Latest Posts – Page 17 – Representative Roger Goodman (D) Washington State Legislature

Keeping Our Roadways Safe

Roger is the Chair of the House Public Safety Committee and also as a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee.

In his pursuit of public safety, Roger is distinguished for his work to reduce drunk driving. He has passed more than a dozen pieces of major legislation to address this chronic problem and his work in this area has earned him national acclaim.

Drunk Driving

Even with tougher punishments and ad campaigns, drunk drivers continue to plague our roads.

People need to know that when you drive drunk and put lives at risk, it will not be tolerated. Strong sentences aren’t the only answer; we need new solutions to make our roads safer and to save more lives.

For several years, Roger Goodman has worked closely with the Washington State Patrol, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, judges and prosecutors to come up with innovative ways to hold drunk drivers accountable.

He has passed a dozen bills in this area, and the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission has reported that his legislation has resulted in a 44 percent decline in alcohol-related deaths and serious injuries on Washington’s roads in the last seven years, making Washington the model for the nation.

Roger’s legislation has aimed at known drunk drivers, installing breathalyzers, or what are called “ignition interlock devices” in DUI offenders’ cars. If the driver has been drinking, the car won’t start and can’t get on the road.

The DUI offenders must pay for the device themselves, sparing the taxpayers any expense.

Eighty percent of drivers with a suspended license drive anyway. By installing the alcohol-detection devices, we allow them to get a special driver’s license, so they can continue to drive to work or school. These are known drunk drivers and we’ve been able to make sure they’re driving sober, saving several hundreds of lives in the process.

Roger’s DUI and road safety bills enacted into law include:

HB 2700 (Chapter 203, Laws of 2016), a significant reform of DUI laws, expanding alcohol monitoring, ignition interlock requirements, vehicular homicide penalties and license suspensions.

HB 2314 (Chapter 213, Laws of 2016, enacted as companion SB 6160), criminalizing the manufacture, sale and installation of counterfeit and defective automobile safety airbags.

HB 2728 (Chapter 100, Laws of 2014, enacted as amendment to SB 6413), holding repeat DUI offenders in jail after arrest, punishing the tampering with ignition interlock devices, et al.

HB 1482 (Chapter 35, Laws of 2013, enacted as companion SB 5912), a major reform of DUI laws strengthening the felony DUI law, ignition interlock requirements, DUI courts, alcohol monitoring and treatment programs, among many other provisions.

HB 2443 (Chapter 183, Laws of 2012), another significant update to the ignition interlock program, including a major expansion of Washington State Patrol’s enforcement capability.

HB 2302 (Chapter 42, Laws of 2012), a child endangerment statute requested by the Washington State Patrol, increasing penalties for driving drunk with children in the vehicle.

HB 1789 (Chapter 293, Laws of 2011), another major expansion of the ignition interlock program and further toughening of other DUI penalties.

HB 1017 (Chapter 167, Laws of 2011, enacted as companion SB 5000), requiring a mandatory 12-hour impound of DUI offenders’ cars, preventing drunk drivers from retrieving their vehicles while they are still drunk.

HB 2742 (Chapter 269, Laws of 2010), a major bill expanding the ignition interlock program and toughening other DUI penalties.

HB 2466 (Chapter 268, Laws of 2010), a bill requested by the Washington State Patrol to ensure the reliability of ignition interlock technologies.

HB 1732 (enacted in the 2009 Transportation Budget), securing a revolving fund, financed by DUI offenders, to pay for the ignition interlock devices of indigent DUI offenders.

HB 3254 (Chapter 282, Laws of 2008), a landmark measure, holding DUI offenders accountable through the establishment of the new Ignition Interlock License program.

HB 2130 (Chapter 474, Laws of 2007), strengthening the felony DUI law by properly accounting for prior DUI offenses.

Reducing the Harm From Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking and Harassment

Roger has convened working groups of experts to deal with the chronic problem of domestic violence and sexual assault, seeking advice and guidance from prosecutors, law enforcement, judges, treatment programs and victims and their advocates.

This work has resulted in major pieces of legislation, helping law enforcement respond much better at the scene of a domestic dispute, giving courts better and more timely information about perpetrators and victims, improving the enforceability of no-contact orders and protection orders, and also toughening criminal penalties:

In 2014 Roger received national attention for his successful effort to get guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. Too many times, abusers were ignoring domestic violence protection orders against them and then seeking retribution with firearms by killing or grievously injuring their partners or spouses.

Roger worked with law enforcement, victims and survivors of domestic violence – and even the gun lobby – to craft HB 1840 (Chapter 111, Laws of 2014), which was one of the most significant gun safety measures in a generation.

This measure required the removal of firearms from those subject to protection orders and criminal no-contact orders in cases of domestic violence, sexual assault and other cases where the assailant is deemed to continue to be a credible threat to the victim. Roger’s work in this regard has literally saved lives.

