Austin Jenkins
Stories
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Government
Police say it is hands off for some mental health cases after use-of-force law change
In Washington, the working partnership between police and crisis mental health workers is being put to the test. The reason is a new police use of force law.
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Health
Former caregiver charged in 2019 vinegar death of woman with developmental disabilities
A former caregiver for people with developmental disabilities has been criminally charged in connection with the 2019 death of a client who ingested a large amount of household cleaning vinegar. Fikirte T. Aseged, 43, is charged in Spokane County Superior Court with third-degree assault, a felony, and reckless endangerment, a gross misdemeanor. The Attorney General’s office announced the charges Tuesday following a nearly two-year investigation.
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Government
Stuck in jail, waiting for a psychiatric bed. Covid-19 made an old problem worse
While Washington’s system has been strained for years, state officials and disability rights advocates say it effectively ground to a halt during the pandemic.
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Government
The vehicle checkpoints and fencing are gone, but security concerns remain at Washington’s Capitol
At Washington’s Capitol Campus, a post-legislative session calm has settled in. Gone are the State Patrol checkpoints and National Guard troops that...
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Former Washington State Patrol sergeant stripped of right to carry a badge
A former sergeant in the Washington State Patrol was stripped of his state peace officer certification on Wednesday over allegations he carried out a...
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Government
She was killed in the line of duty. 36 years later the State Patrol remembers as part of centennial
It was the Friday before Memorial Day weekend 36 years ago and Washington State Patrol Trooper Glenda Thomas was patrolling I-5 through Seattle. A call...
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Politics
If a bargain gets vetoed, was it ever really 'grand'? This week in politics
Washington Governor Jay Inslee is in hot water - with Republican lawmakers, yes, but also some fellow Democrats. It’s about a so-called “grand bargain” agreed to during the recent legislative session in the state Senate. That deal smoothed the way for the passage of two landmark climate bills: a carbon-cap program and clean fuel standards.
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Government
Second lawsuit filed to overturn capital gains tax in Washington
A second lawsuit has been filed to overturn a newly passed capital gains tax in Washington. The lawsuit by the Opportunity for All Coalition (OFAC), which successfully fought Seattle’s high-earners income tax in 2017, was filed Thursday in Douglas County Superior Court. The plaintiffs include business owners and farmers who would potentially be subject to the new tax, as well as the Washington Farm Bureau.
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Government
Flanked by families, Inslee signs a dozen police reform bills into law
Calling it a "moral mandate,” Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed into law a dozen bills that backers hope will improve policing in Washington, reduce the...
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Government
Alternative to prison to be allowed in Washington for some who have mental illness
The state of Washington will soon offer an alternative to prison for people with a serious mental illness who commit a crime. Gov. Jay Inslee signed the bill into law Monday.