Council reviews several state bills on homelessness and policing and signals opposition to bills with broad enforcement or funding-withholding powers

City staff and the police chief briefed the Gig Harbor City Council on Jan. 30 about several pending state bills affecting homelessness policy and law enforcement oversight, and council signaled opposition to measures staff found problematic.

The police chief reviewed House Bill 11380, a proposed statewide restriction and regulatory framework concerning sitting, lying, sleeping or keeping warm/dry outdoors on public property. The chief said the bill uses the undefined standard of "objective reasonableness" repeatedly and that multiple jurisdictions and associations (including the Association of Washington Cities and county groups) have expressed concern because the ambiguity could generate litigation and hamper officers'ability to preserve public safety. The chief and staff emphasized that Gig Harbor will…