Cheers: To enforcing the law. Washington State Patrol troopers staked out two Vancouver schools on Monday looking for scofflaws who live in Washington but register vehicles in Oregon to avoid this state’s higher fees. Five tickets were handed out at Harney Elementary, and three at McLoughlin Middle School. The penalty for living in Washington with out-of-state plates is $1,122.
This is an issue that routinely raises public ire as many local residents take advantage of our proximity to Oregon to flout the law. “The Legislature has identified this as a concern,” Trooper Will Finn said. “We want compliance. Residents pay for these schools, and the people dropping off their kids obviously live here and need to pay their share of taxes.” While many local residents decry Washington’s pricey tab fees, it must be remembered that we don’t pay income tax in this state. High tab fees are one alternative to help pay for necessary services.
Jeers: To selling confiscated assault weapons. Under state law, the Washington State Patrol is required to auction or trade most of the weapons it confiscates — including assault rifles. According to an Associated Press investigation, “Sheriff’s offices and police departments across Washington state have sold dozens of AR-15s, AK47s and other assault weapons since 2010.”
The Yakima Police Department melts down most confiscated guns, and Capt. Jeff Schneider said: “It’s a bad idea to sell guns. It’s a really bad idea to sell an assault rifle.” While mass shootings are rare, he noted that an assault weapon “could be used in a crime against police. That’s a real threat.” The Legislature should act quickly to get police out of the arms business and require confiscated guns to be destroyed.
Cheers: To the Voting Rights Act. The Legislature has approved a Voting Rights Act that long has been supported by Gov. Jay Inslee and will make it easier for communities to improve minority representation in local government. The vote fell along partisan lines for Southwest Washington lawmakers, with all Democrats voting in favor and all Republicans in opposition.
The bill provides an avenue for local governments to create voting by district rather than at-large positions. By-district elections improve representation of areas that perhaps have been historically underrepresented, allowing government to better adhere to the principles of democracy.
Jeers: To an email snafu. The Vancouver City Council had to postpone consideration of an appeal regarding the purchase of a former Washington Fish and Wildlife building for use as a day center for homeless people.
The delay occurred because the city’s email system truncates long emails, meaning that full versions of 10 messages were not provided in documents prepared for an earlier hearing. The day center proposal has drawn opposition from local residents, and many of them showed up for the appeal hearing Monday. City officials were required to delay the process, but the snafu is a little embarrassing.
Cheers: To public input. The Washington State Department of Transportation is seeking feedback regarding two troublesome intersections along state Highway 500 — at Northeast 42nd Avenue/Falk Road, and at Northeast 56th Avenue/Stapleton Road. Agency officials estimate that traffic has increased along Highway 500 by about 30 percent over the past 10 years, and one result has been an increase in crashes.
“We need input from people who use the road to help us make the right investment at the right place,” said WSDOT’s Carley Francis. Information about the study is available online, along with a survey.
