Hate has no place in Washington state. I am saddened and disgusted by the growing roster of hateful and cowardly threats, attacks and vandalism directed at religious and ethnic minorities in Washington, and throughout the United States. Whether it’s a bomb threat against a Jewish community center on Mercer Island, the torching of a Bellevue mosque, or the Kansas murder of a Hindu man because he was perceived to be Middle Eastern – we’re seeing a repellent pattern of domestic terrorism that threatens us all.
I join Gov. Inslee and fellow elected officials in condemning these acts, and calling for an immediate investigation and swift punishment for those responsible. As we emphasized in a letter to our congressional delegation, federal officials must stand up against this campaign of fear and violence. I also was proud to vote today (Feb. 28) to pass HB 2097, which restricts business and public sector entities from collecting and sharing religious affiliation information.