WA Lege Day 94: Gregoire signs m/c profiling bill

Gov. Chris Gregoire offers the signing pen to Sen. Jim Hargrove after putting her signature on a bill to ban “motorcycle profiling.

OLYMPIA — Law enforcement in Washington state won’t be able to stop motorcyclists simply because they are motorcyclists under a bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Law enforcement insists they don’t do that, anyway, but motorcycle groups such as ABATE — for A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments — have contended for years that it happens all the time.

After several tries, the Legislature passed a bill to make clear that profiling is not permissable and to require some training to make sure it doesn’t happen. A few members of biker groups, most in full road regalia, attended the bill signing in Gregoire’s conference room, along with sponsor Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, who appeared in something slightly different than the standard coat-and-tie dress code enforced on the Senate floor.