Legislative Briefs

State reps vote ‘yes’ on drug bill

State Republican Reps. Dan Griffey and Travis Couture, both from Allyn, voted ‘yes’ on a law on drug possession and use May 16 during a 2023 special legislative session.

According to a news release, the state Supreme Court invalidated the state’s felony drug possession law in 2021 in a case known as the Blake decision.

“If you do compromise correctly, not everyone gets what they want — no one is totally happy. That is what we have here,” Griffey said in a news release. “This bill is miles ahead of the very dangerous policy that was brought up and failed on the last day of the regular session and it is a great place for us to start. I absolutely believe treatment has an important role to play in how we respond to the devastating drug crisis we are dealing with in Washington. But that treatment must be paired with an accountability component. The last version of this bill did not have that and would have led to many more people dying on our streets. My biggest concern moving forward is that it’s going to take years to build the treatment infrastructure we funded this year and until then some of the people who need help won’t truly be able to get it. Still, I know this bill will save lives.”

The passed bill states possession or public use of drugs will be a modified gross misdemaeanor with a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail for the first two convictions and 364 days for the third or more convictions, according to the release. The bill will also grant greater prosecutorial control of subsequent diversions to hold people accountable and flexibility for courts and prosecutors to apply appropriate consequences for knowing possession, knowing use in public space and allows for charges of other crimes in addition to possession and use crimes.

Cities, towns and counties can enact laws or ordinances relating to the establishment or regulation of harm reduction services and needle exchanges. Recovery residences are not required to have space for active drug users and health engagement hubs are not intended to be open to youths or adults, according to the release.

“Drive through any neighborhood in our state and you can see just how urgent it is that we get a statewide drug policy with some teeth to it — this bill has more teeth than we’ve had for more than two years,” Couture said in a news release. “Is it perfect? No. But I believe it will make a difference and save lives. This debate is about balancing accountability for those responsible for the rampant crime we see on our streets and compassion for those willing to seek treatment, as well as the communities dealing with the aftermath. I believe this policy gets us started down that path. But there are gaps that we need to address.”

Governor vetos housing restrictions

State 35th District Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Shelton, and state Republican Reps. Dan Griffey and Travis Couture, both from Allyn, released statements after Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed language in the state operation budget that would have required notice before the placement of sexually violent predators in low-security group homes in the state.

According to a news release, the budget provisos vetoed by the governor would have required the state Department of Social and Health Services to provide local government officials with notice and an opportunity to comment before a home for SVP’s could be established. The notice and opportunity for comment would have applied to federally recognized Indian tribes before a SVP home could be within 1 mile of a reservation.

“I am extraordinarily frustrated by the governor’s partial veto,” MacEwen said in a news release. “In his message he cites the proviso as being ‘administratively burdensome. Our communities rightly expect to be kept safe, and this proviso was intended to help in that effort. To suggest that that is too burdensome of an obligation is frankly abhorrent. It is time for this administration to step up and be engaged in protecting our communities and look at overhauling a bureaucracy that is failing.”

“This dangerous, tone-deaf veto is unacceptable, “ Griffey said in a news release. “It not only prioritizes

sexually violent predators over public safety, but it also completely ignores the voice of communities that have spoken loud and clear on this issue.”

“This veto completely disregards public safety needs — it’s that simple,” Couture said in a news release. “For the governor to reject this common-sense reform requiring public notice before placing dangerous sex predators in neighborhoods because it would burden a state agency that has a long record of failure is indefensible. It also proves just how right our communities are to be worried about the safety of their families when it comes to placing sexually violent predator homes in their neighborhoods.”

MacEwen, Griffey and Couture all proposed bills to address the public notice loophole or a moratorium on placement of SVP homes in communities. None of the bills received a hearing.

Griffey and Couture sent a letter to Inslee about SVP homes, but Inslee did not respond.

Griffey’s Hope Card bill signed into law

District Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, had his Hope Card bill for domestic violence survivors signed into law May 4 by Gov. Jay Inslee in Olympia.

According ot a news release, House Bill 1766, a bill Griffey was the prime sponsor for, will create the Hope Card program. The program creates electronic, scannable cards that will contain most of the information from a full protection order. Survivors formerly had to carry hard copies of protection orders in case they had to prove to police that they have an order to protect themselves.

The Hope Card program is expected to be available in 2025.

“Survivors have enough to worry about,” Griffey said in a news release. “Already, so many advantages go to the abuser. This is one advantage we can give to the survivors. It’s a passport to their life. It’s a passport to hope. Fighting for survivors is what brought me to Olympia. I am so happy to see this bipartisan bill cross the finish line,” said Griffey. “I will continue to fight until we tip the scales in the right direction.”

Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, said during a public hearing that judges in the state issue roughly 20,000 protection orders every year. In 2021, those orders were violated 15,000 times.