Dear Friends and Neighbors,  

The Legislative Session is off to a busy start—and it’s been wonderful operating in-person and interacting with so many of you face-to-face. Thank you to those of you who have already reached out to share your input—I really appreciate it. One of the most important parts of my job is informing you about what we’re working on in Olympia—and hearing from you about what’s important to you. Here are some of the things we’ve been working on, and an invitation to an upcoming Town Hall where I can hear more from you: 

In 2021, we successfully passed legislation by Rep. Thai to better support families in Washington. The Working Families Tax Credit is a new program that will provide payments of up to $1,200 to low-to-moderate income individuals and families. The amounts are based on income level and the number of qualifying children (if any). This credit is projected to reach more than 400,000 Washington households and will benefit one in three kids in our state.  

This new program goes live this February, and will help us stimulate local economies, promote racial equity, and provide the financial stability Washington families need right now. To find more information in several available languages, and to see if you qualify, visit WorkingFamililesCredit.wa.gov. 

HB 1108 requires courts to resentence qualifying people serving exceptional sentences that were based on plea agreements. Plea bargaining and mass incarceration go hand-in-hand. It allows courts to incarcerate people for decades with little accountability. 97% of defendants accept plea bargains, because the offer is usually too good to refuse. However, plea bargaining coerces defendants to forfeit some of their rights (including the right to trial by jury), it raises the likelihood that an innocent person will plead guilty to crimes they didn’t commit out of fear of the alternative, and disproportionately burdens people of color. I’ve sponsored this legislation because resentencing could change the trajectory of people’s lives—and give then the dignity, rights, and opportunities that they deserve.  

Watch my testimony on this bill here.

HB 1189 expands the membership of the Clemency and Pardons Board (CPB) and establishes a process for qualifying people to petition the CPB for conditional commutations. The CPB is appointed by the Governor, and receives petitions from individuals, organizations, and the Department of Corrections for commutation of sentences, pardoning of offenders, and, in some cases, the restoration of the right to engage in political office. Clemency is a critical tool for checking unjust outcomes produced by the criminal justice system and can address systemic failures by granting people relief from extreme sentences with support to re-enter society. Expansion of the Board can help to maintain the highest level of ethical standard and provide more resources for those petitioning for their rightful commutations.  

Watch my testimony on this bill here.

HB 1324 excludes juvenile dispositions from being included in an offender score calculation upon a subsequent adult conviction. The habits, treatment responses, and behaviors of juveniles who commit crimes are very different to adults: crime is often indicative of the youth’s surrounding environment, and youth are incredibly resilient and responsive to maturation, treatment, and therapeutic support. Inclusion of juvenile offenses in the calculation of an adult offender score contributes to mass incarceration and unfair sentencing. Juveniles and adults are developmentally different, and offenses of juveniles and adults should amount differently when calculating a sentence. 

Watch my testimony on this bill here.  

HB 1178 repeals the statute that prohibits local jurisdictions from adopting laws relating to firearms. State preemption laws threaten local firearm regulations and can prevent local officials from protecting their communities against gun violence. State preemption ignores important local variations in violence and gun use, hingers enforcement of gun laws, and prevents local innovation in gun violence prevention strategies. I’ve sponsored this legislation to repeal state preemption, allowing local jurisdictions to determine what is best for their communities.  

Watch my testimony on this bill here.

HB 1130 establishes duties of firearm industry members engaged in the sale, manufacturing, distribution, importing, or marketing of firearms. Irresponsible, dangerous, and unlawful business practices contribute to the illegal use of firearms, and increases gun violence harming our children, our communities, and our state. Firearm dealers profit from the sale and manufacture of products used to threaten, injure, and kill people in our Washington—and they must be held accountable for unreasonably dangerous practices.  

Join my 11th LD seatmate, Representative Steve Bergquist, and I for a Mini Town Hall on Saturday, February 4th, at Common Ground Coffee (900 S 3rd St # A, Renton, WA 98057). Each participant will have the opportunity to sign up for a 15-minute time slot to chat with us between 1pm & 4pm.  

If you’d like to get in touch but can’t participate in the Mini Town Hall, please feel free to email me at david.hackney@leg.wa.gov or come stop by my office in Olympia. I hope to hear from you soon. 

In my capacity as the Legislative Black Caucus Chair, I released a statement on the death of Tyre Nichols, who was beaten by officers of the Memphis Police Department during a violent traffic stop, and subsequently died in the hospital. On Monday, January 16, we passed a House Resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. You can click here to watch my speech. I encourage and implore everyone to reflect, do what is right, and stand up in the face of hate, violence, and abuse.  

Although this tragic event did not happen in Washington state, as legislators, we have a duty to identify any lessons to be learned to ensure that similar criminal acts do not occur in our state. As a Legislative Black Caucus, we will also be examining the laws of our state to ensure our communities can hold police officers accountable for criminal acts. 

Dr. Martin Luther King once said, no one is free until we are all free. I would add that no one is safe, until we are all safe. 

Thank you so much for reading. It is an honor to represent the 11th Legislative District. Please don’t hesitate to send me an email or give us a call at (206) 490-0914. 

Sincerely,  

Rep. David Hackney