Washington lawmakers are trying to protect out-of-state abortion patients. Here’s what you need to know:
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, Democrats in Washington have made it a priority to protect access to abortion. As other states, like neighboring Idaho, begin passing laws to restrict abortion access, the Washington Legislature this year is looking at a number of ways to increase protections for providers and patients. One idea: shielding patients who travel for an abortion or gender-affirming care from criminal investigations in other states. “If other states are going to be creative and aggressive in restricting abortion, we will be creative and aggressive in fighting back,” sponsor Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bremerton, said during a floor debate. Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho saw a 25% increase of abortion patients this January compared to January of last year. The number of patients coming from Idaho, where an abortion ban went into effect in August, increased by 75% in the last year. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jim Camden)

Bill passes to require landlords to substantiate damage claims to retain deposits
House Bill 1074 is sponsored by Rep. My-Linh Thai, D-Bellevue, and was passed with a 57-40 vote. It will now head for the Senate. The bill does several things, including extending the timeline landlords have to provide documentation showing that they are right in retaining all or part of a tenant’s deposit. That timeline would be extended from 21 days to 30 days. Additionally, landlords must provide documents or receipts to substantiate damage costs withheld from a tenant’s deposit. It also prohibits landlords from keeping a deposit in certain instances, such as normal wear and tear, or replacement of fixtures, appliances and equipment if the condition of those items was not documented during the tenant’s move-in. Thai said in a press statement released after the bill passage. “As a landlord myself, this is about setting a precedent for landlords to stop charging tenants thousands of dollars in uncorroborated damages.” Continue reading at The Olympian. (Getty Images)

Comment: Justice requires change in how we view juveniles’ pasts
As a former elected county prosecutor and longtime child advocate, I have seen the evolution of our response to the public safety needs of our community over the years, particularly when it comes to kids and the law. Past progress aside, there is more to be done to advance justice for our community’s children. Democrats in the legislature — and any brave Republicans willing to join them — should embrace an opportunity for truly transformative change in juvenile justice policy by ending a particularly harmful and outdated vestige of the “tough on crime” era. House Bill 1324 would retroactively and prospectively stop the practice of automatically sentencing adults to longer sentences because of crimes they committed as children. Convictions for the most heinous crimes — crimes where a juvenile is convicted in adult court or for sexual assault adjudications in juvenile court — would still count against an adult defendant. HB 1324 should become law. The current policy is neither based on evidence, nor in the interests of justice. Continue reading at Everett Herald.