With the 2011 state legislative session less than a week away, Attorney General Rob McKenna on Monday announced his agenda.
McKenna continues advocating for a transparent government. He is recommending creating an administrative board that would rule on complaints of violations of the Public Records Act and the Open Public Meetings Act. One piece of proposed legislation would create the Office of Public Records. This would cause government agencies pause when denying public records, and also limit the cost of hiring lawyers on both sides.
McKenna also recognizes too many Public Records Act lawsuits are undertaken by inmates in state prisons. One bill would limit state inmates from filing lawsuits in state court at public expense if they already had filed three or more previous lawsuits that were determined to be frivolous by a court. Right now, the bills for defending such inmate lawsuits are paid for by taxpayers. Another bill would eliminate any penalty payments to inmates involving public records requests.
Of property rights, McKenna supports a bill that would prohibit using eminent domain for economic development. McKenna also supports a bill that gives property owners 120 days to improve their rundown property before the property can be condemned and their homes or property taken away.
Continuing to push for consumer protection, McKenna supports a bill that would make mail theft a Class C felony.
Of all that McKenna hopes to accomplish this legislative session, it is his support for bills that make it harder for gangs to exist that garner our deepest support. Gang violence is entrenched in many of our communities across Washington state. During a work study session last month, the executive director of the Washington State Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs said some of our neighborhoods are “nearly under siege” by gangs.
McKenna wants to allow county and city governments to declare an identified gang house as a nuisance. If home owners of the gang houses do not clear out the activity, they would face forfeiture of their property. He supports prohibiting known gang members from engaging in any gang activity. If caught, they would be facing a gross misdemeanor. Another change McKenna hopes for is doubling the penalty when gang crime occurs near schools or school-related activities. Additionally, McKenna wants a minimum of one year of community service for any gang member found guilty of a felony.
McKenna wants to expand the ability to stop criminal gang intimidation. That effort would include changes in deferred prosecution for gun offenses, and automatically charging 16- and 17-year-old gang members involved in violent crimes as adults.
We don’t need to coddle those opting to live the life of a gangster in Washington state. McKenna is spot-on in his support of increasing the heat on gang activity.
