West
Washington state Democrat pushes to give homeless special civil rights
A Democratic state representative in Washington state is pushing legislation that aims to make homelessness a civil right, according to a report.
State Rep. Mia Gregerson is promoting a bill that would make homeless people a protected class and shield them from “discrimination based on housing status,” according to a draft of the bill obtained by “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. The obtained draft is dated Oct. 10, 2024.
“[M]any communities within Washington are enacting and enforcing laws that disproportionately impact homelessness or make living in public a crime,” the document reads. “These laws are potentially unconstitutional, make it harder for people to exit homelessness, do not solve the underlying problem of homelessness, and waste precious public funds.”
The bill comes in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, according to the report, in which the nation’s high court held that the Eighth Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment does not prevent a city from enforcing public-camping ordinances against the homeless.
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State Rep. Mia Gregerson is reportedly pushing a bill that will protect homeless people from “discrimination based on housing status.” (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images, File)
Gregerson told Fox News Digital in a statement on Wednesday that the reported draft was a “starting point” based on legislation that failed to pass in 2019.
“To clarify, the language in the Jason Rantz article is not a bill but a starting point from earlier this year,” the lawmaker said in the statement. “What I will propose will be significantly different from the 2019 bill because we are working on a different set of issues. There has always been a plan to share this broadly including all of the cities. Drafts such as this one are a continuation of meaningful work we have done in the past.”
Under the drafted bill, the homeless would have “the right to survive in a nonobstructive manner” on public property when “that person has no reasonable alternative but to survive in public space and existing shelter facilities within the local government’s jurisdiction are inadequate in number or are functionally inaccessible.” (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images, File)
The drafted legislation reported on says it would grant the homeless “the right to survive in a nonobstructive manner” on public property, including plazas, courtyards, parking lots, sidewalks, public transportation facilities and services and room or areas within public buildings that are open to the public and during normal operating hours.
It further states the homeless would be allowed to live on public property when “that person has no reasonable alternative but to survive in public space and existing shelter facilities within the local government’s jurisdiction are inadequate in number or are functionally inaccessible.”
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Kevin Schilling, the mayor of Burien, a suburban city in Gregerson’s district, told “The Jason Rantz Show” that he was “disappointed” that the representative did not consult the City Council or city before drafting the legislation.
Democratic state Rep. Mia Gregerson, has represented Washington state’s 33rd District since 2013. (Washington State House Democrats)
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“My hope is the legislature this year works to offer support to cities by expanding substance use disorder programs, emergency shelter capacity, and law enforcement assistance so that each element of this issue can be tackled accordingly,” he said.
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Seattle, WA
Seattle Storm lose 77-72 to Fire behind Carla Leite’s 20 points
SEATTLE, WA – JULY 4: Dominique Malonga #14 of the Seattle Storm drives to the basket during the game against the Portland Fire on July 4, 2026 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder / NBAE / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – Carla Leite scored 20 points to lead the Portland Fire to a 77-72 victory over the Seattle Storm on Saturday night.
Leite made 4 of 8 shots and all 12 of her free throws, adding four assists for Portland (9-12). Bridget Carleton totaled 14 points and seven rebounds, while Megan Gustafson added 10 points and nine boards.
Dominique Malonga had 22 points to pace Seattle (5-17) and Natisha Hiedeman scored 15. Awa Fam had 12 points, while fellow rookie Flau’jae Johnson was held to a season-low one point.
Leite had two three-point plays to start the third quarter and Frieda Buhner came off the bench to score all nine of her points over a six-minute span as Portland turned a 32-30 halftime lead into a 54-47 advantage. Gustafson sank a 3-pointer for a 41-38 lead and the Fire never trailed again.
Emily Engstler had all nine of her points and six of her eight rebounds by halftime, helping Portland outscore Seattle 22-10 in the second period for a two-point lead at the break.
Hiedeman had nine points in the first quarter and Seattle used a 13-2 run over the final 5:27 to take a 20-10 lead before falling to 0-12 against Western Conference opponents this season.
Portland went 1-3 on a four-game trip.
Up next
Seattle: At Los Angeles Sparks on Monday.
Portland: Hosts Las Vegas Aces on Thursday.
The Source: Information in this story came from The Associated Press.
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