Latest From ACLU of Washington

The latest content and updates from the ACLU of Washington website.

Spokane Family Demands Equitable Changes After Two Black Middle School Students Were Asked to Clean Cotton for Social Studies Lesson

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
On May 3, Emzayia and Zyeshauwne said their fifth-period social studies teacher took out a box of raw cotton and told the class they were going to do a “fun” activity to see who could clean cotton the fastest.
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Facial Recognition Technology Ban Passed by King County Council

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
A groundbreaking proposal to ban government use of facial recognition software has been passed by the King County Council.
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Judge Orders Halt to Driver’s License Suspensions for Unpaid Tickets

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
People will no longer be penalized for driving while poor as a result of a judge’s order signed today requiring the Department of Licensing (DOL) to stop suspending licenses for unpaid traffic tickets for non-criminal moving violations.
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ACLU-WA Development Team Values

Published: 
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
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Projecting Justice

Published: 
Monday, May 24, 2021
In Washington, about 40-50 members of our communities, disproportionately Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian American Pacific Islander, are killed each year by police officers. That must change. With Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, we projected names each night, beginning with George Floyd on May 25.
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School Resource Officers: When the Cure is Worse than the Disease

Published: 
Monday, May 24, 2021
SROs, also known as Campus Resource Officers (CROs) are commissioned law enforcement officers with sworn authority to make arrests, deployed under the auspices of a need for community-oriented policing in K-12 school districts.
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ACLU Statement on Extended Amazon Face Recognition Moratorium

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Amazon today announced it will indefinitely extend its moratorium on sales of face recognition technology to law enforcement. In June 2020, amidst nationwide protests against police violence, Amazon announced a one-year pause on its sale of the technology to police.
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Governor Signs Bill to Protect Pregnant Patients in Washington

News Release, Published: 
Monday, May 10, 2021
A bill signed today by Gov. Jay Inslee ensures that patients experiencing harmful pregnancy complications will receive the care they need.
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ACLU-WA: New Driver’s License Suspension Law Continues to Punish People Who Can’t Afford to Pay Traffic Tickets

News Release, Published: 
Monday, May 10, 2021
Gov. Jay Inslee signed ESSB 5226, a bill that falls short of the meaningful reform necessary to end debt-based license suspensions.
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Police Oversight in Spokane, Washington

Published: 
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
This post describes the various models of civilian oversight and the duties of the OPO and OPOC in Spokane. It also explores the barriers these agencies face in carrying out their role as well as the progress they’ve made, and articulates the hopeful path that lies ahead.
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