Wilson Criscione

1 week ago | yakimaherald.com | Wilson Criscione

President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice is investigating a new Washington state law that makes clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse, arguing it violates the First Amendment. The legislation was signed into law on Friday, May 2, by Gov. Bob Ferguson. It means church leaders will now be required to report child abuse or neglect to authorities, and unlike many other states, it mandates that clergy do so even if they learned of the allegations during a confession.

1 week ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Wilson Criscione

President Trump’s Department of Justice is investigating a new Washington state law that makes clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse, arguing it violates the First Amendment. The state legislation was signed into law on Friday, May 2, by Gov. Bob Ferguson. It means church leaders will now be required to report child abuse or neglect to authorities, and unlike many other states, it mandates that clergy do so even if they learned of the allegations during a confession.

4 weeks ago | wenatcheeworld.com | Wilson Criscione

After a third consecutive year of raw, emotional debate over religious freedom and child safety, the Washington Legislature has passed one of the nation’s toughest laws requiring clergy to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Senate Bill 5375, sponsored by Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, passed the House 64-31 on Friday, April 11. It now heads to Gov. Bob Ferguson, who must sign it for it to become law.

4 weeks ago | opb.org | Wilson Criscione

After a third consecutive year of raw, emotional debate over religious freedom and child safety, the Washington Legislature has passed one of the nation’s toughest laws requiring clergy to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Senate Bill 5375, sponsored by Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, passed the House 64-31 on Friday, April 11. It now heads to Gov. Bob Ferguson, who must sign it for it to become law.

Jan 23, 2025 | cascadepbs.org | Wilson Criscione

It was clear when Washington State University researchers studied the data in 2003, in 2005 and in 2007. It was clear in 2019, when InvestigateWest found that the search rate for Native Americans was five times higher than for whites. And it was clear when WSU researchers followed up one more time in 2021, at the request of the state Legislature, and found similar results. Advocates have called for change. Lawmakers have pressed for answers. And the state patrol has acknowledged it’s a problem.