Tarra Simmons (’17), Washington State Representative of the 23rd Legislative District, penned an opinion for The Seattle Times discussing the intent of Washington House Bill 1692 which aims to promote racial equity in the criminal legal system by eliminating drive-by shooting as an aggravating factor in cases of first-degree murder (“Redemption Is Possible, If Our Laws Allow It,” Jan. 10). “If we are to have true justice, we must examine the tough-on-crime policies that have made this country the worldwide leader in incarceration. We must look at how our laws have been used to target communities of color. . . . This bill is … about asking ourselves the hard questions. Are we a society that believes in redemption? Do we only believe in redemption for some kinds of people? How can we create justice without relying on vengeance?”