In our supposedly progressive state, the reprehensible act of forcing individuals into modern-day slavery can be met with the same legal reprimand as stealing a PlayStation 5 Pro (2nd degree theft is the same felony class as forcing people into labor). This is unimaginable and cannot be allowed to continue. 

Current laws classify the coercion of involuntary servitude (RCW 9A.40.110), which is forcing someone into unpaid labor through threats, such as withholding their immigration documents or threatening to report them to ICE – essentially modern slavery. Yet it's punished as just a Class C felony: maximum 5 years prison, $10k fine (unranked Class C felony). And each year, countless individuals stay trapped (like the United 6 fishing bust: Filipino men trafficked to WA boats, passports seized, forced labor, working 18 hours a day hauling fish weighing nearly 100 pounds and the company got weak state charges (despite years of abuse) with little justice.

And each year, countless individuals in this hidden crime in Washington State stay trapped in a cycle of exploitation with little justice: Washington State saw 1,287 human trafficking cases 2018-2022, many labor coercion—yet most perpetrators get Class C or less

Other states have already recognized coercion of involuntary servitude as a serious crime and adjusted their laws accordingly, taking a stand for human rights and justice. Washington must not trail behind; we must take urgent, definitive steps to end this horror on our soil by changing it to a Class A felony.

Let us urge our legislators to prioritize this issue. By restructuring our penal system to reflect the gravity of coercion in involuntary servitude, we can enact real change. Stand with me in demanding this critical reclassification in Washington State. Stand for the American promise of liberty and crush modern slavery in Washington before another victim suffers by signing this petition and sharing it widely.