Health officials say it is time to mask up
If you’ve been a little lax with masking over the past few months, health officials in Washington state are urging a change in behavior. Dozens of hospital leaders and county health officers from around the state are urging people to once again become diligent about masking in public indoor spaces. “This joint statement from a broad coalition of public health and healthcare professionals is an indication of our shared level of concern. We hope people share that concern and do what they can to help reduce the risk of this situation becoming even worse over the coming weeks,” Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, and a signatory to the joint statement, said via email. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)
Traffic stops and qualified immunity: How one group wants to change policing this session
Police accountability advocates are hoping to convince the 2023 Washington state legislature to limit traffic safety stops, which they say disproportionately target communities of color and low-income people, and have escalated into tragic results. WCPA members were joined at a news conference by families of people who were killed by police, as well as Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island, Rep. My-Linh Thai, D-Bellevue, Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, new Rep. Darya Farivar, D-Seattle, and Enoka Herat with the ACLU of Washington. WCPA has worked with lawmakers over the past several legislative sessions on new police accountability laws such as legislation that prevents police officers from using chokeholds or neck restraints and legislation that created the Office of Independent Investigations to review incidents involving police officers. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Ted S. Warren)
Dinosaurs, drug laws and police pursuits on lawmaker to-do lists
Honoring Suciasaurus rex, celebrating Chinese-Americans, reining in the state schools superintendent and making drug possession a felony again are on the to-do list for lawmakers next year. Whether they get these done in the rapidly approaching 2023 legislative session is another matter. Legislators have begun pre-filing bills for introduction on the first day, Jan. 9. They’ll then have the rest of the 105-day session to get them through both chambers and onto the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee. Continue reading at Everett Herald.
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Health officials say it is time to mask up
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