Creating systemic change through legislative advocacy.

2026 Legislative Priorities

Washington State eliminated nearly $10 million in reentry civil legal aid funding during the 2025-2027 biennium, including the complete loss of State v. Blake civil legal aid funding, devastating capacity as demand reaches unprecedented levels. More than 212,000 Blake cases, representing 65 percent of all cases, remain unvacated, leaving tens of thousands of Washingtonians unable to clear unconstitutional convictions and fully reenter their communities. A $1 million increased investment in reentry civil legal aid is a proven public safety solution, saving up to $7 for every $1 invested while allowing Washington to maintain minimum capacity and meet its constitutional obligation to remove unconstitutional barriers to successful reentry.

For too many Washingtonians, LFOs function as a life sentence in debt, enforced differently depending on the court and zip code. This bill ends justice by geography by creating consistent, equitable pathways to relief and stopping enforcement of debt that will never be paid. When people are no longer chained to the legal system by unpayable debt, communities are safer and families can move forward. 

No Violence, No Segregation act: HB 1137

No Violence, No Segregation Act, is a cost-neutral approach to reducing the over-reliance on administrative segregation (ad-seg) by addressing the Department of Corrections (DOC) prison-initiated disciplinary process. In 2023, there were 6,120 recorded instances of solitary confinement in DOC. To reduce the number of people experiencing ad-seg, this bill would: (1) change the evidentiary standard for DOC infractions from “some evidence” to “preponderance of evidence”; (2) narrow the types of infractions that warrant the use of administrative segregation; (3) Escalate reviews and approval of the use of ad-seg at the 15, 30 and 45 day mark, and notifying the Office of Corrections Ombuds for anything beyond 45 days; and (4) protect people’s education, housing, and job placement while they are in ad-seg. 

Full 2026 Legislative Priorities

Latest Legislative Updates

  • 2026 Legislative Summary
    It takes an engaged community to raise their voices and impact legislative change. This is what WE accomplished in this 2026 legislative session. During the 2026 legislative session, our community showed up in powerful ways. Together, we took action on approximately 27 bills, including 23 bills we supported and 4… Read more: 2026 Legislative Summary
  • The Constitutional Mandate WA Has Not Met
    Op-ed By Mary Yu | Special to The Seattle Times In 2021, the Washington Supreme Court held in State v. Blake that our law criminalizing drug possession without criminal intent was unconstitutional and void. In general, when a law is declared unconstitutional, it is retroactive. As a result, our decision created… Read more: The Constitutional Mandate WA Has Not Met
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