Key state Senate panel approves felony-DUI bill

OLYMPIA - Momentum and support continue to grow for Sen. Mike Padden's bill to make a fourth DUI conviction within 10 years a felony.

The state Senate Law and Justice Committee has voted unanimously to approve Senate Bill 5105, which now moves one step closer to a vote of the full Senate.

"These repeat-DUI offenders are the most likely to commit a vehicular assault or vehicular homicide," said Padden, who chairs the committee. "It is imperative that we do everything we can to get these people off the streets and under supervision so that they can't continue to put themselves and the rest of the public in danger."

Under current law, someone must be convicted of five DUIs within 10 years for the fifth to be considered a felony. Padden's bill would mean state prison, rather than county jail, sooner.

Forty-five states have felony-DUI laws. Of those, only Washington requires five convictions within a 10-year period. Oregon and Idaho require only three DUI convictions.

"I don't think we want to have the weakest felony-DUI law in the nation," said Padden, R-Spokane Valley. "We have an obligation to take this crime seriously."

Padden pointed to the cost Washington's lax DUI laws inflict on victims and their families.