(The Center Square) – The Washington State Legislature has passed a bill creating a “bias incident hotline” within the State Attorney General’s Office allowing residents to report incidents they consider to be “hateful.” The bill will be sent to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk for signature after it cleared the House on Wednesday in a 56-39 vote.
“Frankly, I am concerned it could be weaponized in a way that would not serve justice and not serve unity, but could injustice and disunity,” Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, told colleagues on the House floor.
Sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez, Senate Bill 5427 tasks the AGO with setting up a hotline that would allow people call who have been allegedly targeted or affected by not only hate crimes as defined under state law, but “bias incidents,” a term that is not defined in the bill.
The bill also directs AGO staff handling the hotline
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