2.17.16

Suggested lead:   New legislation out of Olympia could prove to be bad news for drunk and drugged drivers.  Dan Frizzell has that story.

Wrap (:85 total):  Legislative moves in the last decade have seen deaths and injuries caused by impaired drivers plummet in Washington state, but each year seems to bring a new push to make the the highway a safer place to be.  Wednesday in Olympia, the state House OK'd a sweeping measure that makes it easier to charge impaired drivers with felonies.  It's also designed to crack down on ignition-interlock scofflaws, yank the licenses more quickly from those arrested for DUI, and make convicted drunk and drugged drivers come face to face with victim panels so they can see up close the potential devestation impaired driving can cause.  Representative Roger Goodman, the Kirkland Democrat who chairs the House Public Safety Committee, has devoted much of his legislative career to getting impaired drivers off the roads, and he sponsored Wednesday's bill as well.

GOODMAN:  "We're going to have more felony DUI convictions because of this, and holding people accountable, and supervising them after they get out.  Really, drunk driving is honestly, probably the most serious chronic societal problem.  It's killing people and injuring people on the road, and it's gratifying that we've made a lot of progress, we really have brought down the number of deaths, but we have a lot more work to do." [:20]. 

Goodman's DUI bill passed out of the House with overwhelming bipartisan support.  It now heads for the Senate, which some Capitol-watchers call the place where good bills go to die.  That chamber has until March fourth to approve the bill and send it downstairs for Governor Inslee's signature.  In Olympia, I’m Dan Frizzell.