Buddies List

**WHAT**:  Our single WA state tox lab is — you guessed it-- extremely backlogged,  a 22-month wait to process a sample. SB 5880 (now in the House) is designed to unclog the system by allowing multiple tox labs (still accredited, of course) to process samples just as other states do.
**WHEN**:  Thursday!  The  House Community Safety Committee will hear the bill.
**WHY IMPORTANT**:  A 22-month backlog means impaired drivers who will eventually be found to have a positive blood test result will likely not be charged with DUI because by that time the statute of limitations for the drug charge will have expired.  The driver can be charged with other appropriate charges (e.g. felony vehicular assault), but if the case were to end up before a jury, jurors would NOT be told about the DUI.

Unbelievable?  I couldn't believe all this nonsense either, but it happened to a friend and I've been following the case for a year and a half.

**SUGGESTED ACTION FOR TOMORROW**:  Write a shorty to the committee members asking them to pass SB 5880 out of committee, and support it every step of the way to be signed into law.  Here are their addresses:

To: <Roger.Goodman@leg.wa.gov>, <Tarra.Simmons@leg.wa.gov>, <Jenny.Graham@leg.wa.gov>, <dan.griffey@leg.wa.gov>, <brian.burnett@leg.wa.gov>, <Lauren.Davis@leg.wa.gov>, <Darya.Farivar@leg.wa.gov>, <Mary.Fosse@leg.wa.gov>, <Edwin.Obras@leg.wa.gov>

Thanks,
Jan