'We need to be prepared.' Ferguson takes proactive steps on family separation
After multiple executive orders on immigration from the Trump administration last week, Washington’s new governor isn’t holding back in protecting immigrant families.
In a press conference Monday morning, Governor Ferguson signed an executive order directing the immediate implementation of a Family Separation Rapid Response Team in the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
This executive order comes after President Trump signed multiple orders last week that affect families across the nation, including one that seeks to end birthright citizenship and undocumented immigrants.
Ferguson said members of the team will review agency policies and procedures to identify any changes that can assist in responding to the separation of families. And he said he’ll also meet with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and local school districts to develop strategies for mitigating disruptions.
"One thing I want to talk about is the potential for mass deportations, which, of course, has been central to Donald Trump's campaign," Ferguson said during the conference. "So I want to be clear about the impacts if that were to happen, it means ripping families apart. It means kids losing their parents.
"It means businesses losing their workers. It means communities being significantly altered. We need to be prepared if this were to come to pass."
The rapid response team will hold its first meeting by Feb. 14 and be in regular contact to share findings and recommendations as events progress, Ferguson said.
"We have a state of leaders at the local and state level who are very, very committed to defending your rights, the values of all Washingtonians," he said during the conference. "We've been first in the past. We're first again. We'll stand up for your rights. We'll protect your freedoms. That's central to who we are."
WIAA moves forward on rule change for trans girls in school sports
A proposal to ban transgender students from participating in girls sports in Washington is moving forward.
The agency that governs school sports — the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association — finalized language Monday for a rule amendment.
Another proposal would create a separate co-ed division that trans students can instead participate in.
Lynden School District Superintendent David VanderYacht leads one of over a dozen districts backing this effort.
He said the goal is to preserve fair competition and the “integrity” of girls sports while also keeping athletics inclusive and accessible to all.
"We want all of our student athletes to benefit from being in community with other students, and sports and activities is an exceptional vehicle for that to happen," VanderYacht said.
He argued the current policy is unfair to girls and trans students.
"My heart was broken watching a transgender female athlete win a state championship and then stand on a podium in which her peers did not accept her," he said. "We're in an environment that we need to protect our transgender student athletes."
Opponents argue the proposals are discriminatory and violate state law.
Several school administrators tried to kill the amendments, but were unsuccessful. The assembly will vote on the proposals in April.
Both Mead and Central Valley were among the schools that passed resolutions asking WIAA to ban trans students from girls sports.
ID House passes anti-same-sex marriage measure
A resolution calling for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide has cleared the Idaho House.
The resolution doesn’t carry the weight of law, but if passed by the Senate, a copy of the legislation would be sent to justices in D.C. Opponents say it’s ultimately a waste of time and money.
"This is really, at the end of the day, nothing more than a grumpy letter with our names on it," Democratic Rep. Todd Achilles said. "The [fiscally] responsible thing to do is to stop it here and to stop it today."
But supporters reject that notion.
"Whether it’s crumpled up and thrown away, whether the wording isn’t exact or whether it’s ignored, it’s what we need to do," Republican Rep. Clint Hostetler said.
According to a 2023 poll from the Public Religion Research Institute, 59% of Idahoans support same-sex marriage compared to 39% who oppose it. Fifteen Republicans joined all nine Democrats in voting against the measure, which now goes to the Senate.
Legislation seeks to stop 'date rape' drugs at social gatherings
A bill before Washington lawmakers would require establishments that sell liquor to provide test kits for patrons that can detect the presence of so called “date rape” drugs.
At a hearing in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Monday, Lake Washington High School student Addie Hoffman said she’s concerned about the safety of those who face sexual assault while they are out on the town. She cited figures from a non-profit, Alcohol Justice, which attempted to estimate the percentage of people out socializing who have a drug slipped into their drinks without their knowledge.
“Yet even the lowest rate, 1 in 20, means you can look around any given bar on a Friday night and know at least one person there will be the victim of a spiked drink," Hoffman said.
Julia Gorton of the Washington Hospitality Association argued some establishments should be exempt from the bill.
“We believe it’s appropriate for the law to apply to nightclubs that include adults and exclude children. Business that cater to family and children should be given the option to offer these products and post signage about sexual assault," she said.
The bill would allow the business to charge the customer an amount that doesn’t exceed a reasonable amount based on the wholesale cost for the test strips.
Holy wants to reimburse cities for providing security around state hospital grounds
A Washington Senate committee this morning will take testimony on a bill that would provide financial help for two cities adjacent to the state’s major mental hospitals.
That includes Medical Lake, which provides police and fire services to Eastern State Hospital and its campus.
Senator Jeff Holy (R-Cheney), the prime sponsor, says Medical Lake and Lakewood, home of Western State, often unfairly foot the bill for those services.
“We’ve had to fist fight to get a couple bucks in the budget to reimburse Medical Lake and so I’m trying to have this be formalized at this point so we actually pay our way for what we’re asking local municipalities to do and, quite frankly, it’s just another aspect of an unfunded state mandate," he says.
Holy’s bill also has Democratic sponsors, which means it has a decent chance to advance. The bill will receive a public hearing this morning and a vote to advance out of committee on Thursday.
Reporting contributed by Monica Carrillo-Casas, Sami West, James Dawson, Steve Jackson and Doug Nadvornick.