Rep. Mark Schoesler backs Senate Bill 5034

OLYMPIA — A Ritzville Republican is backing a bill designed to make it easier for law enforcement officers to pursue suspects in crimes.

Ninth District Sen. Mark Schoesler said last week that he is a co-sponsor on Senate Bill 5034, which was introduced by Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane.

The measure would make it easier for law-enforcement officers to pursue suspects, Schoesler said.

“Unfortunately, the Law and Justice Committee chair, Democratic Sen. Manka Dhingra, refuses to let S.B. 5034 have even a public hearing,” Schoesler said. “Instead, Senate Democrats brought up their own S.B. 5533 for a committee vote yesterday. It was passed along party lines.”

Senate Bill 5533 requires the Criminal Justice Training Commission to only convene a work group on the subject.

“This partisan bill would not effectively fix the problems caused by forbidding law-enforcement officers to use ‘reasonable suspicion’ when deciding about vehicle pursuits of suspects,” Schoesler said. “Instead, it would basically kick the issue down the road for 18 months, maybe longer.”

When James McMahan with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs testified before the Law and Justice Committee, he said the Washington State Patrol reports more than 3,100 people have fled from police stops since the 2021 pursuit statute went into play, and about 500 fewer people total have been pursued.

If S.B. 5533 becomes law, it will not result in the immediate action needed to help reverse one of the causes in the statewide increase in crime in recent years, Schoesler said.

Schoesler represents the 9th Legislative District, which includes parts of Spokane and Adams counties, as well as Lincoln, Whitman and other counties.