TRI CITIES, WA -- After the murders of a Seattle police officer, four Lakewood police officers, and this week's shooting of two more deputies in Pierce County, Governor Chris Gregoire is calling on law enforcement groups for ideas on how to change state law.

Legislators have already prefiled bills before they head back to Olympia for the legislative session after the new year.

"They were incredible people doing a great job and their lives were taken for no good reason whatsoever," Rep. Brad Klippert said, (R) 8th Legislative District.

"So, for the governor to ask us what we think is a great idea."

Brad klippert is a Benton County Sheriff's deputy and a state representative. He's one of hundreds of officers around the state to consider: what went wrong? and how do we prevent it from happening again?

"So that when we do find those people who are a danger to our community, and we arrest them and we place them in jail that they stay there," Klippert said.

Despite his violent past, the man who shot the Lakewood officers managed to avoid jail numerous times. Maurice Clemmons had a lengthy Arkansas prison sentence commuted. And six days before the shooting, he posted bail on child rape charges. That charge could have potentially locked him up for life under the "three-strikes" law.

"He was definitely dangerous and was a threat to our community and out unnecessarily," Klippert said.

Officers think he should never have been on the street. And new bills are attempting to prevent criminals from slipping through the cracks again.

The Lakewood Law Enforcement Memorial Act Bill, HJR 4213, was introduced to change the state constitution and stop potential three-strike offenders from posting bail. The bill was introduced by Representative Mike Hope, a Republican from Lake Stevens and Seattle Police Officer.

He also sponsored another measure, Lakewood Law Enforcement Memorial Act Bill 4214, that would exempt people from bail if they are potentially dangerous and had a prior felony sentence thrown out in another state.

"Great bills, I signed on to both of those bills," Klippert said.

House Bill 2479 was introduced to waive tuition and fees at state colleges for children of police officer or firefighters killed or disabled in the line of duty. Troy Kelley, D-Tacoma, sponsored the bill.

Klippert knows writing a bill is one thing. But now, officers need the Legislature to stand behind them so that the law will protect the men and women who enforce it.

Governor Gregoire wants the officers to gather the list of proposed changes january 8. Then those police will meet with prosecutors and judges January 30.



RESOURCES:

Washington state Legislature: www.leg.wa.gov

Gov. Chris Gregoire: http://www.governor.wa.gov/

Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs:
http://www.waspc.org

ACLU of Washington: http://www.aclu-wa.org