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Ross applauds passage of bill targeting auto theft
But approval of wood stove legislation is bad sign for Valley residents
Legislation co-sponsored by
Rep.
Charles Ross to strengthen penalties for stealing a car has
cleared the House of Representatives.
House Bill 1001 passed after the House accepted a Republican
amendment that restored sanctions on juveniles -- an important part of
the bill which had been removed at the committee level, the 14th
District lawmaker said.
"I'm very pleased we were able to put the penalties for juveniles back
into the bill. State law doesn't hold serious consequences for juvenile
car thieves until they've been convicted a seventh time. The legislation
I supported would put a juvenile in jail for the third auto theft
conviction, which is more like it," said Ross, R-Naches. "This is a good
first step that's been a long time coming."
House Bill 1001 is one of 21 public safety bills introduced or
co-sponsored this session by Ross, who has made public safety the
priority of his first term as a state lawmaker. Its passage Tuesday
night on an 80-16 vote was well ahead of today's 5 p.m. deadline for the
House and Senate to act on their own bills.
Under the Republican amendment attached to HB 1001, juveniles with two
prior car-theft convictions who steal a car again would receive 15 to 36
days of confinement. They would also be subject to a risk assessment, a
minimum of seven days detention, four months community supervision, 90
hours community service and a $400 fine.
"Some of my colleagues across the aisle argued that the number of
auto-theft cases involving juveniles has fallen. But if that's the case
it's probably because the weak penalties are discouraging people from
reporting car thefts in the first place," said Ross.
"Law enforcement officers have told me it's almost not worth
investigating those crimes. I'm guessing they also will be encouraged if
this bill becomes law, maybe as much as the owners of the many cars that
are stolen each day in our state," he added.
The
original version of HB 1001 resulted from the findings of an auto-theft
task force comprising legislators, law enforcement officials and
prosecutors that met between the 2006 and 2007 legislative sessions. It
was amended in each of the three House committees that approved it, and
one more time Tuesday evening on the floor of the House.
In 2005, over 50,000 auto thefts were reported, costing Washington
citizens more than $325 million in higher insurance rates and lost
vehicles. Since 1994, auto theft has increased over 55 percent, while
other property crimes like burglary are on the decline or holding
steady.
As pleased as Ross is about the passage of HB 1001, he's disappointed
that
House Bill 2261 also came out of the House, by a 64-31 vote, before
today's deadline for action. It would establish a work group to study
the impacts of smoke from wood stoves and make recommendations to the
Legislature on strategies to reduce public health threats from exposure
to wood smoke.
"Any recommendation to reduce wood smoke exposure is likely to involve
reducing wood smoke production, and we know what that means," said Ross.
"Wood heat is popular throughout the Yakima Valley. It's especially
popular when the electricity goes out. I understand and share the
interest in air quality, but I worry this would lead to big government
coming after what for many people is their primary source of heat."
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Contact: Rep. Charles Ross, (509) 945-0082
Eric Campbell, House Republican Communications, (360) 786-7720
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