Being a parent is nonstop hard work, which makes following all the news happening in city, state, and U.S. decision-making circles challenging. Here are highlights of Washington political news from last week (March 23-30) and a hint at what’s up this week.
Restorative justice works
Last week, I received a news release from King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn. The statement slammed the county’s decision to continue funding its Restorative Community Pathways (RCP) youth offender diversion program but to cut funding for other parts of its judicial system.
In calling to restore funding to county courts, sheriff and prosecutor offices, and the detention department, Dunn loses sight of the power of the diversion program. Through RCP, young offenders may skirt lower-level felony and misdemeanor charges by working with nonprofits to restitute victims and meet personal goals.
“King County cannot afford to continue down this dangerous path of slashing funding for essential public safety services while continuing to pay for experimental, activist-driven approaches to criminal justice,” Dunn said. “It’s imperative that the county reverse these devastating cuts to our Sheriff’s Office and re-fund traditional approaches to juvenile diversion that are accountable and transparent.”
Dunn has been a vocal critic of RCP and, in January, called for an audit of the $16 million program, citing a lack of oversight and reports of youth failing to receive the diversion services. I’m all for audits when it comes to public money. If something’s broken in the program, fix it. However, we should all take issue with the councilmember’s unflattering depiction of restorative justice.
A growing body of evidence and ample support stand behind the model, which addresses harm and supports healing through connection and accountability rather than solely through punishment. RCP creates a dialogue between those who have been harmed and the youth responsible, aiming to repair damage, restore trust, and promote a healthy community.
As much as I hate a trite term, this is a win-win. It saves the county money. It reduces the chances of re-offense. It gives something back to victims. And it can potentially improve the lives of victims and young perpetrators.
According to a 2022 systematic review of research published in the Journal of Trauma Violence Abuse: “The present research showed that restorative justice practices have a positive psychological impact on victims, who are frequently forgotten in conventional justice, and that some of these impacts persist over time.”
While calling for more research, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has concluded: “Certain restorative justice programs could reduce future youth delinquency and increase victim satisfaction with the outcome.” I don’t know what the answer is in terms of restoring funding to other county judicial arms or programs. Still, King County kids and victims of crimes deserve the chance for healing and a positive future that the Restorative Community Pathways offers.
Weigh in at state lawmaker town halls
More in Washington political news — through early April lawmakers will continue holding town hall meetings addressing, a chance for those who care about the state of education in Washington to meet and interact with their elected leaders. With the state budget debate looming and parent advocates like those at All Together for Seattle Schools pushing hard for the state to meet its constitutional duty to “amply” fund public education despite a projected state budget deficit, there’s no better time to meet the people who represent you in Olympia and make your voice heard:
- Click here for a list of the remaining Washington House Democrats’ town halls.
- Click here for a list of the remaining Washington House Republicans’ town halls.
- Click here for a list of the remaining Washington Senate Republicans’ town halls.
- Click here for the list of the remaining Washington Senate Democrats’ town halls.
Special education funding bill continues its trek
After passing out of the Senate on a unanimous bipartisan vote despite its nearly $1 billion fiscal note, Seattle Sen. Jamie Pedersen’s bill to provide comprehensive funding for special education is now in the House, where it was heard last week. House Democrats’ hope Engrossed 2nd Substitute Senate Bill 5263 will sail from the House Appropriations Committee and on for a full vote of the House before the session ends. Still, there are miles to go in the marathon work of amply funding Washington public schools as the state stares down a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit.
No sun in the state revenue forecast
Speaking of money … that estimated deficit grew last week with the release of the state’s revenue forecast for the 2025-27 biennium, which Washington lawmakers have been awaiting in order to produce budget proposals (that is, how much the state can and should spend on what). Before the forecast was released, lawmakers were already assuming an operating budget shortfall of about $15 billion over the next four years. Unfortunately, the state is expected to take in about $900 million less in revenue in that timeframe than previously thought. Get out the gloves. The fight to fully fund all of the state’s essential needs will be a tough one.
The House and Senate are scheduled to release their budgets on Monday, March 24, followed by House Appropriations and the Senate Ways & Means committees holding hearings on the proposals on Tuesday. Huge Washington political news.
Arik Korman, executive director of the advocacy organization League of Education Voters, reported that both House and Senate budgets will include:
- Financial Intangible Tax/Asset Tax: Beginning in 2027, this proposal would levy a tax on certain financial assets held by individuals with more than $50 million of the identified assets. In the House budget, the asset tax would raise $2 million, while the Senate proposed tax would raise $4 billion. The budget proposals will be directed toward K-12 education, early learning, and higher education.
- Removing Cap on Payroll Taxes: Directed towards health, human services, and public education, this proposal is expected in the Senate budget to place a 5 percent tax on large employers with $7 million or more in payroll expenses. It is expected to raise about $2.3 billion a year.
- Property Tax: Both budgets will propose a property tax called the “lifting the levy lid.” The Senate proposal would raise the property tax growth from the current 1 percent tax to a combination of population growth plus inflation. State property tax is dedicated to public schools, and the change is expected to raise an additional $779 million over four years. The House proposal would raise the property tax growth from the current 1 percent tax to a combination population growth plus inflation. It is expected to raise an additional $200 million during the 2025-27 biennium.
Social media’s harms bill moves on
Senate Bill 5708, a measure that seeks to mitigate the mental and behavioral health harms that social media too often visit upon children, is moving through the legislative process, collecting waves of support from the usual suspects: parents, educators, and mental health experts. But kids, too, have testified in favor of the bill that would require social media corporations to create a safer online experience for young users and limit design features that contribute to social media addiction.Check out our column addressing this Washington political news by Dr. Stephan Blanford, leader of the statewide Children’s Alliance, who shared his thoughts on the bill with Seattle’s Child.
Yes, this IS a constitutional crisis
If you have been following the continued flow of executive orders and refusals to abide by judicial rulings from the White House, you may be wondering if we have arrived yet at that elusive phenomenon called a “constitutional crisis.” If you are like me, you may be trying to understand what those words mean. In simple terms, (with the caveat that a constitutional crisis is the opposite of simple), a government is designed to work according to its constitution. A constitutional crisis occurs when:
- The rules are unclear – The constitution doesn’t clearly say what should be done in a particular situation.
- The rules are ignored – Leaders or institutions refuse to follow the constitution.
- Different parts of government disagree – For example, the president, courts, or legislature have a major conflict and can’t resolve it.
According to longtime New York Times reporter Adam Liptak, the U.S. is no longer facing a constitutional crisis; it’s in one. The question we need to be asking now, Liptak rightfully suggests, is how will America be fundamentally changed? Listen to Liptak’s short presentation on these critical questions.
We’ll be back next week with more Washington political news.
