WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Category: The Advance

The Civil Rights Battle in 2016

January 18, 2016

Today our nation celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Yet remembering him isn’t what Dr. King would want us to do. Instead of talking about the past, he’d want us to continue the fight for equality and justice.

While the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s is over, the fight for equal opportunity for all continues.

At the heart of Brown vs. Board of Education case is the notion that all Americans, regardless of skin color, must be treated equally under the law.

All students have a right to an education. Yet 60 years after Brown, our kids are not receiving an equal education.

Joel’s Law fixes a problem. Here’s how to make use of it

October 8, 2015

Caduceus

Joel Reuter was a young man in crisis. For years he had suffered from bipolar disorder and had previously been committed under Arizona’s petition system, monitored for a year to make sure he was recovering.

And for five years, Joel lived in Seattle without any significant mental health issues, working as a software engineer and living on Capitol Hill. But when he started showing signs of another crisis, his family tried 48 times to get their son the help he needed.

On July 5, 2013, Joel was killed in a standoff with police while suffering from a crisis where he thought he was shooting at zombies.

Joel’s Law was approved by the Legislature this year. It allows courts to order involuntary commitment if, after reviewing a family member’s petition and statement, feels that detention is warranted. Joel’s family would have been able to petition the courts to overrule decisions to not commit Joel to a facility if this law had been in effect.