MLK Jr.’s dream not yet achieved, but still attainable, advocates say
Sixty years after Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, racial justice advocates say that dream has not been achieved. As Black Americans continue to face economic, social and systemic racism, those advocates point to social and policy changes that could push the country closer to King’s vision. Supporting communities, whether it be financially investing in predominantly Black public schools or improving health outcomes and access to health care, is the first step toward change. In order for King’s vision to be reached, ideological differences must be put aside. “We pretend that the dream was just that Black and white folks can hang out together or go to school together or that society allows interracial marriages and stuff like that,” said DaMareo Cooper, a political organizer. “But what he was really talking about is how do we create a society where everyone has economic opportunity … about being able to not only sit at the counter but to be able to pay for the food.” Continue reading at Bellingham Herald. (Jacquelyn Martin)

Incarcerated people in WA plead to limit use of solitary confinement
There are no state restrictions on the use of restrictive housing in adult facilities operated by the Department of Corrections, despite research showing that extended periods in solitary confinement, where an incarcerated person is alone for at least 20 hours per day, can lead to psychological deterioration and emotional breakdowns. A new bill working its way through the Legislature would restrict when prisons can use solitary confinement, but some prison staff say the use of solitary is necessary to protect their safety. House Bill 1087, sponsored by state Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Seattle, would restrict the use of solitary confinement to emergency use, medical isolation or for people who choose to go voluntarily (for protection, for example), with requirements for each of those situations. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Mike Siegel)

State must fully fund K-12 special education
Currently, the state’s funding model provides an average per-student baseline level of funds for school districts to serve their students. Districts have a federal obligation to identify and serve all children with disabilities within the district’s geographic boundaries. For students with disabilities, the state provides an additional amount of funds above the baseline, on an average basis, to recognize the costs of providing additional services. It’s because of the investments by the Legislature over the past few years that we have made such progress. To continue this trajectory, we must invest in the ongoing growth and transformation that is critical to improving student outcomes. It’s time for the state to fully fund special education services and eliminate the overreliance on local revenues — which districts do not have equal access to — to serve this population of students who are often furthest from educational justice. Continue reading at Everett Herald.