Ban the practice of smoking in cars containing kids

By Noah Reandeau | • Published October 03, 2007

With the dawn of fall now upon us, things are inevitably heating up around the capitol. For the past month, legislators have been reconvening for various committee meetings and discussing topics that are likely to spur legislation in the coming session.

Washington’s 2008 legislative session is scheduled to begin in January, when legislators will have a short 60 days to pass their bills.

With preparation gaining steam, I thought it would be fun to throw out a few issues that are probably not on the front burner, but might make some sense to the average citizen. While recognizing that the Legislature has numerous important issues before them, the following are a few ideas that could either strike a chord or a nerve with you, depending on where you sit.

Needless to say, they are simply the personal opinions of this writer.

• Washington should ban the practice of smoking in cars containing children.

Research has shown that inhaling secondhand smoke is harmful to minors and their development. While Washington state has a number of onerous smoking restrictions, an additional measure to protect children could only improve adolescent health. Arkansas and Louisiana already have similar laws.

• Commercial gravel trucks should be required to cover the beds of their vehicles when traveling on state roads. As someone who commutes to work each morning, I regularly find my car getting sand blasted by trucks in front of me carrying sand or gravel on the freeway. It would be interesting to learn how many windshields have had to be replaced by the rocks that fly out of the unsecured loads that are carried by these vehicles. My family has already replaced two.

• Parking lots should be required to define “evening parking.” Recently, my wife and I parked our car in a commercial lot just before 10 p.m. to watch a showing of the newest Harry Potter movie in an Eastern Washington theater. When we returned to our car around 12:25 a.m. we were greeted by a parking ticket, as it was now officially the next day, according to the parking officials.

This extortion also netted at least 10 other violators that night who had watched the same movie. In speaking with friends, this confusing practice does not seem to be an exception to the rule.

• Individuals should be allowed to trap moles on their property.

Ever since Initiative 713 was passed by voters in the 2000 general election, the Legislature has debated the topic of body-gripping traps. Proponents of the initiative have argued that utilizing these traps is cruel and inhumane, while opponents have contended that the traps are sometimes necessary for wildlife management. After seven years, it’s time that the Legislature exempted moles from the law. The debate can continue, but homeowners, park employees and golf course operators should be allowed to trap moles without worrying about a gross misdemeanor.

Noah Reandeau is a graduate of Saint Martin’s University and a member of The Olympian’s Board of Contributors. He can be reached at nreandeau@hotmail.com.