OLYMPIA – Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland), Chair of the House Public Safety Committee, has a long history of enacting legislation to protect crime victims and reduce recidivism. This session, Goodman has sponsored multiple measures promoting public safety, including two bills that recently passed the House with strong bipartisan support.
As with many previous sessions, Goodman has sponsored a significant bill to strengthen Washington’s domestic violence laws. Repeat domestic violence offenders have a high rate of recidivism and often commit other violent crimes. To protect victims and communities, House Bill 1163 increases penalties for repeat offenses and provides stricter supervision. In addition, the bill implements efforts to educate community members, as well as improve treatment programs and risk assessments for domestic abusers.
“These offenders subject their victims to a cycle of abuse, and the current system isn’t doing enough to protect them,” said Goodman. “It’s time we do all we can to protect the victims and hold their abusers accountable.”
In addition to his work on domestic violence, Goodman has continued his efforts to strengthen the DUI laws. House Bill 1614, the result of a comprehensive work group convened during the interim, mainly addresses the issue of repeat drunk driving offenders. The most important provisions of the bill include stricter ignition interlock requirements, tighter regulations regarding a second offense, and additional requirements to vacate convictions.
“This year’s legislation makes some minor, but significant, changes to our current DUI statutes,” said Goodman after the passage of the bill today. “Drunk driving can have a devastating effect on families and we are always working to improve these laws to keep our communities safe.”
Both bills now go to the Senate for further consideration.