Republicans, Others Lament ‘Sham of a Hearing’ on Police Pursuit Initiative

Proponents of Initiative 2113 to reduce requirements for law enforcement to engage in vehicle pursuits expressed frustration at how a Wednesday morning legislative public hearing on the initiative was conducted. Testimony before both the Senate Law & Justice Committee and the House Community Safety, Justice & Reentry Committee did not begin until 30 minutes into the one-hour hearing due to majority party Democrats asking questions of committee staff members. One of the questions asked of staff came from Rep. Tara Simmons, D-Bremerton, who suggested recent studies prove that when police pursuit restrictions are loosened, it increases racial profiling.