Some people simply signed the petitions, while others spent hours volunteering, but together we did something political pendants said couldn’t be done.  Thank you to everyone for your role in making history!

Through the initiative process, Washington citizens forced the legislature to do something lawmakers were previously unable to accomplish – repeal the reckless 2021 police pursuit restrictions (HB 1054) which many law enforcement officials believe is responsible for the record-breaking crime surge in our state.

Republican, Democrat, and Independent local officials have demanded this change for a couple of years as there were thousands of incidents when law enforcement was prohibited from even questioning crime suspects, let alone apprehending them, as presumed criminals simply drove away from officers.

Despite the numerous pleas from local officials and the overwhelming evidence of increased crimes (especially stolen vehicles, many of which were used in additional thefts as criminals used them to bash through storefronts), Democrat lawmakers, led by Senator Manka Dhingra, the Chair of the Senate’s Law and Justice Committee, refused to repeal the restrictions they imposed on officers as part of their irresponsible 2021 anti-police package.

During the 2023 legislative session, Senator Dhingra used a sloppily prepared study from a retired University of Washington professor as she attempted to defeat a measure to repeal HB 1054’s restrictions. Despite academics and even some Democrats discrediting Senator Dhingra for using the faulty report, only a very watered-down reform legislation (SB 5452) was eventually passed. This  “reform” made a couple of very small changes to the faulty 2021 legislation, yet law enforcement was still prevented from pursuing criminal suspects in the vast majority of circumstances. 

State residents’ frustration over this lack of action by the legislature led the Let’s Go Washington team to include meaningful police pursuit reform as one of the six initiatives they collected signatures for during 2023. By the end of the year deadline, 434,112 signatures were obtained (324,500 were needed) and police pursuit was one of the six citizen initiatives to the legislature certified by the Secretary of State.

Legislators had three options with each of the initiatives:

1. Approve initiative to become the law.
2. Place initiative on general election ballot along with an alternative measure.
3. Do nothing and the initiative goes on the general election ballot.

On Tuesday, March 4, both the Washington State Senate and House each approved three of Let’s Go Washington’s six initiatives, I-2081 (parental notification), I-2111 (no state or local income tax), and I-2113 (police pursuit). Each measure easily passed both chambers with many Democrats from swing districts joining their Republican colleagues to pass the initiatives. Each will now become law in 90 days (citizen initiatives do not need approval from the governor).

This is a true case where citizens, like you, stood up and made their voices heard.  Through rallies, testimonies, emails and calls to legislators, police are now able to pursue criminals and keep our streets safe.   

Your efforts have corrected the politicians’ mistakes, and our community will be safer for it. 

The Change Washington team thanks you.