OLYMPIA — State lawmakers were busy passing bills last week, with three introduced by North Olympic Peninsula representatives making it out of the House.
That includes one introduced by Rep. Steve Tharinger — his first to make it out of the chamber since joining the state Legislature this year — that would allow cities to reduce the amount of money from the general fund used to help pay for ambulance services.
The legislation, HB 1596, is intended to allow municipalities to rely more on ambulance utility fees to cover the service.
The House passed the bill 63-33 Saturday, but not before subjecting the freshman legislator to a bit of hazing. When a new representative has his first bill up for a floor vote, some members intending to support it make speeches against the legislation.
One jokingly said that Tharinger, a Clallam County commissioner, did not have “an appreciation for county government” since the bill only applies to cities.
Tharinger, D-Sequim, said he was expecting it, and added that it was “all in good fun.”
The bill must be passed by the Senate and signed by the governor to become law.
Tharinger said the bill is meant to allow cities to be more flexible when it comes to using their general funds, particularly during tough economic times.
“It’s one of the reasons I ran for the Legislature was to provide some flexibility for local governments,” he said.
Tharinger said the bill would require cities to maintain a comparable level of service if general fund contributions are reduced.
Port Angeles, Hoquiam and Aberdeen are the three cities in Tharinger’s 24th District that have publicly funded ambulance services.
The district includes Clallam and Jefferson counties and a portion of Grays Harbor County, and is also represented by House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, and Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam.
Van De Wege had two bills passed by the House last week: HB 1295 and HB 1328.
Both passed in 95-2 votes.
HB 1295 reduces impact fees paid by people installing a residential fire sprinkler system.
HB 1328 allows motorcycle riders to not wear helmets in parades.
Some of the noteworthy bills passed by the Senate last week include:
■ SB 5326, requires a driver who causes harm to a pedestrian, bicyclist and other “vulnerable users of the public way” to pay a fine of between $1,000 and $5,000 if cited for second-degree negligent driving.
The bill passed 43-5; Hargrove voted no.
■ SB 5029, allows beer and wine tasting at farmers markets.
The bill passed 41-4; Hargrove voted no.
■ SB 5230, establishing the Puget Sound Corps.
The bill passed 40-8; Hargrove voted yes.
Some of the noteworthy bills passed by the House last week include:
■ HB 1422, authorizing a forest-biomass jet-fuel pilot project.
The bill passed 93-1; Van De Wege and Tharinger voted yes.
■ HB 1181, creating a state board of naturopathy.
The bill passed 97-0; Van De Wege and Tharinger voted yes.
■ HB 1103, removes the requirement that TV screens in vehicles must be located behind the driver’s seat but says that moving pictures must not be displayed when the vehicle is in motion.
The passed 90-3; Van De Wege and Tharinger voted yes.
■ HB 1104, prohibits wrongful control over or withholding of a vulnerable adult’s property.
The bill passed 96-0; Van De Wege and Tharinger voted yes.
■ HB 1105, provides for child fatality reviews in child welfare cases.
The bill passed 97-0; Van De Wege and Tharinger voted yes.
■ HB 1001, requests that the state Supreme Court require courts to place restrictions on how a defendant accused of a sex offense and representing themselves questions a victim or witness.
The bill passed 92-0; Van De Wege and Tharinger voted yes.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
