New bills in Leg re: helmets, veterans and child crisis care

While the rest of the state celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day, state lawmakers worked through the holiday and filed a number of bills on topics ranging from veterans to motorcycle helmets.

On Monday, state Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, filed Senate Bill 5143, which would remove mandatory helmet use for motorcycle riders age 18 or over. So far, the bill has bipartisan support; three of 11 sponsors are Democrats.

Attending state universities and community colleges could become much easier for veterans if legislators approve Senate Bill 5179, filed by Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds. The bill would eliminate the one-year waiting period required for veterans to become eligible for in-state tuition.

A bill filed by Rep. Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens, would provide short-term and crisis care for children removed from their homes by child care and law enforcement authorities. House Bill 1261 states that placing a child in foster care can sometimes take several days, and the centers created by the bill would give a children a place to stay while their needs are assessed. So far, Hope is the bill’s only sponsor.

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Comments | More in Local, Politics Northwest, State legislature | Topics: foster care, motorcycle helmets, Rep. Mike Hope

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Politics Northwest is the go-to blog for politics in our region. The blog explores national, state and local political news and issues. Reporters from Washington, D.C., to Seattle City Hall to the state capital in Olympia contribute. Editors are Richard Wagoner and Beth Kaiman.

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