Author Archives: walegcommunications

Federal assistance requested for finding missing Native American women

All 49 members of the Washington State Senate joined today to send a letter to federal government leaders requesting resources and assistance with finding missing Native American women. This action comes after the Legislature approved HB 2951 during the recently completed 2018 session, which tasks Washington State Patrol with studying the issue that disproportionately affects indigenous women.

“Our state and nation has a major gap in reporting and directing resources to missing Native American women, which makes finding and keeping them safe more difficult,” said Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima. “While the bill passed in our state will begin focusing state resources on this problem, we need federal engagement to make any solution work.”

Washington State Patrol already manages a special unit for reporting and investigating missing persons. Efforts include a 24-hour reporting hotline, creation and distribution of missing person posters, and assistance for local law enforcement and families. However, these resources do not always reach Native American women, making it more difficult to track missing persons and provide adequate resources and support to families.

The legislation calls for Washington State Patrol to collect data on the number of missing Native American women in the state, identify unique barriers to providing effective state resources to these communities, and develop recommendations, including proposed legislation, to address the problem.

A recent Department of Justice report found that four-of-five Native American women experience violence in their lives, leading to a disproportionately higher rate of them going missing.

“The lack of resources and systems in place to protect Native American women make them more vulnerable to violence,” said King. “We’ve seen our neighbors in Canada undertake a national effort to address this problem, which is necessary to make this effort work in the United States as we know this issue goes beyond our Washington state border.”

Under the bill, which was signed into law by the governor on Thursday, Washington State Patrol and the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs must convene meetings with tribal and local law enforcement partners and work with federally recognized tribes to explore partnerships. Washington State Patrol would also work with the federal Department of Justice to increase information sharing and coordinate resources. A final report with results and recommendations would be due to the Legislature by June 1, 2019.

The letter sent today is addressed to FBI Director Christopher Wray, and was also sent to the president and all members of Washington’s congressional delegation.

Senator King tells transit agency to consider soldiers and find a fair solution

Before he adjourned a recent working session of the Senate Transportation Committee, Sen. King urged Sound Transit officials to consider the impact their car tab tax valuations were having on soldiers.  Sen. King related how soldiers had come to him and described struggling to make ends meet.  He said they told him that they didn’t know how they’d be able to make it if they had to pay Sound Transit’s new car tab taxes.

Watch Sen. King tell the story below.

 

Department of Transportation in good hands with Roger Millar at helm, says Senator King

In a unanimous vote today, the Senate confirmed Roger Millar as Secretary of the Department of Transportation. Mr. Millar is a second-generation civil engineer with thirty-eight years of experience including as a public works director, a city and county planning director, and vice-president of a multi-national engineering firm.  He served as acting secretary from February 2016 to August 2016, and was appointed secretary in August. 

Sen. Curtis King, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, gave strong support to Millar’s confirmation. 

“As secretary, Mr. Millar has been open and transparent in how he runs the department,” said Sen. King. “His forthcoming style kept me well-informed of key issues at DOT and he has shown a willingness to work through any challenges that come up. He has a solid engineering background, has done a fine job to this point, and I believe that he will continue to lead his department in a positive direction.”

 

REAL ID fix sails through Senate on 45 to 4 bipartisan vote

REAL ID compliance legislation sailed through the Senate this morning on a 45 to 4 bipartisan vote. The chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, sponsored SB 5008 to bring Washington State into compliance with the federal requirements of the 2005 REAL ID Act. The bill requires that non-compliant state licenses and IDs be marked to indicate they are not acceptable for federal purposes.

The legislation also dramatically reduces the cost of enhanced driver’s licenses, which are already REAL-ID compliant, from $108 to $66. Restrictions on the state Department of Licensing from using funds to comply with the 2005 REAL ID Act are removed.

“I think this overwhelming vote shows we addressed the concerns and allayed the fears about REAL ID,” said King. “It really is a simple fix to a big problem.”

The Senate action puts REAL ID compliance in the hands of the State House of Representatives. Federal officials have denied additional waivers from REAL ID compliance for Washington State. As a result, unless Washington passes REAL ID compliance this legislative session, beginning January of 2018, traditional driver’s licenses will not be acceptable for commercial domestic air travel.

“The Senate sent a strong, bipartisan message to the House with this vote,” King said. “This fix is fair, it saves money for motorists, and it protects the state economy. It’s taken a lot of years, but I think we’re finally all on the same page.”

Goldendale teen serves as page for Sen. King

OLYMPIA… Alyssa Simmons, an 11th-grade homeschooled student from Goldendale, was sponsored by Sen. King to spend a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate in Olympia. Alyssa was one of 15 students who served as Senate pages for the first week of the 2017 legislative session.

“Alyssa is a bright, hard-working young woman,” said King, R-Yakima. “I hope her time here has shown her how rewarding public service can be.”

The Senate Page Program is an opportunity for Washington students to spend a week working in the Legislature. Students are responsible for transporting documents between offices, as well as delivering messages and mail. Pages spend time in the Senate chamber and attend page school to learn about parliamentary procedure and the legislative process. Students also draft their own bills and engage in a mock session.

“It is a very good opportunity to get to know your government, and you meet a lot of nice people,” Alyssa said when asked about why she applied to the Senate Page Program.

Alyssa, 16, enjoys practicing archery and playing both soccer and tennis. She is also a three-time grand champion in dog agility training at the state fair.

She is the daughter of Darrell and Darla Simmons of Goldendale.

Students interested in the Senate Page Program are encouraged to visit: https://leg.wa.gov/Senate/Administration/PageProgram/

King, Clibborn announce bipartisan legislation for compliance with federal REAL ID Act

OLYMPIA—In a bipartisan bill announced by the two chairs of the Washington legislature’s transportation committees, Sen. Curtis King and Rep. Judy Clibborn say that they have arrived at an equitable solution to the state’s need to comply with the federal mandates of the REAL ID Act of 2005.

King, R-Yakima, and Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, introduced legislation Tuesday which will resolve outstanding conflicts with the federal legislation. “To ensure citizens have uninterrupted access to air travel and federal facilities like JBLM, we needed to get our state in compliance with the federal mandate,” said Sen. King. “We’ve had extensive deliberation on the best approach and I’m pleased with the result.”

“It’s important for travelers to know that this isn’t a problem today, or even next year—and that we are working together on a bipartisan solution.” added Rep. Clibborn

The bills, Senate Bill 5008,and House Bill 1041, were prefiled for consideration in the 2017 legislative session.