Local GOP Legislator Wants to Create Domestic Violence Offender Registry

Largely based upon his decades of work in law enforcement, an 8th District House Rep has introduced a bill that would create a state Domestic Violence Offender Registry

REP. KLIPPERT HAS SEEN A LOT OF TRAGIC DV INCIDENTS AS A DEPUTY

Brad Kilppert, who along with Matt Boehnke are the 8th District House of Rep legislators for Kennewick, Richland and southern Benton County, has worked for decades as a Deputy for the Benton County Sheriff's Department.

It's for that reason that he has introduced a bill, HB 1678, that would create a state registry for Domestic Violence Offenders.

  THE REGISTRY WOULD BE KEPT BY THE WSP

The registry, according to the text of the bill, would apply to "serious" DV offenders, and include name, age, address, and other pertinent information, and be maintained by the Washington State Patrol.  It would be publicly accessible.

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It would also offer a much faster method of finding out if a suspect or offender has committed serious DV incidents in the past. For example, an officer responding to an incident could easily access the name and info on the suspect.

A similar bill was introduced a couple of years ago in the legislature, called "Tina's Law" after a woman who was beaten to death by her boyfriend who later turned out to have an extensive DV background. That bill did not make it to a vote, but Klippert is hoping this time is different.

The legislature began it's 2022 session Monday of this week.