(The Center Square) – A Washington state Democratic lawmaker is expressing “regret and guilt” 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 “contributed to the juvenile crime wave.”
Davis spoke with The Center Square on Monday, sharing that during her first few years in the Legislature, she voted on bills she didn’t fully understand and was afraid to speak up.
“I 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,” she said. “And 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.”
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.
“I have sat with weeping mothers – constituents of mine – whose children were slain by fellow teenagers,” she wrote in the op-ed. “Juvenile 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.”
Davis lamented that Washington’s 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.
“I 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,” she said. “So, 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.”
Davis said she’s well aware that speaking out may not be received well by some.
“I 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,” Davis said. “I 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.”
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 Davis’s pointed criticisms.
“We’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,” Jinkins said.
The speaker did not directly respond to Davis’ suggestion that Democratic policies have created the public safety crisis facing the state, particularly the spike in juvenile crime.
“There’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?” 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.
“Listen, 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,” she said. “So, it’s 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.”
Davis isn’t holding her breath when it comes to fundamental changes in public safety legislation in the next session.
“I 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,” 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.
“One I referenced in the op-ed – Senate Bill 5296 – nearly passed the Legislature, and we were barely able to stop it,” 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.
“The bill is riddled with problems,” Davis said. “But 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.”
That wasn’t the only bill to earn her ire.
“Another bill that is particularly egregious is Senate Bill 5266,” Davis said. “That 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.”
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.
“My regrets and guilt that I carry around like a heavy weight is a pretty compelling motivator,” Davis said.
