OLYMPIA – State Rep. John Lovick needs little convincing that the state should regulate motorized scooters. Sen. Dave Schmidt needs a lot of convincing.
“It’s a huge safety issue,” said Lovick, D-Mill Creek, a veteran state trooper. “We should not have scooters uncontrolled running around streets and sidewalks without some type of regulation.”
Schmidt, R-Bothell, said safety worries might be better overcome through greater personal responsibility of parents and riders.
“At what point is it parental and personal responsibility versus the state’s responsibility?” he asked. “I want to understand more of the details of some of the potential hazards and safety problems. Are we creating an unnecessary burden with a law?”
The philosophical differences between the 44th District lawmakers reflect the divide in the past legislative session.
Two years ago, legislators overwhelmingly endorsed allowing two-wheeled, electric-powered Segways to travel on bike paths and sidewalks. But last year, a new state law granted motorized foot scooters a legal status similar to bicycles.
This year, when the conversation turned to limiting the use of those scooters, all proposals failed.
In the Senate, Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Horn, R-Seattle, bottled up any limits on scooters or their users.
In the House, a bill by Rep. Sandra Romero, D-Olympia, fared a bit better, stalling in the Democrat-controlled Rules Committee. Lovick voted for it, while Republican Reps. Dan Kristiansen of Snohomish and Barbara Bailey of Oak Harbor were among those dissenting.
Romero’s bill would have required scooters to be licensed and registered like mopeds. Drivers would have had to be at least age 16 and have a valid driver’s license. They also would have had to wear helmets.
With Romero not returning to office, Lovick plans to reintroduce the law in January.
Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, and Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, said a law would provide consistency statewide.
But Haugen said she would fight any proposal that pre-empts efforts of cities and counties.
Haugen represents the Stanwood area, where 9-year-old Jeremiah Reed was killed in May at Kayak Point County Park when the motorized scooter he was driving collided with a truck.
Still, the issue isn’t a priority with state lawmakers. “I think we’re going to hear more when more people start getting hurt around the state,” Haugen said.
Schmidt noted that the state doesn’t require bicyclists to wear helmets, even though bicycles can go faster and are involved in more accidents than scooters.
Sen. Val Stevens, R-Arlington, said no state law is needed.
“There are laws right now that control so many facets of our lives, and that doesn’t prevent death,” she said.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 1-360-352-8623 or jcornfield@ heraldnet.com.
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