Latest news with #BrandyDonaghy
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Mandatory driver's education to expand under new Washington law
The Brief House Bill 1878 expands mandatory driver's education to drivers up to 21 years old by 2030, and introduces safe driving courses for young drivers with traffic tickets. The law aims to reduce high crash rates among young drivers by offering vouchers for driving school costs, online courses, and accommodating training hardships. Concerns about online instruction quality persist, with suggestions for partnerships with commercial driving schools to address public school program challenges. OLYMPIA, Wash. - Young drivers will eventually have to get more traffic safety education under legislation signed into law this month. House Bill 1878, which got Gov. Ferguson's approval on May 17, annually expands mandatory driver's education to drivers up to 21-years-old by 2030, starting with 18-year-olds in 2027. Right now, only 16 and 17-year-olds have to take driver's ed before getting their first license. The bill also requires safe driving courses for young drivers who accumulate traffic tickets. And starting in 2031, drivers under 21 will be required to take a traffic safety "refresher course" to retain their license. What they're saying Prime sponsor, Rep. Brandy Donaghy, D-Mill Creek, said the sweeping legislation helps move the needle when it comes to safe streets. "Our goal here is to make sure that our roadways are as safe as possible for everybody on them," she said in an interview Wednesday. "If you know what the rules are, and you know the ways you can deal with icy roads or low-visibility conditions, you're automatically going to be in a better position when you face those on the roads." Mark McKechnie, External Relations Director for the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, said young drivers are disproportionately involved in serious or deadly crashes. A state report found that while people aged 15 to 24 make up just 10.6% of drivers, they were involved in crashes that resulted in 26% of all fatalities and 29% of all serious injuries between 2020 and 2022. "For 18 to 25-year-olds who had not taken driver education, they had more than a 60% higher rate of crash involvement," McKechnie said. While driver's ed makes someone less likely to get in a crash, he said, young people do not go because it is either too expensive, or it is not available in their area. To make driving school more accessible, the law also creates a voucher program to help with costs, allows online driving courses, and lets students do most of their behind-the-wheel training in one day if they have hardships like living far away. "Rather than force them to travel one to two hours to be able to get to somebody for 30- to 60-minute sessions, we did want to provide an opportunity for them to at least have a chance to get that time in without it being more of a burden," Donaghy said. The other side "I'm a history major, I teach [English language arts], I teach a whole myriad of different subjects. But in a way, there's nothing that I've taught that is more important than driver education," said Alex Hansen, President of the Washington Traffic Safety Education Association. The public school teacher, driving instructor and teacher of other instructors said he applauds lawmakers for trying to tackle a big challenge – but believes the bill does not get up to speed. He expressed concern about the quality of instruction through online means and allowing students to accomplish a majority of behind-the-wheel instruction in one day, calling the changes "educationally unsound." Hansen said he ultimately believes supporting traffic safety education in public schools is the best way to promote safety. "Public schools are designed to address and teach all kids," he said. "Kids who have access to a driver education program in the local high school where they already attend, they're gonna take it. But only 20 schools in the state of Washington currently still offer it – when almost every school back in the 90s when I taught it offered it, and almost everybody took it." Donaghy said there are many factors that complicate bringing driver's ed back to schools, like staffing shortages, liability and cost. Though she said partnerships with commercial driving schools could go a long way. What's next In a statement, a Department of Licensing spokesperson said the agency will be working closely with the education association, traffic safety commission and other partners to successfully implement the bill, which is "expected to significantly enhance road safety and modernize driver education in Washington, impacting all road users." While the legislation expands mandatory driver training to 21, Donaghy said the goal is to ultimately expand it to age 25. Albert James is a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University. The Source Information in this story comes from original reporting by Murrow News Fellow Albert James. A religious group is set to protest outside Seattle City Hall. Here's why Crews battle Second Creek Fire near Leavenworth, WA 2 injured in separate Seattle shootings Teen, child killed in Lacey, WA mobile home fire Dave's Hot Chicken to open 4 new locations in Seattle area. Here's where To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington lawmakers may tap brakes on specialty license plates
