OLYMPIA, Wash, (May 10, 2017) – Last week, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law setting the foundation to nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that deny access to experimental treatments by terminally ill patients. A bipartisan coalition of 13 senators sponsored Senate Bill 5035 (SB5035). The new law…
OLYMPIA, Wash. (May 5, 2017) – A bill recently signed by Washington Gov. Gov. Jay Inslee removed industrial hemp from the states controlled substance list, authorizing hemp production despite federal prohibition. But at least one state agency refuses to go down without a fight and essentially wants to help attorney general Jeff Sessions wage his…
OLYMPIA, Wash. (April 12, 2017) – Today, the Washington Senate unanimously passed a bill that would remove industrial hemp from the state’s “controlled substances” list. If signed by the governor, the law would set the stage for people in the Evergreen State to nullify federal prohibition of the plant in practice. Rep. Matt Shea (R-Spokane…
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Mar. 22, 2017) – Today, a Washington Senate committee unanimously passed a bill that would remove industrial hemp from the state’s “controlled substances” list. Passage into law would set the stage for people in the Evergreen State to nullify federal prohibition on the plant in practice. Rep. Matt Shea (R-Spokane Valley) and a…
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Feb. 28, 2017) – A Washington state bill that would limit the use of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), and restrict the retention and sharing of collected data, passed an important House committee last week. If given final approval, the bill would not only protect privacy in Washington state, but would also hinder…
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Feb. 13, 2017) – A bill introduced in the Washington state House would remove industrial hemp from the state’s “controlled substances” list, setting the stage for the people there to nullify federal prohibition on the plant in practice. A bipartisan coalition of representatives introduced House Bill 2064 (HB2064) on Feb. 9. The legislation…
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Jan. 20, 2017) – A bill introduced in the Washington state Senate would prohibit the state from assisting the federal government with indefinite detention without due process under provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA) or any other federal acts purporting to authorize such powers. Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Seattle), along…
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Jan. 17, 2017) – A bill introduced in the Washington state House would end state cooperation with warrantless federal spying. Passage of the legislation would not only help protect privacy in Washington, it would help hinder unconstitutional federal surveillance. A bipartisan coalition of five representatives introduced House Bill 1193 (HB1193) on Jan. 13. Titled…
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Jan. 16, 2017) – A bill introduced in the Washington state House would limit the use of surveillance drones. The legislation would not only establish important privacy protections at the state level, it would also help thwart the federal surveillance state. A bipartisan coalition of nine representatives introduced House Bill 1102 (HB1102) on…
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Jan. 13, 2017) – A bill filed in the Washington state Senate would initiate a ballot measure to amend the state constitution to ensure that electronic communications and data are secure from unreasonable searches and seizures. Passage would not only increase privacy protections in Washington, it would also hinder some federal surveillance programs.…