Initiative to the Legislature

 Initiative Measure No. 940

Initiative Measure No. 940 concerns law enforcement. This measure would require law enforcement to receive violence de-escalation, mental-health, and first-aid training, and provide first-aid; and change standards for use of deadly force, adding a “good faith” standard and independent investigation.

Should this measure be enacted into law?
yes
no

We’re going to have to take a step back here. I-940 is an initiative to the legislature rather than an initiative to the people. An initiative to the people, if it gains enough signatures, goes directly onto the ballot. An initiative to the legislature goes to the legislature. The legislature has a few options. They could adopt the initiative as presented, in which case it goes to the governor for signature into law. Or the legislature can put the initiative on the ballot in the next general election. Lastly, if they really don’t like it, they can put the initiative on the ballot along with their own alternative proposal. Instead of these options, Rep Dave Hayes sponsored a bill in the legislature, HB 3003, to bypass the initiative. HB 3003 passed and was signed by the governor. Then the whole mess went to court because Tim Eyman sued to keep 940 off the ballot.  Supporters of 940 pointed out to the judge that there was a poison pill hidden in 3003 which said that if 940 qualified for the ballot, which it did, then 3003 would go away. Tricky, eh? The judge agreed that it was tricky and allowed 940 to go on the ballot.

You can see and hear Dave Hayes claiming we don’t need 940 because we’ve got 3003. But by its own language 3003 is dead precisely because 940 is on the ballot.

I’ve been listening to Dave Hayes, who is a cop, and the candidates for sheriff, talk about 940. They all claim that they already receive de-escalation training. You could’ve fooled me, based on the stories I’m seeing about homeless and/or mentally ill people being shot in Oak Harbor and abused in Langley. It would also require first aid training. What? You mean our cops aren’t getting first aid training as an automatic part of their job training? And then there are the standards for use of deadly force. I would certainly like to see those standards spelled out very clearly. Dave Hayes has been heard to say that 940 as written is a catch 22 for cops. On the other hand, sheriff candidate Rick Felici says this is no big deal and they can work with it.

Follow the money:

Pro 940:
De-Escalate Washington            $3,200,059.37
contributors include:
    Puyallup Tribe
    Nick Hanauer
    ACLU
    Open Society Foundation
    ACLU of Washington
    UFCW Local 21
    SEIU
    Vulcan Inc
    Muckleshoot Tribe
    FUSE Washington
    Progress Alliance of Washington
    Seattle Seahawks
    Snoqualmie Tribe
    Tulalip Tribes
    Disability Rights Washington
    WA State Association for Justice
    Rooted in Rights
    Raise Up Washington
    Amnesty International
    Not This Time
    PNW Regional Council of Carpenters

Anti-940:
Coalition for a Safer Washington        $154,105.01
contributors include:
    Seattle Police Officers’ Guild
    King Co Police Officer’s Guild
    San Jose Officers’ Association PAC
    Sergeants’ Benevolent Assoc
    San Francisco Police Officers’ Assoc PAC
    WA Republican Party
    SnoCo Republican Party
   
Cops Against I-940                $42,922.50
contributors include:
    WA Council of Police & Sheriffs
    Tacoma Police Union Local # 6
    Vancouver Police Officers’ Guild
    Responders Emergency Services
    Spokane Police Guild
    Lynnwood Police Guild       

I don’t like sneaky attempts to cancel out the peoples’ will. I believe we need more training for our various police agencies and more specific standards.

I’ll be voting YES.