News Alert – Democrat controlled WA Senate stalled Asian bill and let it die yet put Black bill on fast track to pass

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 9, 2021

Senate Democrat needs to exam its inherent bias against Asians

Democrat controlled Senate stalled Asian bill and let it die yet put Black bill on fast track to pass

Bellevue, WA – April 9th, 2021 – Early this year, Senator Wagoner sponsored SB 5264, a bill that would declare January as Chinese American History month, and encourage public schools to commemorate Chinese Americans’ contributions to this state and country. It is a much needed bill especially when this country is waking up to longstanding anti-Asian racism. This bill has zero fiscal impact, and passed out of committee unanimously. Yet, Democrat controlled Rules committee let it stalled there for 17 days, then Democrat leadership sat on it for another 20 days. This bill eventually died at cutoff on March 11th. 

By comparison, HB 1016, a bill that would make Juneteenth a legal holiday, with a fiscal impact of $7.5million biennially swiftly moved through the Senate. Rules committee placed it on the floor calendar in just 5 days, then Democrat leadership quickly brought it out for a floor vote in only 2 days. HB 1016 passed Senate and the legislature today, April 9th.

Apparently, an Asian bill and and Black bill were treated differently.  Asian bill was let slowly die and Black bill was a a fast track to pass.

Although we do not want to guess the intention to stall SB 5264, for it being lacking the will to support the bill, or lacking the interest in the bill, Democrat controlled Senate clearly demonstrated its inherent bias against Asians. 

The insensitivity to bills’ negative impact on Asian American community has been showing in many bills. SB 5228, for example, would, without a doubt, create racial quotas against Asian students in medical school admissions. Increasing the number of underrepresented students at medical schools, while excluding Asian students from the underrepresented student definition, will effectively decrease the number of Asian students at medical schools.  While the bill’s sponsors and supporters emphasizing its benefits to other people of color communities, they have shown in indifference in its negative impact on Asian American community.  

We formed a national coalition calling on real actions to combat anti-Asian racism. We hope the Washington Senate would exam its own inherent and implicit bias towards Asians, and walk the talk to combat anti-Asian racism in Olympia.

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New Development: News Alert: Is reviving SB 5264 just a staged show put up by Senate Democrat? – Evidences suggest yes

Update:

Tacoma News Tribune Editorial Board: New Black history holiday good for Washington. But don’t slight this minority group

The Jason Rantz Show: Linda Yang (WA Asians 4 Equality) says Senate Democrats needs to exam their inherent bias against Asian Washingtonians