ACLU Supporter –
We’re going to be honest with you, this legislative session was a tough one.
For the past two months, we, our allies, friends, and activists, have fought tirelessly in Olympia to protect access to health care, address racially discriminatory police practices, and advance fairer sentencing laws that promote public safety and lead with racial justice.
We knew our five priority bills faced uphill battles, and we are disappointed that they did not pass this session. Our hearts are heavy today, but we also have a lot to be proud of. This year, we:
- Moved the juvenile points retroactivity (HB 2065) and Keep Our Care Act (SB 4251) bills further through the legislative process than they ever had reached before;
- Ensured that the civil rights protections in the Traffic Safety for All (HB 1513) and AG Civil Rights Investigation (HB 1445) bills remained strongly intact;
- Prevented a number of bills that would have harmed civil rights and civil liberties from becoming law;
- Secured additional funding to increase the number of immigrants eligible for Medicaid-like insurance;
- And successfully advocated for a task force to study artificial intelligence to develop thoughtful, community-informed responses to complex policy challenges.
We are here for the long haul.
It can take multiple years and legislative sessions to see change. We’re committed to hope – and we’re already busy laying the groundwork for next year. While a number of our bills didn’t pass this year, we still made progress in the legislature, grew our coalitions, and strengthened community relationships. Your advocacy helped us build momentum that we’ll carry forward.
Thank you for showing up and supporting this work. Every action you took, sign-in submitted, message sent to a lawmaker, social media like or share made a difference.
The work continues and so too will our fight for a more equitable, safe, and just Washington.
Onwards,
ACLU of Washington
ACLU of Washington
P.O. Box 2728
Seattle, WA 98111-2728