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Felony eluding bill heads back to the Senate
Ross working with Senate colleagues to encourage passage of bill
The House of
Representatives today voted 97-0 in favor of
House Bill 1030, also known as the "Bobby Aguilar and Edgar
Trevino-Mendoza Public Safety Act". The measure would allow a
prosecuting attorney to charge a person who has eluded the police with
endangerment, adding to the person's possible sentence.
Rep. Charles Ross,
R-Naches, introduced the measure last year where it was unanimously
approved in the House. However, it did not reach the Senate floor for a
vote. Ross has been working with Senate colleagues since last year to
encourage the passage of the measure.
"We've been working hard
with the Senate on their concerns with this bill," Ross said. "I'm
optimistic that they will see the need for this law change and support
the bill this year."
Before the vote today,
Ross spoke on the House floor, urging House lawmakers to again vote
unanimously in favor of the bill and send it back to the Senate.
"The incidents of eluding
remain constant in our community. If we fail to act we send the message
that it's okay to run from the cops, and that is the wrong message. We
need to send a message that says 'If you jeopardize an innocent person's
safety, by running from the police, we are going to put you in jail,'"
Ross told colleagues.
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For more information, contact:
Sarah Lamb, Public Information
Officer - (360) 786-7720
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