Two bills we supported this year are becoming law: (1) A bill to prohibit contracts by the WA Dept. of Corrections for privately-operated prisons (2) A “bail-jumping” bill, that will reduce penalties for not appearing in court, which tend to affect low-income people most. We are greatly pleased with the…
Dear Friends: We hope you are staying safe in these challenging times! We know that many of us will be receiving a stimulus check from the federal government and some of us do not urgently need the funds. If you are looking for ideas for donating some or part of…
The bill to Abolish the Death Penalty (SB 5339) and the bill to prohibit contracts with privately-operated prisons (SB 6442) have both passed the Senate and must receive votes in the House by Friday, March 6, 2020. Unfortunately, the following efforts did not succeed this session: Restoration of voting rights…
The bill to Abolish the Death Penalty (SB 5339) and the bill to prohibit contracts with privately-operated prisons (SB 6442) have both passed the Senate and must receive votes in the House by Friday, March 6, 2020. Unfortunately, the following efforts did not succeed this session: Restoration of voting rights…
On May 7th. Gov. Jay Inslee signed an unprecedented suite of clean energy legislation into law, ushering in aggressive timelines for decarbonizing Washington’s economy and transforming the state’s energy. Together, these measures represent the greatest step Washington has ever taken toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Successful bills: SB 5116 Establishes…
Help Clean Up Washington’s Transportation Fuels An important bill that would improve the efficiency of fuel used for transportation in Washington State needs your support. HB 1110 and its companion bill in the Senate SB 5412 would establish a Clean Fuels Program to limit the greenhouse gas emissions per unit of…
Two bills crucial for the future of our state's ecology need help to make their way through the Washington State legislature. Both bills are important steps to prevent the worst effects of climate change: HB 1112 would direct both the Department of Ecology and the Department of Enterprise Services to…
Friends have been a leading voice for social justice for several centuries. Our voice in state government is critically important to many marginalized people in our state - including tens of thousands of state residents who have been enmeshed in the criminal justice system or suffer economic hardship - and…
The 2018 legislative successes resulted from years of building relationships with allies, as well as legislators and their staffs. Finally, prisoners’ Legal Financial Obligations no longer accrue interest at 12% while they are in prison. Quaker Voice led the successful 2018 effort to establish an independent corrections ombuds, concluding work…
Friends, We can all celebrate the passage in both houses of the state legislature of not one but two of the criminal justice bills that we have worked on for at least the past ten years An Independent Corrections Ombuds (HB 1889) passed the Senate last week on a 48…