The vulnerable users bill—legislation that would increase penalties for negligent drivers who kill or seriously injure cyclists and other vulnerable roadway users—passed the state senate this morning on a 43-5 vote. Currently, drivers who kill cyclists frequently drive away with nothing more than a traffic ticket.
Republican Cheryl Pflug (R-5) spoke on the floor in favor of the bill, which was sponsored this year by Sen. Adam Kline (D-37). “It really feels very unjust to family members of victims or victims themselves who have been severely injured or killed by a negligent driver and all that happens is that the negligent driver is given a ticket,” Pflug said. “This allows the court some discretion. It does seem appropriate that it should be more than just a traffic ticket.”
David Hiller, lobbyist for the Cascade Bicycle Club, attributed the bipartisan support for the bill this year to “a lot of hard work and education” by survivors and survivors’ families. “These tragedies aren’t confined to Democratic districts,” Hiller said.
The bill passed with the support of the four new Republican senators who all defeated Democratic incumbents last year—Joe Fain (R-47), Michael Baumgartner (R-6), Steve Litzow (R-41), and Andy Hill (R-45).
The five senators who voted against the vulnerable users bill were: Jeff Baxter (R-4); Don Benton (R-17); Jim Honeyford (R-15); Jim Hargrove (D-24, Hoquiam); and Val Stevens (R-39).
The bill now goes to the House, which will have to pass some version of the legislation by March 7.
Supporters of a separate emergency transit funding bill will need the support of all the Republicans from King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties (including Eastsiders Litzow, Hill, and Fain) to move the bill through the senate. The legislation, which would allow those three counties to pass a temporary (two-year) $30 license fee to help fund transit, is currently parked in the senate transportation committee, whose chair, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen (D-10), seems unlikely to support it. The senate could amend the bill to require a public vote, which would push the fee back too far to help transit agencies fix their short-term funding crises.
