WCPA members spent the day at the state Capitol in Olympia, January 24, 2024

WCPA members and allied organziations assemble on the steps of the Capitol in Olympia, Jan. 24, 2024.

We had a wonderful day of Advocacy in Olympia last week! WCPA-impacted family members, policy experts and allies gathered for a packed day of meetings, connections and impact!

WCPA’s lead lobbyist Paul Benz speaks to coalition members.

The day started with meetings with two legislators from the 29th Legislative District. First up, Rep. Sharlett Mena and then Sen. Steve Conway. The WCPA has five constituents in the 29th LD and, after multiple meetings with them, Senator Conway committed to passing HB 1579, the Independent Prosecutor bill, out of the Ways and Means Committee! This is a big win and we are grateful to Senator Conway and all of the voices that persuaded him to support this critically important bill. Thank you, Senator Steve Conway!

Next up over two dozen advocates met with Senator John Lovick (LD 44) in a large Senate conference room where he affirmed he will support HB 1445, the Civil Rights Investigations and Reform bill, when it comes to the Senate.

Shelly Washington whose nephew Kevin Peterson Jr. was killed by Vancouver police in 2020 told Senator Lovick why HB 1445 is important to her family, “In the two-year period surrounding when my nephew was killed in Clark County, five out of the eight people killed by police were Black or Pacific Islander. This is a county where Black and Pacific Islanders make up just 3 percent of the population.”

Spokane County impacted family members Debbie Novak and her husband, Garry, met with Sen. Majority leader Andy Billig to update him on WCPA bills and work. Debbie’s son, David Novak was killed by Spokane Police in 2019.

At lunchtime, House Majority Floor Leader and sponsor of HB 1579, Rep. Monica Stonier, and Rep. Roger Goodman, Chair of the House Community Safety, Justice, and Re-entry Committee, stepped off the House Floor to meet with the WCPA group in the Capitol Rotunda.

Deputy Majority Leader and Chair of the Senate Law & Justice Committee Manka Dhingra also took time out to meet with WCPA members and reminded everyone how important it is to keep showing up!

The WCPA group then headed out to the steps of the Capitol for a rousing rally with our allied organizations who were all part of the “Community Empowerment Week: Transforming the Legal System.” The rally included speakers from Civil Survival, Choose 180, Collective Justice, VOCAL-WA and many more including recordings of incarcerated individuals working for justice inside. WCPA speakers Sonia Joseph, Debbie Novak, Marilyn Covarrubias, Tonya Isabell and Katrina Johnson all shared their experiences as impacted family members and their work to make change in our state.

WCPA champion, Rep. Darya Farivar (LD 46) was next up and invited a large group to meet in a House Conference Room with her. Rep. Farivar is the sponsor of HB 1445, which we hope will get a floor vote this week.