Dear Neighbors,
The Legislature adjourned just after midnight Thursday, the end of the scheduled 60-day session. I’m sorry to say that there are still a few things left unfinished and we will have to return again today to complete our work.
The major duty yet to finish is the 2012 supplemental operating budget. Here in the House, two different budgets were passed over to the Senate, but that body was unable to get to an agreement and approve either. I am pleased that the House’s budget:
- Makes no cuts to K-12 education, including no reductions in levy equalization.
- Makes no cuts to our higher education system or student financial aid.
- Preserves medical coverage for poor and temporarily disabled patients who aren’t covered by federal funding.
- Maintains adult day health services and day care assistance for parents moving from welfare to work.
- Assumes the closure of a tax loophole for large, out-of-state banks.
I think the budget is a step in the right direction but could be improved. I know that we are all committed to getting our work done quickly and getting back to our districts.
Update on my bills
I am pleased to report that all five of my bills still alive since my last update passed the legislature have been sent to the governor for her signature! They are:
- SHB 2692, concerning the commercial sale of sex
- SHB 2354, regarding stolen property trafficking
- SHB 2421, which modifies the Foreclosure Fairness Act
- SHB 2366, regarding suicide assessment, treatment and management
- HB 2524, which allows the spouse, or registered domestic partner, of a service member to place a license regulated by the Department of Health or the Department of Licensing on inactive status when the service member is deployed or stationed outside of the state.
I will continue to work on some of these and other bills and issues throughout the interim.
I appreciate hearing from you on bills, the budget and other matters of interest to you. Although I will be in Olympia during the special session, we will be moving our office back to district early this week. Please feel free to contact me at my district office in Des Moines:
Phone: 206-824-5097
Address: 22525 Marine View Drive South, Suite 204, Des Moines, WA
Legislature strengthens DUI law
Last week the legislature unanimously passed 2SHB 2216, which will increase penalties for Vehicular Homicide and Vehicular Assault. The bill raises the seriousness level for the crime of Vehicular Homicide by Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs from a level IX offense to a level XI offense, increasing the standard sentence range from 2-3 years in prison to 6-8 years for a person with no prior offenses.
I was pleased to vote for this bill in the House Judiciary committee and again on the House floor. 2SHB 2216 been delivered to the governor for her signature, and will take effect 90 days after adjournment of the 2012 session on March 8th.
Fighting electronic harassment
Victims of malicious impersonation attacks on Facebook, Craigslist and other electronic media now have another means of holding the culprits accountable, thanks to a bill signed March 7 by Gov. Gregoire.
House bill 1652 was passed by the House in 2011 but died in the Senate when the session ended. This session, it made it through both houses on unanimous votes.
The measure specifies that under Washington state law, a person may sue someone who intentionally impersonates the victim on a social networking site or online bulletin board to harass, threaten, defraud or humiliate the victim so that the victim suffers financial or physical harm.
Supporters of the bill cited cases from Washington and around the country in which electronic impersonators posted phony Craigslist ads that led to sexual assaults and thefts or created a humiliating fake Facebook page in the name of the victim.
The bill excludes impersonation that would be protected as political, artistic or satirical expression, or that is performed by law enforcement personnel in a criminal investigation.
For more on “e-personation,” click here to read a January article in the Tacoma News Tribune.
Sincerely,
Tina