SENATE PASSES COMPROMISE BILL ON MINORS, TOBACCO

OLYMPIA -- Minors would face a fine and other penalties if they're caught
in possession of tobacco under a compromise bill drawing more raves for
what was cut out of the measure than what's still in it.

House Bill 1746, which passed the Senate 34-13 late Thursday and is
expected to meet approval in the House, seeks to close a loophole in the
government's anti-smoking efforts by making tobacco possession by minors
illegal.

Current law prohibits stores from selling cigarettes and other tobacco
products to minors, but it is silent on possession.

But the bill stalled in the Senate last month while a behind-the-scenes
fight developed among Attorney General Christine Gregoire, Rep. Mike
Sherstad, R-Kenmore, and lobbyists for convenience stores and anti-smoking
groups.

Owners of small convenience stores, who face automatic fines and the loss
of their licenses to sell tobacco if they're caught selling to juveniles,
said they want minors who try to fool store clerks to share responsibility
for their actions.

But Gregoire and health groups such as the American Cancer Society attacked
provisions Sherstad included in the measure. They accused Sherstad of
seeking to provide immunity from prosecution to retailers, stop county
health departments from using teens to conduct sting operations at stores
and reduce state involvement in funding teen anti-smoking programs.

Under the compromise adopted by the Senate, the state's tobacco enforcement
laws will be loosened a bit to give the Liquor Control Board more
flexibility when deciding whether to penalize a retailer.

Under the new version of the bill, minors caught in possession of tobacco
would face a $50 fine, four hours of community service and an order to
enroll in a smoking-cessation program.

Reading bill gets OK: Reading improvement, the No. 1 education bill of Gov.
Gary Locke and majority Republicans, had foundered over the issue of
phonics instruction. But on Friday, the House passed a compromise bill the
governor helped write. In an interview, Locke stopped just short of
committing to sign the bill, but House Speaker Clyde Ballard, R-East
Wenatchee, and other key legislators said the governor is on board.

The measure, a rewrite of the Senate's original legislation, SB6509, now
returns to the upper house. The Senate can accept the changes, propose
additional amendments or ask for formal negotiations. House backers expect
no problems.

Approval for the proposal, which passed the House 60-38, came over the
objections of minority Democrats and the teachers' union.

The new bill, dubbed "The Little Bill That Could" by Education Chairwoman
Peggy Johnson, R-Shelton, would provide about $19 million for reading
programs.

Senate action: The Senate passed the following bills:

A measure to allow utilities to require deposits from customers as a means
of ensuring payment. The measure now goes to the House.

A measure to prohibit the state from placing sexually violent predators in
state mental facilities. The measure went to the governor.

A bill to exempt gun safes from sales and use taxes. The measure was sent
to Locke.

Water decisions: A bill that could help local communities make water-use
decisions cleared the Senate on Friday and drew support from House
lawmakers and the governor's office. The bill fell short of some lawmakers'
expectations, but key negotiators said they expected to settle their
differences and predicted a compromise version would be sent to Gov. Gary
Locke.

The governor's signature could end years of sometimes bitter debate about
water use and the protection of salmon habitat.

The bill, HB2514, moved out of the Senate 43-4 and now returns to the
House, where a more comprehensive version passed two weeks ago.

Both versions try to establish ways in which local governments, utilities,
Indian tribes and other interests can decide their future water needs.

The versions differ over who gets to make decisions about water use and how
broad the legislation should be.

Senate Agriculture and Environment Chairman Bob Morton said his proposal
gives local interests more control in deciding which state agencies can get
involved.

"I leave it up to the local people," said Morton, R-Orient. "I don't think
it's appropriate for us in Olympia to tell people in Walla Walla who they
should have at the table."

Copyright © 1998 Associated Press.