Statement from Rep. Travis Couture on failure of House to vote on police pursuit bill
CONTACT: Hanna Scott, Public Information Officer | 360-968-3938
Statement from Rep. Travis Couture on failure of House to vote on police pursuit bill
Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, released the following statement after the House majority party blocked a motion to bring House Bill 1363 – bipartisan legislation concerning vehicular pursuits – to the floor for a vote.
“There is no excuse for what happened today. Despite overwhelming evidence that soft-on-crime policies only serve to embolden criminals, House Democrats refused to even debate a measure that would give law enforcement professionals a fighting chance in the midst of a crime spree.
“This experiment of allowing criminals free rein to do as they please has utterly failed. It’s time to admit the obvious: the 2021 anti-police law restricting pursuits has achieved the opposite of its intent. It has made our communities more dangerous, encouraged more high-speed getaways, and sent the message to would-be criminals that Washington state will not hold them accountable for their actions.
“Less than one week ago, two precious lives were lost when a wrong-way drunk driver tragically killed two children. State law barred troopers from stopping the driver and potentially saving those kids.
“This issue goes further than a single police tactic. It’s about whether we’re going to restore law and order and allow families to thrive without fear of violence. Or whether we’re going to continue down this path of prioritizing criminals over their victims.”
Wednesday, at 5 p.m., is house of origin cutoff – the deadline for House bills to pass out of the chamber. If a bill does not advance by this deadline, it is considered “dead” for the year.
