Austin Jenkins
Stories
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Claim of ‘coded’ racism prompts calls for more inclusivity in Washington's Capitol
In the month since Washington state Sen. Mona Das, a first-term Democrat from Kent, made headlines for comments about racism and sexism in the Senate...
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WA settles lawsuit over 15-hour-a-day lockdown for inmates with mental illness
Washington's Department of Corrections has agreed to improve conditions for inmates with mental illness at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla...
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‘Not ready for prime time.’ WA election officials sound alarm over new voter registration system
County election officials in Washington are warning that a new statewide voter registration database system is not ready for the state's August 6...
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A rash of nursing home closures in Washington sends families scrambling, industry sounds alarm
Keith Akada thought Keiro Northwest Rehabilitation and Care Center in Seattle’s Central District would be the final resting place for his mother, Mieko,...
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'We need to make some changes.' Commission recommends major overhaul of Washington sentencing laws
Nearly four decades ago, Washington became one of the first states to abolish parole and adopt a “fixed” sentencing grid with the goal of ushering in an...
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Inslee won't take 'no' for an answer on climate debate
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is stoking outrage and taking on his own party after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) unequivocally quashed his...
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Suicide in Northwest jail highlights risk for Native American inmates
On Feb. 26, 2014, staff booked Shannon Jefferson into the Whatcom County Jail for a probation violation and failing to appear in court on a fourth degree assault charge. Twelve days later, Jefferson tied a bed sheet to the window in her isolation cell and hanged herself. She was 36-years-old and the mother of six.
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Inslee signs $52.4 billion budget decried by Republicans
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed into law a $52.4 billion, two-year state budget that he said "rises to the needs of our time," but that...
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Locking up mentally ill, drug addicted people results in jail deaths, new report says
The practice of locking up people who are chronically sick, mentally ill or drug addicted in under-resourced city, county and regional jails in...
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Inslee to sign WA vape tax that critics say amounts to a big tobacco giveaway
After years of debate, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is scheduled to sign into law on Tuesday a new tax on vaping products to fund cancer research and...