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Three more of Hinkle's bills
on their way to the governor
Today the state House and
Senate passed three bills sponsored by
Rep.
Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum, and sent them to Gov. Christine
Gregoire for her consideration. All three bills passed unanimously.
The first, Substitute House Bill 1003, would open many Forest Service
roads and those owned and operated by state agencies to off-road
vehicles (ORVs) and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The bill also exempts
ORVs and ATVs operating on non-highway roads from the vehicle licensing,
equipment and lighting requirements that apply on highways, and allows
children under 13 to operate an ORV on a nonhighway road only under the
direct supervision of an adult with a valid driver’s license.
“There has been confusion for years over where ATVs and ORVs could go on
these public lands,” Hinkle said. “This will clear up that confusion and
set clear guidelines for riders and landowners. It will also, I hope,
open up more places for people to ride.”
The second bill, Substitute House Bill 1938, would allow a member of the
Public Employees’ Retirement System Plan 1 (PERS 1) to receive
retirement credit for time spent in military service rendered on or
prior to Jan. 1, 2005. PERS 1 members are increasingly being called to
military service toward the end of their careers, and are unable to
begin receiving their retirement benefits without first being discharged
and returning to work. House Bill 1938 would give PERS 1 members
retirement credit for time spent in military service and allow those
called up to begin receiving retirement benefits on the timeline they
had originally projected.
The third bill, Substitute House Bill 2156, would create a task force
that will report back to the Legislature on the health, safety and
welfare of children receiving services from child protective services
and child welfare services. The bill is dubbed “Sirita’s Law,” after
Sirita Sotelo, who died before her fifth birthday, beaten to death at
the home of her father and stepmother. The bill as originally written
would have limited parental rights after children were removed from the
home three times for abuse or neglect. The Senate amended the bill to
strike that language and instead create a task force to study issues
related to child placement, termination of parental rights, when and how
children are removed from homes and reunited with parents, and more. The
task force’s preliminary findings would be due to the Legislature by
Dec. 31, 2005.
“I am encouraged that Sirita’s Law is on its way to the governor,”
Hinkle commented. “But I am also hopeful that next year the Legislature
will revisit this issue and consider limiting the rights of habitually
abusive parents. These foster kids are in the state’s care, and it is
our duty to do all we can to protect them.”
The governor has up to 20 days following the end of the session
(excluding Sundays) to consider these three bills for signature. House
Bill 1891, also sponsored by Hinkle, became law when the governor signed
it last week.
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For more information, contact:
John Handy, Assistant
Communications Director - (360) 786-5758
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