OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington state Legislature will once again take up the issue of when police can pursue a suspect.
On Thursday, Jan. 11, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs notified the Legislature that signatures for Initiative 2113 were certified. Initiative 2113 would amend the state's controversial police pursuit law by "restoring the authority of a police officer to engage in a pursuit when there is reasonable suspicion a person has violated the law."
Initiatives to the Legislature are submitted during the regular session in January. The Legislature may: adopt the initiative as proposed and it becomes law without being placed on the ballot; reject or refuse to act on the initiative in which it will be placed on the ballot during the next general election; or propose a different measure dealing with the same subject, in which both measures would be on the ballot.
More than 400,000 people signed in support of the initiative. A total of 324,516 verified signatures are needed to qualify an initiative for the November ballot.
The initiative was submitted by Let's Go Washington.
In 2021, state lawmakers passed legislation that increased the threshold for evidence required for a police pursuit. In 2023, lawmakers lowered the threshold for police to pursue a suspect from probable cause to reasonable suspicion for limited crimes. The limited crimes include violent offense, sex offense, or an escape; or DUI, vehicular assault, and domestic violence assault in the first, second, third, or fourth-degree offense.
Under the proposed language, a police officer would be able to initiate a pursuit if there is "reasonable suspicion someone has violated the law" and the person is a "threat to the safety of others."
The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU) campaigned against the initiative, asking people to decline to sign I-2113. According to the ACLU, the initiative aims at a 2021 law protecting Washingtonians from “dangerous, high-speed police pursuits,” the second leading cause of death from police activities.
The Washington Coalition for Police Accountability said it opposes I-2113, because the current law "is not broken," and it worried the initiative would increase risk for bystanders in police chases.
Meanwhile, five other high-profile initiatives are awaiting signature certification. Those include Initiative 2117, which would repeal the state's Climate Commitment Act that critics blame for gas prices increases, as well as Initiative 2124, allowing anyone to opt out of WA Cares, the state's long-term care tax.