Washington lawmakers tackled several high-profile and controversial bills this week on Legislative Review.
Mask Ban for Law Enforcement (SB 5855)
The Washington State Senate passed a bill banning most law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings while interacting with the public. The debate focused heavily on federal immigration enforcement and public transparency.
Prime sponsor Javier Valdez argued masked officers intimidate communities, while Republican Senator Keith Wagoner warned the bill could endanger federal agents and their families. Senator Jesse Salomon defended the measure, saying “We don’t do secret police here. We do democracy.”
The bill passed on a party-line vote and now moves to the House for further consideration.
Cursive Signatures in High School Civics (HB 2262)
A bipartisan proposal would require Washington students to learn how to write a legible, repeatable cursive signature as part of civics education.
Sponsored by Representative April Connors, the bill connects signature education to ballot verification and voter participation. Lawmakers say it could reduce ballot rejections due to signature mismatches and better prepare young voters.
Phones in the Classroom (SB 5346)
The Senate Early Learning & K–12 Education Committee also debated limits on student phone use in schools.