Ross addresses Chamber; praises Selah
http://www.selahnews.com/articles/242/1/Ross-addresses-Chamber-praises-Selah/Page1.html
Selah Staff
By Selah Staff
Published on 06/4/2008
Representative Charles Ross (R)-Naches, told the Selah Chamber of
Commerce last Tuesday that Selah should be praised for its beautiful,
clean streets and for not always beating on the Legislature’s door
asking for money.
Representative Charles Ross (R)-Naches, told the Selah Chamber of Commerce last Tuesday that Selah should be praised for its beautiful, clean streets and for not always beating on the Legislature’s door asking for money.
He said small communities like Selah exemplify what it’s all about––people caring about their neighbors, their community, their family and themselves.
Ross talked about his experiences as a representative and described himself as practicing what he preaches in terms of not spreading himself too thin in his legislative activity.
Ross said he has focused on two primary issues––increasing the consequences for criminal eluding and combating gangs. He has been successful in having his eluding bill signed into law, including the penalty he originally proposed. He urged those present to advise youngsters never to run from police.
“Passage of this bill was the culmination of a lot of time, effort and cooperation,” Ross said. “The citizens around the state who came to testify before us in the gang task force should know their opinions and stories were heard.
“I’m so grateful for all the work done on this issue.”
In addition to serving on the House Judiciary and Appropriations Committees, Ross has co-chaired the Gang Task Force with Senator Adam
Kline (D)-King County. He said he learned a great deal from that experience.
You have to sit down, listen, let everybody talk and then ask why, he said.
He stressed the importance of defining the terms in order to arrive at legislation to curtail gang activity: gang, gang member, gang activity.
In a press release from Ross’s office, House Bill 2712 was described. It contains policies and funding to: define gangs, gang members and gang crimes; build a database used by law enforcement to identify proven gang members; increase punishment for gang members who recruit juveniles to commit crimes; quickly remove graffiti in neighborhoods; give law enforcement more dedicated resources to fight criminal gangs; protect witnesses of gang crimes to encourage testimony for conviction; and identify ways to prevent gang membership in prisons and jails.
“My community and at least five other cities around the state urgently need this legislation,” Ross said in the press release. “This is just the beginning, we’ll be back next year to make the law even stronger to address gang violence.”
The bill was amended by the Senate to remove the authority for local jurisdictions to use civil anti-gang injunctions. The injunctions would have allowed local jurisdictions a legal way to prevent established gang members from associating with each other in designated ‘safe zones.’
“We will come back next year and work to give authority to locals to use anti-gang injunctions,” Ross said.
The new bill goes into effect July 1, 2008.
Ross took questions from Chamber members, saying he enjoys meeting in a setting where he can take time to “keep his roots.”
He said small communities like Selah exemplify what it’s all about––people caring about their neighbors, their community, their family and themselves.
Ross talked about his experiences as a representative and described himself as practicing what he preaches in terms of not spreading himself too thin in his legislative activity.
Ross said he has focused on two primary issues––increasing the consequences for criminal eluding and combating gangs. He has been successful in having his eluding bill signed into law, including the penalty he originally proposed. He urged those present to advise youngsters never to run from police.
“Passage of this bill was the culmination of a lot of time, effort and cooperation,” Ross said. “The citizens around the state who came to testify before us in the gang task force should know their opinions and stories were heard.
“I’m so grateful for all the work done on this issue.”
In addition to serving on the House Judiciary and Appropriations Committees, Ross has co-chaired the Gang Task Force with Senator Adam
Kline (D)-King County. He said he learned a great deal from that experience.
You have to sit down, listen, let everybody talk and then ask why, he said.
He stressed the importance of defining the terms in order to arrive at legislation to curtail gang activity: gang, gang member, gang activity.
In a press release from Ross’s office, House Bill 2712 was described. It contains policies and funding to: define gangs, gang members and gang crimes; build a database used by law enforcement to identify proven gang members; increase punishment for gang members who recruit juveniles to commit crimes; quickly remove graffiti in neighborhoods; give law enforcement more dedicated resources to fight criminal gangs; protect witnesses of gang crimes to encourage testimony for conviction; and identify ways to prevent gang membership in prisons and jails.
“My community and at least five other cities around the state urgently need this legislation,” Ross said in the press release. “This is just the beginning, we’ll be back next year to make the law even stronger to address gang violence.”
The bill was amended by the Senate to remove the authority for local jurisdictions to use civil anti-gang injunctions. The injunctions would have allowed local jurisdictions a legal way to prevent established gang members from associating with each other in designated ‘safe zones.’
“We will come back next year and work to give authority to locals to use anti-gang injunctions,” Ross said.
The new bill goes into effect July 1, 2008.
Ross took questions from Chamber members, saying he enjoys meeting in a setting where he can take time to “keep his roots.”