Kelly Conkwright — Kelly Conkwright, the city attorney for Spokane Valley, appears to testify in support of SB 6239. Her opening remarks are interrupted by audio problems, and she is asked to go off camera and restart because she is breaking up.
Kelly Cochre / Kelly Conkwright — Kelly Cochre/Kelly Conkwright, Spokane Valley’s city attorney, testified in support of SB 6239, then concluded her remarks and responded to questions about public access and court oversight.
Keith Wagoner — Senator Wagner questioned the witness about the claim that arbitration offers public access equivalent to a trial, expressing confusion about how that comparison works and continuing to probe how arbitration would function in that regard.
Kate White Tudor — Testified in support of the bill on behalf of the Washington Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
James McMahon — Introduced as Policy Director with the Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and testified in support of the bill.
James McMahon — James McMahon, Policy Director with the Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, testified in opposition to the bill and raised concerns about how its parole provisions would work in practice. He said the measure creates many questions, especially around how the 60 percent threshold and parole eligibility would interact with existing laws, DOC supervision, release and reentry programs, and sentence calculations, while noting he was open to discussing parole issues further.
James McMahon — James McMahon, policy director with the Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, testifies in support of the bill and urges lawmakers to provide additional tools to address theft, which he describes as a broader social problem.
Penny Sall — Introduced herself as a sexual abuse survivor, survivor advocate, and process improvement Six Sigma black belt, and testified against blocking access to the justice system.
Renee Williams — Renee Williams is introduced and then begins her testimony as CEO of the National Center for Victims of Crime, thanking the committee for the opportunity to speak and strongly opposing SB 6239 as written.
Roland Thompson — Roland Thompson testifies on behalf of several media organizations and argues that arbitration does not lead to reform.
Roland Thompson — The chair stated that Roland Thompson had signed up to testify but was not present in person or online.
Roland Thompson — The chair notes Roland is present and asks for written testimony.
Tina Eck — Tina Eck, General Counsel for the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool, explains that the pool is a public entity and an alternative to insurance for school districts.
Jim Theophilus — Jim Theophilus, executive director of North Star Advocates, introduces himself and speaks in support of SB 6239. He argues that although lawsuits and settlements are costly, the deeper issue is the immediate and lifelong harm caused by abuse of children and adolescents. He emphasizes that children abused in foster homes, treatment programs, institutions, or school activities were not protected or given what they needed, underscoring both historical and ongoing system failures.
Jill — The chair calls Jill to testify next.
Antonio — Antonio is first asked to wait and testify after Jill, and then a few minutes later he is invited to begin his testimony.
Jill May — Jill May introduces herself as executive director of the Washington Association for Children and Families and begins testimony.
Antonio Ginnat — Antonio Ginnat, policy director at Columbia Legal Services, testifies in opposition to SB 6239.
Gabriel Galanda — Gabriel Galanda is called to testify next.
Ryan Greviscratt — Ryan Greviscratt is listed as next on deck.
Grace Wan — Grace Wan is listed as the final witness in this sequence.
Gabe Galanda — Gabe Galanda, an Indigenous rights lawyer, testifies in strong opposition to SB 6239.
Rebecca Saldaña — The speaker refers to Senator Saldaña's legislation on statewide jail standards.
Ryan Dreverskrat — Trial lawyer who testifies in opposition to Senate Bill 6239 and argues mandatory arbitration is inappropriate for this context.
SB6074 — Senate Bill 6074 is presented as a measure to reinstitute parole in Washington by allowing certain incarcerated individuals to petition the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board for parole, with implementation details tied to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2027. Testimony and discussion describe it as a step toward restoring a meaningful parole system that recognizes rehabilitation and preserves public safety while using public resources more effectively. At the same time, some speakers express opposition or concern, including criticism that the bill is not retroactive and that it leaves important questions unanswered, while prosecutors indicate they are open to parole in principle but still have concerns about the bill’s language.
SB6074 — Senate Bill 6074 is discussed as having no departmental position, though it carries a fiscal impact outside Governor Ferguson’s proposed budget and the department comments only on implementation structure rather than the underlying policy. The discussion then concludes with the public hearing on the bill being closed.
