1.11.18
Suggested lead: Washington state lawmakers gave a big
thumbs-up to religious freedom and privacy in Olympia during Thursday's floor
action. Dan Frizzell has that story.
Wrap (:67 total): Last February, in response to news out of
Washington, D.C., the state House voted unanimously for a bill prohibiting state
government agencies from providing the federal government with information about
citizens’ religious affiliations. Even though the bipartisan bill was voted up
by all 98 members of the House, the Republicans in charge of the Senate refused
to give the bill a hearing. The
bill’s author, Bothell Democrat Derek Stanford, revived it for another try this
year and Thursday morning it was once again passed without a single no vote.
Here’s Stanford on the House floor.
STANFORD: “History
tells us that this path leads to a terrible, terrible place. That is why we must
come together despite our differences, in fact, because of our differences, and
affirm that we will stand united, to make sure that the arc of the moral
universe continues to bend toward justice.” [:18]
Leadership in the Senate switched to Democrats thanks to a
special election in November, and with a hearing assured, Stanford expects the
religious privacy bill to gain easy Senate approval and head to the governor’s
desk in the early weeks of the new session.
In Olympia, I’m Dan Frizzell.