Lawmakers propose mandatory child abuse reporting for WA clergy
Many people are required to report child abuse or neglect in Washington state. They include doctors, nurses, and teachers. One group not on the list of mandatory reporters is clergy members. But that could change. A proposal in the state Legislature would require clergy members to report child abuse or neglect to the police. State Sen. Noel Frame, a Democrat from Seattle, is the bill’s sponsor. “Mandated reporters play a really important role in our state in protecting children,” said Frame. “It’s why our teachers and others with a really special relationship with our children are asked to take on that responsibility. Religious leaders have that same relationship with children in our state. They are trusted friends and mentors. If a young person in a school setting tells their teacher that they are being sexually abused by their neighbor, the teacher would have an obligation, a legal requirement, to report that to law enforcement. This legislation just extends that duty to report to include religious leaders as well.” Continue reading at KUOW. (WikiMedia Commons)

Bill would pay WA’s incarcerated workers minimum wage
State Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, wants the state to pay incarcerated workers more money. She’s sponsoring House Bill 1024, called the “Real Labor, Real Wages Act,” to raise incarcerated workers’ wages to the state minimum of $15.74. Simmons, believed to be the first formerly incarcerated person elected to the State Legislature, said when she was in prison she worked graveyard shifts for no more than 42 cents an hour, after various deductions to her paycheck. “A lot of lawmakers aren’t prioritizing the issues of the incarcerated population because they haven’t lived that experience,” Simmons said. In the last fiscal year ending in June, more than 1,600 incarcerated people worked 218,335 hours at Washington Correctional Industries and contributed $46.2 million to the Washington state economy. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)

Washington could be first state to pass approach to addressing domestic violent extremism
With threats against elected officials and violent extremism on the rise, Washington’s Attorney General’s office authored a 31-page study with recommendations on ways to prevent domestic terrorism and hate crimes. The study was requested by state lawmakers like Rep. Bill Ramos. “We’re trying to figure out why. Why now, is it becoming more of a problem than it was previously?” said Rep. Bill Ramos, (D), 5th legislative district. The attorney general’s study recommends a violent extremism commission. A bill to establish it is currently making its way through the legislature. If passed, it would make Washington the first state in the nation to target extremism with a public health approach. “People are just acting out with violence, versus talking about a problem and working towards a solution,” said Rep. Ramos. The commission would look at solutions to combat disinformation and address early signs of radicalization. Continue reading at KING5.