From Newsgroup: alt.law-enforcement

Rare - Democrat lawmaker admits Dems and her were wrong - it cost lives
Too many soft on crime votes and wasted money.

from https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_bb0be070-8a9e-4d0a-915c-13a36f628462.html

WA Democratic lawmaker shares 'regret and guilt' over soft-on-crime votes
By Carleen Johnson | The Center Square Oct 14, 2025

Yellow police tape marks off a crime scene. Photo: kat wilcox / Pexels

(The Center Square) rCo A Washington state Democratic lawmaker is
expressing rCLregret and guiltrCY over legislation she supported that she believes has contributed to an explosion in juvenile crime and lives lost.

Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, penned an op-ed in The Seattle Times
last weekend detailing eight different policies that have rCLcontributed
to the juvenile crime wave.rCY

Davis spoke with The Center Square on Monday, sharing that during her
first few years in the Legislature, she voted on bills she didnrCOt fully understand and was afraid to speak up.

rCLI would say probably in my fourth and fifth legislative sessions, I did understand that some of the policies were flawed, but I was too afraid
to say anything,rCY she said. rCLAnd it's only been in my last sixth and seventh legislative sessions that I finally grew thick enough skin or
had enough courage to say the right thing in spite of whatever
consequences might flow my way. Because I have to go home to my
district, and I have to be able to look myself in the mirror.rCY

Davis, who represents parts of North Seattle, Shoreline and Lynnwood,
said she has spent a great deal of time educating herself about the
impact of several public safety bills passed by the majority party.

rCLI have sat with weeping mothers rCo constituents of mine rCo whose children were slain by fellow teenagers,rCY she wrote in the op-ed. rCLJuvenile
arrests in Lynnwood, a city in my legislative district, have nearly
tripled from 130 in 2022 to 355 in 2024. During these heartbreaking
meetings, I find myself racked with guilt. I am culpable.rCY

Davis lamented that WashingtonrCOs top referral source for youth addiction treatment used to be schools, but that is no longer the case due to legislation passed by the majority.

rCLI found out that it was actually the state's own policy that prevented schools from serving in that interceding and referral role in the way
that they used to,rCY she said. rCLSo, I guess what I'm trying to say is it was dawning on me that these are all related. And it was a revelation
for me.rCY

Davis said sherCOs well aware that speaking out may not be received well
by some.

rCLI think it's important that as a policymaker, I'm honest with the
public and that I'm honest with my constituents, and they deserve to
know,rCY Davis said. rCLI didn't run for office to get reelected. I ran for office to do the right thing and to try to make a difference as long as
I'm in this seat. I did not use to speak out. I was not a person who demonstrated political courage. I was fearful of ramifications from my
own political party. Fearful that something wouldn't land well with
voters. You run afoul of certain interest groups, and they will come
after you.rCY

Democrats have a decisive majority in both chambers of the Legislature.
The Center Square reached out to House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma,
for comment on DavisrCOs pointed criticisms.

rCLWe're going to have lots and lots of bills coming forward and ideas
coming forward, and I'll be interested to see what Rep. Davis' are,rCY
Jinkins said.

The speaker did not directly respond to DavisrCO suggestion that
Democratic policies have created the public safety crisis facing the
state, particularly the spike in juvenile crime.

rCLThere's probably a wide diversity in my caucus, at least, on what contributes to what and what helps. I guess I'm used to people
critiquing every policy that's passed in the Legislature. The real issue
is, okay if you say it should be fixed, what's the fix?rCY queried Jinkins.

The Center Square pressed further, asking Jinkins if some of the
Republican suggestions for fixing legislation that has fallen short of
goals will be given more than lip service in the 2026 legislative session.

rCLListen, there's no limit on the policy approach that any member can
bring forward and then build the coalition to pass a bill, right? So
that's the work of the Legislature to do that,rCY she said. rCLSo, itrCOs just important to remember that there's a lot of perspectives. Rep. Davis is
one of 59 in my caucus, and I'm sure there's going to be a lot more
discussion this next session.rCY

Davis isnrCOt holding her breath when it comes to fundamental changes in public safety legislation in the next session.

rCLI tend to be extremely optimistic by nature, but I'm not at this time
very confident that there would be adequate votes to reverse on most, if
not all, of the items that I highlighted,rCY she said.

The focus instead will be on trying to prevent the resurrection of bills
from the 2025 session that Davis feels would exacerbate the situation.

rCLOne I referenced in the op-ed rCo Senate Bill 5296 rCo nearly passed the Legislature, and we were barely able to stop it,rCY she said.

The legislation would have modified the juvenile justice system by
requiring courts to find that community-based placement was inadequate
before committing a youth to a juvenile rehabilitation facility.

rCLThe bill is riddled with problems,rCY Davis said. rCLBut at a high level, it takes young people [who] would go to JR, the juvenile prison system,
and sends them back to the community with no wraparound supports and
with no enhanced supervision. This is the same community where they've
been committing acts of violence.rCY

That wasnrCOt the only bill to earn her ire.

rCLAnother bill that is particularly egregious is Senate Bill 5266,rCY Davis said. rCLThat bill would allow a juvenile to murder up to three people and
get out in six years. That was an actual bill that passed multiple
committees, and what it would do is it would incentivize adults 18 and
up to engage young people to commit homicide because they can get out in
six years. So, to be clear, the current minimum is 20 years, and this
would reduce it to six.rCY

She shared that the vast majority of people responding to her op-ed have expressed support for her willingness to be honest and only encourage
her to continue in that vein.

rCLMy regrets and guilt that I carry around like a heavy weight is a
pretty compelling motivator,rCY Davis said.




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