4th District legislators address North-South freeway, police pursuits

By John McCallum Current Contributor

Thirty-seven days into the current 120-day legislative session, elected officials from the 4th Legislative District are cautiously optimistic some good things can get accomplished despite being in the minority party in both Washington State legislative chambers.

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All three members of the 4th District delegation — representatives Leonard Christian and Suzanne Schmidt along with Sen. Mike Padden, all Republicans — are united in support of several issues important to constituents locally and statewide. Key among the former is funding for the North Spokane Corridor Project, referred to as the “North-South Freeway.”

The $1.5 billion project, begun in 2001 and on time for completion in 2028, will connect Interstate 90 at the Thor/Freya interchange with U.S. highways 395 and 2 near Wandermere, thereby ease northsouth traffic on major arterials in Spokane. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s transportation budget, however, halts project funding for the next six years due to rising construction costs, decreasing revenues and transportation needs elsewhere.

Schmidt told a town hall audience at Argonne Library Feb. 11 the move could negatively impact several transportation projects in Spokane. At the same meeting, Christian reiterated the project’s importance to the region, and noted the 4th District delegation is united with 3rd District Democrats in keeping funding for the project to allow completion.

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In a Feb. 15 interview, Padden said Inslee has backed away a bit from his initial decision about funding. The third-term state senator noted the governor could order work on the project to stop, as has happened elsewhere in the state, but has not done so.

“It’s (North-South) going ahead, and really it should be accelerated,” Padden said.

Another area of unification for the 4th is House Bill 1363, and its Senate companion SB5034, concerning vehicular pursuits by law enforcement. The measure alters legislation passed a couple years ago making police pursuits more difficult, first by lowering the threshold required for engaging in pursuits from the current “probable cause” to “reasonable suspicion.”

The bill also eliminates provisions limiting pursuits to situations for identifying or apprehending individuals and modifies requirements related to supervisory oversight and communication. HB1363 has bipartisan support, and received a first reading and public hearing in the Committee on Community Safety, Justice and Reentry. It was scheduled for executive session on Feb. 16.

“Crime is up in every nook of our state,” Schmidt said at the town hall. “We need this up.”

House work

When it comes to other legislation, priorities differ. Schmidt and Christian are each the prime sponsors on four bills.

Christian spoke at the town hall about his bills, specifically HB1660 and HB1331. The former would set a minimum bid of $1,000 for seized recreational vehicles sold at auction while the latter would establish a tax exemption for eligible new construction at public use airports. Christian said a Canadian aviation company is very interested in locating to Spokane, and the HB1331 exemption on construction materials could help spur their move.

Schmidt drew the audience’s attention to HB1333, which would create the “Domestic Violence Extremism Commission” in the Office of the Attorney General. According to the bill summary, the 13-member commission — recommended by an AG report in 2022 — would last for two years and deliver a report on “specific steps to adopt and fund a public health-style and community-based framework for proactively responding to domestic violent extremism.”

Schmidt disputed the intention of the bill, noting the AG’s Office is very “partisan.”

“We want to stop this bill,” she said. “This task force bill is dangerous.”

Senate

As the Olympia veteran, Padden is prime sponsor on 16 Senate bills. Several are measures he has been working on for years, such as SB5032, which would extend the felony driving under the influence look-back from 10 to 15 years and create a drug offender sentencing alternative for driving under the influence.

The bill has bipartisan support, advancing out of the Law & Justice Committee and the Transportation Committee and is now with the Ways & Means Committee.

Padden is also prime sponsor for SB5096, a bipartisan measure that would provide technical support and tax credits to businesses “considering certain employee ownership structures.” Padden said the bill came out of discussions with the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, and has passed out of the Business, Financial Services, Trade & Gaming Committee and is now at Ways & Means.

Single-family zoning changes

One area of seeming divergence was on housing — specifically HB1110, which would virtually eliminate single-family zoning by allowing increased lot densities. Cities with at least 75,000 residents would be required to allow at least four units per lot and at least six units per lot within a half-mile walking distance of a major transit stop or community amenity and six units per lot if at least two are affordable housing.

The bill was a topic of concern at the Spokane Valley City Council’s Feb. 7 study session, with City Manager John Hohman stating if passed, it would essentially “wipe out” all of the zoning work the city has done the past 20 years.

HB1110 didn’t come up at the town hall until near the end of the meeting and only after an audience question. Neither Schmidt or Christian spent much time addressing the measure, with Schmidt noting it removes local control and Christian adding there was some “tweaking” that could be done to the bill.

Padden said the bill was “a big issue,” and agreed zoning issues should remain in local control. He said the bill is “short-sighted” and is disappointed with some groups who support the measure, such as the Building Industry Association of Washington, Association of Washington Business and Washington Realtors.

“In the long term, they (builders and Realtors) do not want Olympia making the decisions (about zoning),” Padden said.

He acknowledged the need for more housing in the state, particularly homeownership. To help with that, Padden pointed to SB5058, a bill he is sponsoring with bipartisan support to exempt buildings with 12 or fewer units, and less than two stories, from the definition of multiunit residential building, and thus some of the requirements.

“It would make these units more affordable,” he added.

Legislators encourage the public to go to their websites under www.leg.wa.gov to learn how to send comments regarding specific legislation.