Click the graphic to access Vote Smart’s information on Doug Ericksen’s vote on HB 3003

September 27, 2018  Dena Jensen

Day #33 of Doug’s Got to Go posts intends to initiate a series of days that focus on some of Senator Ericksen’s unpallatable votes in our Washington State Legislature. I’ll start with a more recent one today and go backwards as we get closer to the election. We may have interruptions to the series now and then for some other appalling thing Republican State Senator Doug Ericksen does between now and the November Election. Oh, and up-close to election day, I will try to do some recaps of all the reasons amassed of why it will be so wonderful to fire Doug by the deadline of the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

On March 8, 2018, Senator Ericksen voted No on HB 3003 amending the law enforcement act including various police “use of force” laws. 

The bill proposed amendments, while specifying officers could not be held criminally liable for using deadly force in good faith, and that officers would be reimbursed who had been charged and found not-guilty of a crime resulting from use of deadly force, which offered greater oversight and accountability in the investigation of crimes resulting from use of force. Here are some of the highlights provided by Vote Smart: 

* “Requires the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, in its rule making relating to this act, to seek input from various law enforcement associations including at least one association representing law enforcement from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, such as the Black Law Enforcement Association of Washington (Sec. 4).”

* “Requires an independent investigation when police use of deadly force results in death or serious bodily harm (Sec. 5).”

* “Requires the Criminal Justice Training Commission adopt rules defining and establishing criteria for independent investigations (Sec. 5).”

* “Requires law enforcement agencies to report to the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs whenever police use of deadly force results in the death or injury of a member of an Indian tribe (Sec. 6).”

* “Requires the Criminal Justice Training Commission to develop rules and training procedures which balance the duties of police with the requirement to administer first aid to individuals injured in settings controlled by law enforcement (Sec. 2).”

Fortunately approval of the bill squeaked by without a vote from Senator Ericksen to better protect our community members from undue harm and injustice under circumstances when unnecessary force is used or force is used that is improperly applied by law enforcement agents.  

Here’s a link to the Vote Smart page with details about Senator Ericksen’s vote on HB 3003:

https://votesmart.org/bill/24452/64103/26187/amends-various-police-use-of-force-laws#64103

Here’s a link to the Vote Smart page with Senator Ericksen’s voting history: https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/26187/doug-ericksen#.W62EOi-ZO7Y