1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I’m writing as a resident of Washington State to urge you to take proactive legislative and executive action to safeguard civil liberties—particularly the right to free political speech and peaceful dissent. Recent rhetoric from federal officials, including suggestions that “law enforcement” could be used to police so-called “civil speech,” represents a direct threat to First Amendment rights. The dangerous conflation of dissent with extremism risks creating a chilling effect across schools, workplaces, protests, and digital platforms. Washington must lead in defending democratic freedoms where the federal government appears poised to restrict them. I respectfully urge you to: 1. Publicly affirm Washington’s commitment to protecting freedom of expression, especially for marginalized and dissenting voices. 2. Introduce and support state legislation barring state agencies and local law enforcement from assisting in any federal speech suppression efforts that violate constitutional protections. 3. Strengthen legal protections for journalists, educators, artists, students, and activists who may be targeted based on their viewpoints. 4. Convene public hearings or establish a legislative working group to explore how to codify civil liberties safeguards in state law. 5. Explore multi-state partnerships to collectively resist unconstitutional federal overreach and defend democratic norms. Washington voters are watching closely. We need leaders who will not just condemn authoritarianism in words, but act swiftly and boldly to protect our rights under state law. I look forward to your response and to seeing the state take a principled stand in defense of our democracy.