Advocating for Civil and Human Rights
2009 Legislative Agenda
#1. Support the Worker Privacy Act
The Worker Privacy Act died early in the session. This bill would prohibit an employer from mandated meetings where the subject is politics, religion, and union organizing. Religious employers are exempt. LPPO’s labor partners like the WSLC (Washington State Labor Council) were the leaders on this effort.
#2. Support the Building Capacity Budget Proviso for African-American communities across the state
This was a budget victory for LPPO and its African American community allies APRI (A. Philip Randolph Institute) and the WCLC (Washington Christian Leaders Coalition). LPPO was the lead on this and is now working on securing a $300K contract between CTED (Community, Trade, & Economic Development) and APRI. The goal here is create more direct access to state resources to strengthen this community across the state.
#3. Support sensible gun laws for public safety
This bill was a policy victory and signed by the governor. Rep. Ross Hunter from Bellevue was the prime sponsor and a leader behind the scenes in getting this passed. The city of Seattle and LPPO were supporters of this. The law will now restrict gun possession for offenders that have a mental illness and have served their sentence.
#4. Support the Farm Labor Contractor Bill
The farm laborer bill did not pass. The Columbia Legal Services and the Washington State Labor Council were the leads on this bill, which restricts companies from bringing in laborers from other countries. This bill is to be worked on during the interim.