OLYMPIA, Wash. – State lawmakers want to stop a habit that could be as harmful to Washingtonians as drinking and driving: using a cell phone while driving. Deaths from distracted driving have been on the rise in Washington state. Between 2014 and 2015, deaths rose from 130 to 171.

House Bill 1371, known as the Driving Under the Influence of Electronics Act, seeks to curb that by increasing the penalties for drivers caught on their phones.

Larry Shannon, the government affairs director for the Washington State Association for Justice, points to a study that showed drivers distracted by their phones have reaction times equivalent to someone whose blood-alcohol level is two-and-a-half times the legal limit.

"What's different, though, is if you're driving while you're impaired, you're impaired and you should not be behind the wheel," he said. "If you are driving while distracted, all you have to do is put that instrument down and you will regain your senses and your reaction time almost immediately."

The measure has received bipartisan support from lawmakers. It would increase fines for distracted driving and report the offense to courts and insurance companies, potentially leading to increased insurance rates.

Washington state has a law against texting while driving, but it doesn't ban any other uses of phones. Sponsors of the bill call the old law a flip-phone law in the smartphone era. During a public hearing on the bill at the beginning of the month, Shannon notes an unusual coalition of interests came together to support it.

"The insurance industry and the trial lawyers' association coming together to both strongly support this," he added. "Some great testimony from the construction industry about the dangers that distracted driving poses to a lot of their workers out along our roadways and highways in the state."

Shannon also notes a campaign on the website "EndDD.org." Sponsored by the Casey Feldman Foundation, the website is offering scholarships to teenagers who come up with the most creative videos warning about the dangers of distracted driving.


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To cast a primary election ballot in New Mexico, voters must declare a political party. But that could change if lawmakers pass Senate Bill 16 this month to adopt open primaries.

Supporters say New Mexico's electorate has changed, with 40% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 choosing not to affiliate with a party.

The state does allow same-day registration, but Sila Avcil - the executive director of the group New Mexico Open Elections - said that still means more paperwork and time is needed to vote in a primary for those who choose not to register with a political party.

"Under this bill," said Avcil, "what would happen is - if I'm a registered independent - I would just show up and say, 'I'm an Independent, here's verifying my registration, and today I would like to vote as a Democrat or a Republican or a Libertarian.'"

She said the bill would prohibit voters from participating in more than one party primary.

Critics of open primaries worry voters could affiliate with one party over another to influence that party's nomination, by choosing a candidate they feel would be easier to defeat in a general election.

Research shows the percentage of independent voters in New Mexico is growing.

From 2000 to 2022, Democratic registration declined from 52% of the electorate to 44%. At the same time, the state's Republican registration declined from 33-percent to 31-percent.

Avcil said the trend suggests a change would be helpful.

"I think this is the right time,," said Avcil, "because we constantly are seeing every year an increase in independent registration - particularly by young people. They're registering more and more as independent."

New Mexico is one of just 10 states with closed primaries. Avcil noted that this is the 10th year the bill has been introduced in the Legislature, but she said she believes there is more support this time around.

This is National Consumer Protection Week, and the Arizona PIRG Education Fund wants people to think about what they can do to protect their valuable documents - both physically and digitally.

The group is offering a new guide to help. The fund's consumer privacy director, R.J. Cross, said it is smart to "disaster proof" documents in case of an emergency such as a wildfire or flood.

She said now is the time to make a plan so you can save yourself a headache down the line.

"Having digital copies of sometimes your Social Security number or having your birth certificate can make it easier for you to navigate the process of those insurance claims," she said, "and the process of getting replacement hard copies if you're in that situation."

She added that when deciding to store documents online "in the cloud," it's a matter of determining the right combination of security and convenience. She recommended using a cloud service that offers what's known as end-to-end encryption.

The guide is online at pirg.org/resources.

Cross explained that end-to-end encryption offers an extra layer of protection, but it does come with a tradeoff: Once you've encrypted your files, you can't afford to lose your encryption key. If so, she said, you won't be able to access your documents.

"When you go from an end-to-end encryption, it is really secure, so secure that even the company that owns the cloud isn't going to be able to help you if you lose that key," she said. "So you do want to take good care of it."

She suggested printing out the encryption keys and keeping that paper in a safe place.

Cross said she realizes some people may not entirely trust a cloud service. That's why she also suggested scanning documents and loading them onto an encrypted thumb drive.

"Probably the last thing you want to do is be standing in line to get a new copy of your marriage license," she said. "The question is, how can I ameliorate the odds that I am going to add way more on my plate after a disaster than I have to?"

As National Consumer Protection Week continues, watchdogs remind policymakers about the alarming presence of scams targeting the general public. In Kentucky, a bill addressing gift-card scams cleared a legislative hurdle this week. Two years ago, Americans lost a record $10 billion in scams, and authorities say gift cards that are tampered with - before they're purchased - are one way in which consumers are being defrauded.

Gary Adkins, volunteer state president with AARP Kentucky, said these are the gift cards you typically see on kiosks in retail stores. When no one is looking, the scammers obtain sensitive information from the back of the item.

"And once the card is activated, these scammers can collect money off that," he explained.

Meaning the intended recipient can't use the card, and the person who bought it lost money that's hard to recoup. The Kentucky bill, approved by the state Senate Tuesday, would elevate this crime to a "Class D" felony. Opponents of a similar bill worry about unintended consequences because of language that says a person found with at least two tampered cards is presumed to be up to no good.

Beyond policy action, Adkins said all populations need to get this on their radar by loading up on helpful tips to avoid being scammed. Organizations like his are teaming up with the law enforcement community to share that information, so that the current crisis doesn't grow into something even worse.

"It's an all effort in order to try to help protect our folks that are here in the Commonwealth," he continued.

For gift-card scams, experts say safeguards include double checking the balance right after purchasing it and holding on to the receipt. Later this spring, AARP will host informational events around Kentucky. Times, dates and registration details are on the group's website.