Lawmakers Grapple With Proposal For Stiffer Sentences

Thanks to one of those ubiquitous video cameras, Bob West had compelling evidence to show the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee on Tuesday in Olympia.

West, a wrestling referee, has a visual record of the incident three years ago in which a disgruntled high school competitor head-butted him into unconsciousness over a call.

Now the Washington Legislature is considering a proposal to allow harsher penalties in assaults against school officials who are carrying out their duties. West and his videotape were in Olympia to support it.

The 30 days in juvenile detention, year of probation and 100 hours of community service handed down to West’s teenage assailant was insufficient, say backers of the bill.

However, one dissenter disagreed with the idea of criminal sentences that differ according to the victim rather than the crime. Everyone should be regarded equally under the law, said Merton Cooper.

Do certain classes of citizens, school officials in this case, deserve more forceful protection than others?

Back to the friendly, familiar ballot box

It was good news to Chuck Cromwell to learn that Spokane voters have a way other than the mail to cast ballots in Tuesday’s election.

The Spokane man had objected to the mail-ballot election on the grounds that requiring voters to buy postage in order to cast a ballot constituted the equivalent of a poll tax. It was the principle, not the 33 cents, he said.

“Chuck Cromwell is upset because it’s going to cost him a stamp to mail his ballot in,” responded Terrie Roberts of Spangle. “It won’t cost him anything. There’s nothing stopping him from dropping it off at the Courthouse, at the elections office.

“The only expense is if he’s too lazy to go do it,” said Roberts.

In fact, voters who don’t want to mail their ballot can take it to the courthouse any day through Tuesday or, between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday, to fire station 11 or 16 or the Northeast Community Center.

Bagpipes listed those options Tuesday, and Cromwell called back to acknowledge the pleasant surprise.

“I want you to know where you’ll find me on election day - at that fire station at 5225 N. Assembly where they always fly Old Glory and I’ll be looking at that ballot box up there and celebrate election day that way.”