OLYMPIA, Wash. — Friday marked another cut-off deadline for bills making their way through the Washington State Legislature, narrowing the list of issues legislators will be dealing with this year.
A number of bills dealing with transportation and road safety didn't make it out of committee, including a bill that would have required turn signals to be used when someone is planning on exiting a roundabout and another that would have put new restrictions on where someone can turn right on a red light.
On the public safety side, a bill that would have strengthened penalties for catalytic converter thefts appears dead.
The proposal would have made the crime a felony, punishable by more than a year in prison, and it would have required scrap metal businesses to require proof of ownership before anyone gets paid for a catalytic converter.
A bill that didn’t pass before the deadline but could have a way of coming back from the dead is House Bill 1832.
The legislation would establish a voluntary road usage charge program, which places a 2.5-cent per mile fee on motor vehicle usage of public roadways in the state.
"We're in a mode where things are only going to get worse," said Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, chair of the house transportation committee.
Fey said unless something changes with the way the state pays for roads, the state won't be able to afford to pay for some of the projects the state has planned
The gas tax is how the state has paid for road projects for 100 years but with electric vehicles, hybrids, and more fuel-efficient cars, the gas tax doesn't make as much as it used to. So, Fey proposed transitioning to a system that charges drivers for every mile they drive. Drivers could be tracked with GPS devices, but drivers who don't want that would have to report their annual mileage to the state.
The bill would make it voluntary starting in 2025, but mandatory beginning in 2030. Drivers would pay two and a half cents for every mile driven on public roads and receive credits for all the money they spend on gas taxes at the pump.
Electric vehicle owners would not have to pay the current annual EV fees, which can reach $275 a year.
"Discussion needs to begin now. I am not wedded to any specific detail of this proposal you've heard about, but in the interest of furthering discussion, something needs to be on the table," Fey said at a public testimony hearing Tuesday.
Republican leadership would rather the state use sales tax from car sales to pay for the roads.
"It's a great idea, there's direct tie-in to it. There's record surplus, it would have been a perfect time to do that, it still could be done. That to me is the solution we ought to be looking at," said Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley.
A bill that has Kent’s police chief's support passed out of committee with bi-partisan support and seems to have a lot of momentum.
Senate Bill 5606 would create a new crime, "racing."
Right now someone involved in a race, or what's known as a takeover event, within an intersection or parking lot can face reckless driving charges and only more serious crimes if someone is injured.
Police and mayors back this bill, they said because of recent police reform laws, these racers and car enthusiasts feel more empowered to have these dangerous, even deadly events, which can draw hundreds of cars.
The bill would allow police to seize a repeat offender's car, but even the first-time offender would lose their car for 3 days, which Kent's police chief said would be a huge deal.
So now we've reached the stage in the session where lawmakers have a pretty good idea of what new laws have the potential of being implemented. Now they work on finding out how to pay for them and the budgeting process is really about to get started.
Legislators have until late April to pass the budget for the next two years.