|
.
Working together during a virtual session
One thing you may not know about the legislative process is that it is very social. Lawmakers collaborate with staff, the public, stakeholders and each other to craft bills that ultimately become law. Working virtually this year has not made this intricate process any easier.
Over the last few weeks, we have been spending most of our time on the Senate floor debating bills. As Deputy Floor Leader, I have been fortunate enough to be one of the few members allowed to actually be on the Senate floor during debate. This has allowed me the opportunity to work face to face with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure concerns are addressed and that we work together for the people of Washington state.
For context, Senators have introduced 598 bills and only 127 passed off the Senate floor. Additionally, there were more than 320 amendments proposed on the bills that did pass. And we’re not done yet! These numbers will change before the session adjourns.
A few of the bills that have passed so far, and that I’ve not yet highlighted, include:
Senate Bill 5074 which expands a successful pilot program that allows some fire stations to serve as “safe stations” and provide an alternative to emergency rooms where individuals can go to receive services like substance abuse treatment, medical attention and peer support, as well as connections to community resources.
Senate Bill 5259 seeks to increase transparency by gathering and publishing data on use of force by police officers. Currently, this information is not located in one place and available to the public. This proposal changes that.
Senate Bill 5327 requires the Attorney General to establish, oversee, and administer a tip line to receive and respond to tips from the public regarding risks or potential risks to the safety or well-being of youth. It is really targeted at reducing incidences of youth suicide.
Senate Bill 5196 codifies the procedures by which the Legislature may call itself into a special legislative session. While this is a positive step in bringing a balance to state government, I remain fearful that we will adjourn this legislative session without addressing the emergency powers held by the governor as well as the bevy of proclamations and mandates that exist under the current emergency order.
Senate Bill 5051 This was one of the more controversial bills of the session. It empowers the Criminal Justice Training Commission to investigate allegations of misconduct by police officers and gives them the ability to review and even override decisions made by police departments when investigating these allegations. Additionally, it removes confidentiality of complaints, investigations, and disciplinary actions for certified officers and requires information be maintained on a publicly searchable database, resulting in some due process concerns for officers.
As of the writing of this article, there are a few high visibility bills that have not yet been considered. Specifically, we are waiting to see if the carbon tax (Senate Bill 5126) and capital gains tax (Senate Bill 5096) will come before the Senate for a vote.
 During the 105-day session, it can be confusing where we are in the legislative process. I hope this graphic illustrates how far we’ve come and how much more work will be completed before April 25.
.
Baby Courts: reducing childhood trauma and restoring families
I recently shared that my first Senate bill passed unanimously from the Senate and is now headed to the House of Representatives for consideration. The following is a short article which shares more information on how this bill can make a difference in the lives of children across our state.
When it comes to serving our children in the dependency system, there is no better outcome than to see infants and toddlers successfully reunited with their families or quickly welcomed into their forever homes. Senate Bill 5331, of which I am the primary sponsor, takes action to benefit the livelihoods of young children and their families involved or at risk of becoming involved in Washington State’s child welfare system.
This important bill follows the steady footsteps of former Representative Ruth Kagi, as well as current Pierce County Councilman and former Senator, Hans Zeiger, by expanding Early Childhood Court (ECC), or “baby court,” programs designed to help affected children and families more effectively than non-ECC courts.
ECC’s are child-friendly courtrooms that provide more stability than traditional, non-ECC courtrooms, because children deserve a safe and comforting court environment. These courts maintain a smaller case docket to allow hearings to occur more frequently, issues to be identified more easily, and solutions to be found more quickly. Senate Bill 5331 also encourages ECC’s to establish partnerships with community-based organizations to further expand the resources they are able to recommend to families.
Retired Superior Court Judge John Hickman openly expresses the effectiveness of ECC’s in Pierce County: “Baby courts take an innovative approach and utilize collaboration to remove barriers for parents and families…the most important work I did as a judge was on the Pierce County baby court. This approach gets kids into a forever home faster than traditional dependency hearings.”
Julie Hoffman, Community Coordinator for Pierce County’s ECC, Best for Babies, speaks highly of the way this program keeps children’s best interests in mind with a “better, more collaborative, trauma-informed approach.” Hoffman adds that “parents are still required to do their court-ordered services, so if they are on track and progressing, the case can move faster. Parents are an active part of this process, where they get to share and ask questions and be heard and listened to.” It has also been found that children in these programs exit foster care 2—3 times faster than other children in dependency, are more likely to be permanently placed with a parent or other biological family member, and have more access to early intervention services such as developmental services, health care visits and dental visits.
Pierce, Kitsap, Thurston, and Spokane are the only four counties in Washington State that have started or implemented ECC’s. In other states, such programs already have significant prominence: Florida and Tennessee have similar programs in every single county. Furthermore, Illinois Child-Parent Psychotherapy Learning Collaborative has found great success within ECC programs, reporting “97% of the children and their families received needed services and made substantial progress in identified intervention goals.”
The humanity and personal attention that ECC programs, like Best for Babies, put into their work surpasses that which non-ECC court systems are able to provide. These programs seek to not only lift children and their families out of the welfare system in a more effective way, but also to keep them from falling back again. Achieving and maintaining these goals, with the affected child’s well-being as the focus, is something that ECC’s work to provide, because courtroom humanity matters. After all, as Hoffman says, these courts are “not trying to find cookie cutter services for families, but things that the child and family really need to be successful.”
I am happy to support this bill and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on children throughout the state.
.
 .
Join us for a 25th LD town hall
I invite you to join me and Representatives Chambers and Jacobsen for our virtual town hall on Saturday, March 20, at 11 a.m. We will share a legislative update and answer your questions. Click on the link below for more details and to register for this event. I Hope to see you there!
25th LD town hall information
Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by phone at (253) 840-4523 or by email at Chris.Gildon@leg.wa.gov. Now, more than ever, it is vital that you are connected with the decisions being made by lawmakers.
It is an honor serving you!
 Chris Gildon
Senator, 25th LD
|
