Candidate Dave Reichert stands with service providers who spoke at his press conference on Wednesday, July 31, at FUSION Family Center in Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Candidate Dave Reichert stands with service providers who spoke at his press conference on Wednesday, July 31, at FUSION Family Center in Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Reichert talks homelessness during campaign stop in Federal Way

Republican candidate for governor endorses executive order made by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Former Congressman and King County Sheriff Dave Reichert, who is now a Republican candidate for Washington state governor, endorsed an executive order issued by California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom at a press conference July 31 at FUSION Family Center in Federal Way.

The executive order was issued on July 25 in response to the Supreme Court’s recent Grants Pass v. Johnson decision, in which the court ruled that laws against sleeping on public property do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, and that local and state governments can enforce laws to keep people from camping outside.

Newsom’s order calls for state agencies to clear encampments from state land in California with at least 48 hours of notice to the people within them.

Reichert said he is not interested in criminalizing homelessness:

“This is about is helping people, not trying to arrest people, but helping people who need help. They can’t make decisions for themselves because they’re so addicted to some substance or they have a mental illness that incapacitates them to make the right decision for their own safety.”

In California, Los Angeles County has so far stated they will not be going along with the order and refuse to cite or jail homeless individuals for no other reason than that they do not have housing. In reporting from LA, their Inside Safe program has reduced homelessness by 2.2% in the past year and reduced those staying overnight on the street in tents or vehicles by 10.4%.

When asked how Reichert would respond if a city like Seattle within Washington state responded like Los Angeles, Reichert brought up state troopers.

Reichert then emphasized the importance of making sure that resources match actions, so if an encampment is cleared, there will be a coordinated response in providing resources for those individuals. One step to increase accountability and effective resource dispersal would be to create a state Director of Homelessness to oversee the statewide response.

“Each person on the street is a reminder of our shared responsibility to our fellow human beings,” Reichert said.

When asked what mechanism he planned to use to get people off the streets if not through arrest or Ricky’s Law, Reichert spoke to the importance of diversion programs then passed the mic to Kristine Moreland, director of The More We Love, a nonprofit that does direct outreach with those experiencing homelessness. She also spoke at the press conference. In response to that question, she affirmed the importance of diversion programs and added the importance of accountability and getting individual programs and efforts out of silos that render them ineffective.

Reichert spoke at FUSION specifically because he had toured the facility previously and wanted to draw more attention to the issue of homelessness, according to David Harrison, executive director of FUSION.

“If it works toward addressing the issue of homelessness in our community, well I’ll be first in line,” said Harrison, adding that FUSION welcomes other candidates for governor to tour the facility and hold press conferences there as well.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Northwest

t
Man, 19, dies in Auburn shooting

Officers found the man in the 1900 block of 22nd Way NE with a gunshot wound.

The suspects’ vehicle. Photo courtesy of the Renton Police Department.
Man dragged, shot, killed in Renton after holding onto car during theft

Police report there are at least two suspects who have not yet been identified.

t
Man shot and killed in Federal Way

A K9 search team was activated, but no suspect was located after Feb. 1 shooting

Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. FILE PHOTO
Federal Way man accused of killing teen with machete goes to trial

His defense claims there’s no evidence to show he was involved or ever present

A “no trespassing” sign outside of the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. (Grace Deng/Washington State Standard)
Feds fly 110 detained migrants to Washington state, advocacy group says

Dozens of people sent to a detention center in Tacoma.

t
Congressman Adam Smith criticizes Trump for accusing DEI for plane crash

‘The president is not seeking to solve real problems by blaming DEI,’ Smith says

The four yellow parcels in the center of the image are where Portofino Investment plans to develop between 107 and 132 middle incoming housing units. Image courtesy King County Assessor
Up to 132 townhomes slated to be built on Lea Hill in Auburn

The properties are part of the area Auburn annexed from Kent in 2024

Courtesy Photo, King County
Man accused of killing his mother in Renton

‘I killed my mother,’ the suspect told police, according to court documents.

Students raise their hands to indicate that they participated in breakfast that morning during attendance. Each class tracks meals a different way, finding how best to seamlessly integrate it into their usual morning activities. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror.
Breakfast in the Classroom program shines in Federal Way | Photos

United Way of King County presents award to Federal Way Public Schools for fighting student hunger

Employees work at Fall City’s Aroma Coffee Co. on Jan. 14, 2025. (Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record)
Small businesses brace for higher minimum wage in King County

New wage for unincorporated areas went into effect Jan. 1, but the rules are still being determined.

Leonel Gonzalez at his sentencing. Photo by Joshua Solorzano/Sound Publishing
Man sentenced to 39 years for fatal carjacking at Federal Way Crossings

The mother of the victim in 2021 shooting told the man that she forgives him

Looking out over Cell 8 during the fall 2024 public tour of the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Where will all the waste go? King County’s only landfill expected to be completely full by 2040

Cedar Hills Regional Landfill receives about 1 million tons of waste a year.