skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, September 20, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

WA Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Curb "Policing for Profit"

play audio
Play

Tuesday, January 10, 2017   

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Law enforcement can seize the assets of Washingtonians who are simply suspected of a crime, but that could change in the 2017 legislative session.

The bipartisan bill HB 1016 would prohibit law enforcement from seizing property from people who have not been found guilty and only would allow police to take assets directly involved in a criminal case.

Rep. David Taylor, R-15th Dist., of south-central Washington is leading efforts to change a law that has been profitable for police departments.

"In national stories, a lot they call this 'policing for profit,' because they're getting kickbacks," he explained. "There's an incentive to seize property without conviction. We're trying to protect people's individual rights under the Fourth Amendment for illegal search and seizures without conviction."

A study from the Institute for Justice gave the Evergreen State a grade of 'D-minus' for its forfeiture laws. It found between 2001 and 2013, the state collected more than $108 million from forfeiture proceeds, 90 percent of which went to law enforcement. The bill will get a hearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

However, a loophole exists that could allow local and state law enforcement that partner with federal agencies on investigations to receive forfeiture proceeds even under the reformed law. According to the Institute for Justice study, Washington law agencies received more than $60 million between 2000 and 2013 from the Justice Department and Treasury Department from forfeitures for joint investigations.

Taylor says he and his colleagues also want to close that loophole, with an amendment to the original bill so that property worth less than $50,000 can't be seized.

"Leave out the little ones to de-incentivize those regional drug task forces, for example, from taking or seizing smaller properties: vehicles, campers and so on," he said.

Taylor says the amendment would set a threshold of $50,000 because anything worth more than this is most likely part of a major racketeering case.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Some 899 of 936 public comments on the plan for the proposed West Fork Dam, or 96%, opposed the West Fork Battle Creek Dam project, according to a tally by Wyofile. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A federal agency is requiring Wyoming to update cost estimates for a large proposed dam in Carbon County, which has been under feasibility studies …


Social Issues

play sound

This Saturday marks the International Day of Peace and the advocacy group Nonviolent Peaceforce is kicking off a series of family-friendly events in M…

Environment

play sound

Latino Conservation Week is in full swing, with 330 events across the U.S. and 90 in California alone. The 11th annual event runs through Sunday…


Nebraska is one of 10 states to confirmed abortion-related constitutional amendment measures on the ballot in November. (Alcorn Imagery/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Some ballot initiatives this year have taken more than voter signatures to get onto the ballot in Nebraska. They've already withstood major court …

Environment

play sound

Maine officials are stepping up land conservation projects as climate change continues to alter the state's terrain. New funding from the Land for …

Social Issues

play sound

A new study showed as Texas has emerged as a national leader in wind turbine and solar energy installations, clean energy workers often face …

play sound

Students enrolled at Wisconsin's technical colleges this fall might take a course where artificial intelligence is the star of the classroom…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021