Posted on 03/25/2004 8:11:15 PM PST by writer33
OLYMPIA _ Using the Internet to stalk or harass someone will become illegal under one of 40 new laws signed by Gov. Gary Locke on Wednesday.
House Bill 2771, which passed the Legislature unanimously, plugs a loophole in the state's laws against stalking and harassment, which had mostly addressed in-person threats or telephone calls.
"I never thought that we'd have a problem with cyberstalking," Locke said as he signed the bill in the presence of Joelle Ligon, the Seattle woman wh ose relentless stalker inspired the bill.
Ligon has spent years trying to get police to take action against a former boyfriend who barraged her and her co-workers with e-mail and other forms of Internet-related harassment.
The new crime of cyberstalking will be punishable by as much as a year in jail and $5,000 fine.
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Helen Sommers, D-Seattle, defines cyberstalking as using the Internet with the intent to harass, intimidate, torment or embarrass another person by using lewd or lascivious language. It also covers stalkers who use pagers or text messages on mobile phones.
Locke also signed a bill channeling more state money to hiking trails, campgrounds and other outdoor recreation. House Bill 2489, sponsored by Rep. Mike Cooper, D-Edmonds, reallocates fuel tax money from gasoline consumed for recreational purposes on nonhighway roads. That money had been used mostly to support motorized activities such as dirt biking. A 2002 study found that most of the $5million the fund gets annually comes from other users such as hunters, campers, equestrians, hikers and mountain bikers.
Locke also signed a companion bill increasing permit prices for off-road vehicles from $5 to $18 a year and from $2 to $7 for a 60-day temporary permit. The money will be earmarked for improvements to trails and other facilities for such vehicles.
Sure it will. That's what we'll use the money for. Right. :) (Sarcasm intended)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.