Governor Jay Inslee is meeting with interfaith leaders to discuss the recent rise in hate crimes Thursday morning.
Inslee made a pledge last year to make the state hate-free.
It's a goal many thought would not be as big of an issue in the Pacific Northwest as it has been in other parts of the country, but people are still being discriminated against.
Thursday’s meeting will be at least the second the governor has had with interfaith leaders since the election.
KIRO 7 has reported on hate crimes before, including on graffiti scrawled on the side of Seattle's largest synagogue, calling the Holocaust fake news.
And last month in Kent, a Sikh man was shot after being told to “go back to his country.”
In December, Inslee said that hate crimes, including those against immigrants, won't be tolerated.
"Let me tell you this to the president-elect, keep your hands off Huskies, and Cougars, and Vikings and Eagles. We're standing for those dreamers right here in the state of Washington,” said Inslee.
Alarmingly, even in the city of Seattle, hate crimes are on a steep rise.
In 2012, Seattle police recorded 113 bias crimes. Last year, that number was 256.
Inslee has made the meeting a closed-off session; however, KIRO 7 will be able to talk to them immediately after.
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