A mockup of the proposed Mount St. Helens license plate. (Courtesy of the Mount St. Helens Institute) Some Washington state lawmakers want to slow down on specialty license plates once they steer several more across the finish line this session. An omnibus bill approving seven new plates, including ones showcasing pickleball, Mount St. Helens and Smokey Bear, will receive a hearing Thursday in the state House Transportation Committee. In the same meeting, the panel will discuss legislation to stop new plates while a task force reviews the program — from how applications are handled and plates are chosen to the state's ability to recoup costs from less popular plates. The ban would run through June 2029. 'For those who have done the work, we should approve them,' said Rep. Brandy Donaghy, D-Mill Creek, a sponsor of both bills. 'Then we put a pause on special plates for four years to get better metrics.' All the plates proposed in House Bill 1368 and its companion bill sitting in the Senate Transportation Committee have been debated before. In each of the last two sessions, the state Senate voted overwhelmingly to put Mount St. Helens on a specialty license plate but the bills lapsed in the House. Proceeds from sales would go to Mount St. Helens Institute, a private nonprofit organization, to support youth education, land stewardship and science at the state's most active volcano, which is located in the southwest corner of the state. In 2023, the Senate authorized a plate recognizing pickleball, the official state sport, but it too got parked by the House. The money would go to the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association to build a pickleball facility capable of hosting regional and national tournaments and to construct dedicated pickleball courts throughout Washington. Donaghy helped pass a bill last session to put Smokey Bear on plates to boost public education focused on wildfire prevention. The programs would be administered by the state Department of Natural Resources and the plate was first championed by Hilary Franz, the former commissioner of public lands. The LeMay classic car museum in Tacoma is seeking a black and white 'throwback plate' to generate funds for education and job training related to automobiles. And sales of a proposed working forests plate would support the Washington Tree Farm Program. That program helps certify small landowners who practice sustainable forestry. Also proposed in the omnibus bill is a nautical northwest plate to celebrate Whidbey Island's maritime communities. Monies raised would go to Whidbey Island Maritime Heritage Foundation and Historic Whidbey. A 'Keep Washington Evergreen' plate would help fund installation of electric charging stations in the state. The Department of Licensing would be directed to design this plate to have green lettering on a white background in a style similar to license plates Washington issued in the 1970s. Washington now offers nearly 70 different special license plates recognizing the military, sports teams, colleges, parks, firefighters, farmers, elk, orcas, lighthouses, the state flower, square dancers and wine. Fees for specialty plates vary, with the money generally going to support causes that are tied to each plate's theme. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Washington lawmakers push to keep ‘vehicular homes' safe from tow yard
This story was originally published on A new bill making its way through the Washington State Legislature aims to help people who live in their vehicles avoid losing them to impoundment. House Bill 1240, sponsored by Representatives Strom Peterson (D-Edmonds) and Brandy Donaghy (D-Mill Creek), recognizes that for many struggling Washingtonians, a car isn't just transportation — it's their home. Under current laws, they face the constant risk of having their cars towed and sold at auction, leaving them with nowhere to go. HB 1240 seeks to change that by putting new protections in place. More politics: Lawmakers push to make clergy mandatory reporters — Will this attempt finally succeed? What the bill would do If passed, the bill would require law enforcement to flag vehicles as potential residences before impoundment, ensuring additional protections apply. It would also halt public auctions if the vehicle owner comes forward and claims it as their home and give vehicle residents at least 90 days to reclaim their car before it's considered abandoned. The bill would also protect personal belongings inside the vehicle from being discarded and make the government cover storage costs if the impound was ordered by a state or local agency. HB 1240 also responds to a recent Washington Supreme Court ruling (City of Seattle v. Steven Long), which determined vehicle homes are protected under the state's Homestead Act. The ruling said impound fees can be unconstitutional if they're excessive. Right now, the process to fight an impoundment is slow and expensive, often making it impossible for someone without money to get their car back. The bill aims to speed up the court process so low-income residents have a fair shot at reclaiming their only shelter. Protest, but play nice: Washington weighs new rules on student aid, campus demos Supporters and concerns Supporters of the bill argue that it's a step toward treating homelessness more humanely. Some critics worry the bill could make it harder for cities to enforce parking laws or prevent abandoned vehicles from being removed in a timely manner. Last year, the Senate failed to pass Senate Bill 5730 (2023-2024) which would have required the courts to consider a person's ability to pay towing and storage fees if the vehicle is used as a residence failed in the Senate. It aimed to reduce fees for individuals deemed indigent and allowed registered tow truck operators to seek reimbursement for the difference between reduced fees and standard costs. HB 1240 is currently being reviewed by the House Transportation Committee. If it moves forward, Washington could become one of the first states to officially recognize and protect vehicle residences.
