Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We are at the half-way point of the 2020 legislative session. The full House is now voting on bills that were passed by the relevant policy committees. Highlighted below are a few of the bills we are now considering. You are also invited to participate in our town hall and our telephone town hall with my seatmates, Rep. Larry Springer and Sen. Manka Dhingra. You can find details below.
Updating Our Domestic Violence Laws
Domestic Violence is a chronic social problem that plagues our community without regard to race, religion, age or socio-economic status. In this week’s Goodminute I discuss the steps the Legislature has taken to strengthen our domestic violence laws and keep families safe.
Telephone and In-Person Town Halls
45th District Telephone Town Hall
Thursday, February 20, 6 – 7 p.m.
You should get a phone call at 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 20. All you need to do is stay on the line to participate. Press *3 at any time to ask a question. To be sure you are called, you can sign up ahead of time online by going to http://vekeo.com/WHDC45. The town hall will last until 7 p.m.
If you do not receive the call, you can still participate by
- dialing 877-229-8493 and using ID Code 116292, or
- going to http://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php?client=16292.
45th District Town Hall
Saturday, February 22, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology
West Building, Room 404
11605 132nd Avenue NE
Kirkland, WA 98034
Campus map: https://www.lwtech.edu/about/directions/docs/lwtech-kirkland-campus-map.pdf
Driving directions: https://www.lwtech.edu/about/directions/
Inside Olympia
This past week, I was interviewed on TVW’s “Inside Olympia” with Austin Jenkins to discuss our criminal justice work in the House Public Safety Committee.
Keeping Our Courts Open
During testimony for House Bill 2567, the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee heard from Carlos, a resident of Quincy. Carlos was waiting in line at the Grant County Courthouse to renew his license plate when a plainclothes immigration officer approached him. Carlos was arrested and held for seemingly no other reason than his race. He now fears going to the courthouse.
Our system is built on the promise of justice for all. When part of our population fears going to the courthouse, our entire society suffers. People should be free to seek justice whether a citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented immigrant. As Carlos’ story shows, immigrants fear being detained and arrested at courthouses right now. If immigrants are afraid to testify in court, seek protection orders, or even renew their vehicle licenses, it makes us all less safe. It allows criminals to escape justice, prevents abuse victims from seeking protection orders, and makes our roads more dangerous.
Our justice system simply does not work if people are too afraid to come to court.
I’m supporting House Bill 2567 to ensure that everyone in Washington has access to our courts. The bill would prohibit federal immigration agents from making unwarranted arrests within one mile of a courthouse and require that judicial warrants are reviewed by the court before being used. It also prohibits judges and court personnel from inquiring about immigration status or sharing nonpublic information with immigration officials. Federal immigration enforcement at our courthouses is creating an atmosphere of fear that denies our immigrant population access to justice. No one in Washington state should have to decide between having their day in court and their freedom.
As always, please reach out if you have questions, comments, or ideas.
All best wishes,
Roger Goodman
Representative, 45th District
Washington State Legislature