Other important measures in this area of law which Roger has led the Legislature to enact include:

HB 1653 (Chapter 256, Laws of 2013, enacted as companion SB 5484), increasing penalties for assaults inside courthouses, where domestic violence victims are particularly vulnerable.
HB 1383 (Chapter 84, Laws of 2013), protecting victims of stalking through the creation of a new stalking protection order, with serious criminal penalties for violating such an order.
HB 1307 (Chapter 74, Laws of 2013), protecting victims of sexual assault from their assailants by allowing expedited service and renewal of sexual assault protection orders.
HB 1108 (Chapter 94, Laws of 2013), a significant piece of legislation repealing the so-called “marital exception” to rape, holding rapists accountable when their victims are their spouses.
HB 2363 (Chapter 223, Laws of 2012), a major revision of Washington’s domestic violence laws, toughening penalties and protecting the confidential locations of “safe houses” for domestic violence survivors and their children.
HB 1626 (Chapter 307, Laws of 2011, enacted as companion SB 5579), which strengthened our state’s anti-harassment laws.
HB 1188 (Chapter 166, Laws of 2011), raising criminal sanctions for suffocation, which is a terrifying means used by domestic abusers to attack their victims.
HB 1182 (Chapter 165, Laws of 2011), significantly increasing penalties for intimidating and tampering with witnesses, which is a major problem in domestic violence cases.
HB 2777 (Chapter 274, Laws of 2010), the most comprehensive revision of Washington’s domestic violence laws in more than 30 years, significantly changing the way law enforcement, prosecutors and courts handle domestic violence cases, and improving the quality of perpetrator treatment programs.

Making Us Safer on the Roads, in Public Places and in our Homes

Roger is the Chair of the House Public Safety Committee and also as a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee.

Roger has worked successfully to enhance public safety. Roger is especially distinguished for his work to reduce drunk driving and domestic violence, which are the greatest sources of harm in our society.

He has passed more than a dozen pieces of major legislation to address these chronic problems and his work in this area has earned him national acclaim.

Awards

The District and Municipal Court Judges Association for his work to reform the trial courts
The Mountains-to-Sound Greenway for his work to link trails along the I-90 corridor
And by several other diverse organizations.

Legislative Accomplishments

Roger has won countless awards during his decade in office, including being the first Washington state legislator to win the “Safety Champion Award” from the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration (NHTSA). In 2013, he received national recognition from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). He also received the 2012 Norm Maleng Award from the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence for his groundbreaking work in revising Washington’s domestic violence laws. (more…)

Reforming the Courts and the Justice System

Roger has held countless meetings of experts in the justice system over the years to help reform the operation of our court system and to provide better access to justice. He has sponsored many bills to improve the local court process for citizens like you. So, what is the effect of these changes? If you need to go to court, you’re more likely to deal with the matter locally.

For victims, that means not traveling far from home.
For those running afoul of the law, you’ll have local courts keeping you in line.

Roger’s many bills reforming the justice system include:

HB 1328 (Chapter 260, Laws of 2015, enacted as companion SB 5125), expanding the jurisdiction of the District Courts.
HB 1320 (enacted as budget proviso to SB 6052, Chapter 4, Laws of 2015), providing Washington State ID cards to prisoners upon their release to ease their re-entry into the community.
HB 1406 (Chapter 294, Laws of 2013, enacted as companion SB 5236), reforming the law of defamation, providing opportunities for clarifications and corrections.
HB 1065 (Chapter 92, Laws of 2013), requiring that the statute of limitations for initiating arbitration proceedings apply as they do in all other civil causes of action.
HB 2603 (Chapter 177, Laws of 2012, enacted as part of SB 6240), revising the Juvenile Disposition Grid, the sentencing system for juvenile offenders.
HB 1361 (Chapter 227, Laws of 2009), a significant reform of criminal sanctions allowing sentencing courts to hold non-violent offenders accountable through the use of county-supervised treatment programs and other alternatives to incarceration.
HB 1261 (Chapter 81, Laws of 2009), putting in place a new system of interstate court procedures in cases of establishing guardianship of vulnerable adults by parties outside Washington State.
HB 1159 (Chapter 26, Laws of 2009, enacted as companion SB 5135), increasing the number of King County District Court judges to accommodate overwhelming caseloads.
HB 1158 (Chapter 330, Laws of 2009), allowing for electronic juror registration, resulting in a significant expansion of the juror pools for the trial courts.
HB 2557 (Chapter 227, Laws of 2008), a major piece of legislation reorganizing the jurisdictions of the District and Superior Courts and the roles of judges and commissioners, among many other reforms.
HB 2236 (Chapter 475, Laws of 2007), a comprehensive revision of Washington’s probate laws, governing the inheritance of property.