I applaud state Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, for creating legislation to seek a solution for out of state vehicle registration violators, but disagree with her proposal.
The persons violating this vagrant disobeying of state law should have tougher sanctions, not lighter. These people are keeping out of state, and specifically Oregon, registration and domicile for other reasons to include not paying sales tax, which is another area Washington needs to revisit.
If the fines are downgraded, then more people may feel justified in breaking the law as the fines are less of an inconvenience. If Washington is losing $16 million dollars annually from these violators, wouldn’t it be more prudent to spend 10 percent of that, or $1.6 million annually, to hire staff and processes to actively go after these violators?
How about having a system where the violator can pay the fine and fees via the police officer immediately, by debit/credit card. If unable to pay, the vehicle is impounded until fines and taxes are paid. If a response of “innocent until proven guilty” is expected, I’m sure law enforcement can tie into many records: taxes, utility bills and other sources to make a quick determination whether this person is a resident of Washington or another state.
Sting operations on Interstate 5, Interstate 205, state Route 14, and state Route 500 would easily provide a starting point and a quick influx of fees to support a program. Years ago there was a call-in system to report violators, but responses were never received nor did the violators reported start displaying Washington plates. We should reinstitute that but with more vigor.
