Olympia Update

We all have heard the phrase, "The good, the bad and the ugly." It also applies to the many bills before the Legislature each year.

Nearly 1,600 bills (754 from the Senate, 843 from the House) had been introduced, as of Feb. 21, and we're not even halfway through the 105-day session yet.

Many of these proposals are good, a fair number are bad and some are just plain ugly. Let me offer examples of each.

A "good" measure would be Senate Bill (SB) 5034, introduced by 4th District Sen. Mike Padden of Spokane Valley. SB 5034 would change state law to again let law-enforcement officers use their judgment when deciding whether to pursue suspects in vehicles.

It attempts to correct a flawed law, enacted by the Legislature two years ago, that limits the ability of officers to pursue suspects. Before that change, officers only needed "reasonable suspicion" to initiate a vehicular pursuit of suspects. But the 2021 law only allows such pursuits based on "probable cause." The result is officers being forced to watch criminals drive off. Criminals know that officers can't pursue them like they did before, so now they feel free to commit other crimes. It's no coincidence that the auto-theft epidemic in our state began shortly after the near-ban on pursuits took effect in July 2021.

Unfortunately, the chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee has refused to consider SB 5034. Instead, the Democrat majority on that panel approved SB 5533, which would create a vehicle-pursuit work group that would report back to the Legislature by November 2024. In other words, the Democrats are punting instead of addressing this problem now. That would effectively give the crooks peace of mind for another two years, while allowing countless more people to be victimized.

A "bad" bill is House Bill (HB) 1143, which would force Washingtonians to jump through some costly, time-consuming hoops simply to exercise a constitutional right. Specifically, you'd have to take a safety class to obtain a permit to purchase a firearm. The bill, which also would place restrictions on dealers and purchasers, was passed by the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee late last month, and was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 23.

HB 1143 threatens the rights of law-abiding citizens, and would increase financial burdens on Washington families. And yet it would do nothing to address the irresponsible and illegal use of guns in our state. Other pro-Second Amendment senators and I will try to stop this bill in case it passes the House.

A prime example of an "ugly" bill is HB 1832. It would place a voluntary "road usage charge" of 2.5 cents per mile on Washington drivers starting in 2025. In 2030, the road usage charge would become mandatory. The bill received a public hearing in the House Transportation Committee on Feb. 21. I'm hoping it won't move beyond there.

A mileage tax, which is what this bill would create, would be disastrous for many eastern Washington drivers who travel long distances for work, school, grocery shopping, medical care or other necessary trips.

Washington drivers already pay a lot for the state gas tax and the new "cap-and-tax" fee. Adding a road usage charge is just too much.

-Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, has served the 9th Legislative District since 1993.