Jenny Burton — Introduces herself as founder and executive director of Out Impact Coalition and a person with lived experience.
Jim Chambers — Testified on behalf of the Washington State Rancher Council in support of SB 6074, but with concerns.
Laurie Jinkins — Jim Chambers addressed the chair as part of his testimony.
Anthony Powers — Anthony Powers testified in support of parole reform in principle but opposed the bill’s 60% requirement and urged different standards. He argued the proposal should be retroactive, warning that without retroactivity it would not take effect until the 2040s. He then expanded on the need to address racial disparities and broader inconsistencies in the justice system, citing the death penalty and ICE as examples of unequal treatment.
Russell Brown — Executive Director for the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys; said the group is open to parole but has concerns about historical disparity and disparate treatment.
Jamie Pedersen — Mr. McMahon was referenced as having discussed graduated reentry, with related parole issues noted in the broader context.
Larry Jefferson — Testified in support of parole and second chances, citing injustices and people ready to return to the community.
Cindy Arons — Cindy Arons testified on behalf of the Washington Defender Association and the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, introducing her affiliation and supporting parole while arguing that the bill is too limited and comes too late.
Mack PVA — Identified as Assistant Secretary for the Community Corrections Division within the Washington State Department of Corrections and testified that the department has no position on the bill or underlying policy.
Drew Stokesbary — The chair is addressed as 'Chair, Dean Graham' in the transcript, likely a transcription error for Chair Dhingra.
Keesha Rongin — Identified as Chair of the Interim Sentence Review Board and present for questions.
Keisha Rungan — Keisha Rungan, Chair of the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, introduced herself for the record and noted that written testimony had been submitted.
SB5886 — Senate Bill 5886 is introduced and then briefed by staff as legislation addressing forged digital likeness and unauthorized use of a person's digital likeness, including related personality rights protections. The briefing concludes and the bill then receives multiple supportive witness statements emphasizing its importance in protecting students and communities from AI-generated deepfakes and identity exploitation, strengthening consent and accountability, and updating the law to reflect current technology. The public hearing on SB 5886 is ultimately closed after sign-ins are noted.
SB6041 — Senate Bill 6041 is introduced and then briefly explained in committee as a bill updating personality rights protections, including stronger remedies such as a higher civil penalty for knowing misuse. Witnesses testify in support, describing it as important for protecting digital likeness rights and addressing deepfakes, and praising its enforcement mechanism. The public hearing on the bill is then closed after sign-ins are announced.
Ryan Giannini — Identified as staff counsel to the committee and begins the staff briefing.
Lisa Wellman — Staff identifies Senate Bill 6041 as Senator Wellman's bill.
Bargav Ayer — Bargav Ayer, speaking for the Associated Students of Washington State University, testifies in support of both Senate Bill 5886 and Senate Bill 6041, emphasizing student support along with consent and digital safety concerns.
Reid Scott — Washington State University Pullman representative testifies in support of Senate Bill 5886.
Brandon Elliott — University of Washington student affairs representative testifies in support of Senate Bill 5886 and describes harms from digital impersonation.
Jay Jessima [questionable] — Online witness supports both bills and suggests clarifying that forged digital likenesses can be ephemeral and real-time.
Jay Jessima — Testified that forged digital likenesses may be ephemeral and suggested amendments to clarify that point.
Nancy Noble — The chair noted that Nancy Noble was not present in person and not online.
Sonal Verk — The chair noted that Sonal Verk was not online and wanted to confirm she was not present in person.
SB6190 — The committee considered Senate Bill 6190, a bill aimed at protecting critical infrastructure and addressing theft and destruction affecting utilities and related systems. Staff briefed the bill’s provisions, including new offenses, civil remedies, penalties, and fiscal implications. The sponsor explained the need for the bill, and multiple witnesses testified in support, describing it as a negotiated response to copper theft, wire theft, catalytic converter theft, and broader infrastructure attacks. Some testimony also criticized the bill as incomplete and proposed amendments to strengthen enforcement tools, require database uploads, preserve evidence, and improve investigative authority. The discussion concluded with the chair closing public testimony on SB 6190.