shares few details
Oregon State Police will do more to crack down on fentanyl dealers under new direction from Gov. Tina Kotek, she announced Tuesday. Kotek shared the orders Tuesday at a second private meeting of her Portland Central City Task Force, a group that began meeting behind closed doors last month to come up with a plan […]
Judge upholds Washington’s $17B transportation package
An effort to derail a sweeping state transportation package failed Friday, with a Thurston County judge upholding the law. But opponents hinted that the legal fight may not be over. They’d sued asserting the legislation contains multiple unrelated topics in violation of a state constitutional requirement that bills cover no more than one subject. Thurston […]
Biden administration to create new gun violence prevention office
WASHINGTON — The White House Thursday announced the formation of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention that will help states and local governments as they implement a gun safety legislative package President Joe Biden signed into law last year. Lacking additional action in Congress to curb gun violence, “the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along […]
Efforts to roll back parts of Oregon drug decriminalization law gain momentum
This article was first published by the Oregon Capital Chronicle. A coalition funded by prominent Oregonians, including retired Nike co-founder Phil Knight, plans to ask Oregon voters in 2024 to roll back some of Measure 110, the voter-passed law that decriminalized the use of hard drugs. The group, the Coalition to Fix and Improve Ballot […]
Price of illicit fentanyl in WA drops to as low as 50 cents a pill
You can now buy illicit fentanyl on Washington’s streets for as little as 50 cents a pill. That’s according to police and local advocates working with people who use drugs. They say fentanyl is selling for anywhere from 50 cents to $5 a pill, depending on location and dealer-user relationships. In Seattle, the price of […]
Workers sue WA Department of Corrections over Larch closure
The union representing state correctional employees is asking a court to halt the closure of Larch Corrections Center in southwest Washington, claiming the Department of Corrections violated a number of labor practices ahead of its decision to shutter the facility. Teamsters Local 117 filed its complaint Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court, alleging Corrections refused […]
WA Supreme Court strikes down restrictions on sheriffs’ use of tear gas
Washington’s Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision on Thursday invalidated some of the restrictions the state Legislature put on law enforcement’s use of tear gas to suppress riots. The ruling overturns part of a state law passed in 2021 that requires police to get approval from the highest elected official in the jurisdiction where tear […]
Drug decriminalization stumbled in Oregon. Other states are taking note.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Just before Portland’s city council approved a ban on public drug use last week, Mayor Ted Wheeler described what he’d observed on his way to work that afternoon: “The last time I saw somebody consuming what I believe to be fentanyl publicly on our streets was less than five minutes ago, three […]
Democratic leaders will leave court to redraw disputed map for WA legislative district
Washington’s bipartisan Redistricting Commission will not be reconvened and a federal judge should redraw the disputed map for a Yakima Valley legislative district, the Democratic leaders of the state Legislature said Wednesday. House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, and Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane issued a joint statement that there would not be a special […]
Oregon sues Fox News over false election claims, retirement fund losses
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is suing Fox Corporation, alleging that false claims about the 2020 election broadcast on Fox News caused losses to the state’s employee retirement funds. Rosenblum and Treasurer Tobias Read, who oversees state investment accounts, began investigating Fox and preparing for a lawsuit in June. Their suit, filed Tuesday in the Delaware Chancery […]