Senator Mike Padden (R-Spokane Valley) and Attorney General Bob Ferguson are proposing a bill that would make a fourth DUI conviction within 10 year a felony, according to KHQ News.
Senate Bill 5105 would make a fourth DUI-related offense in 10 years a class C felony, meaning offenders would face time in prison rather than county jail.
According to Ferguson, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission says impaired drivers cause 50 percent of fatal traffic crashes in Washington. In 2013 alone, Ferguson says 220 people died in crashes involving an impaired driver.
Currently Washington requires five convictions within a 10-year period to be considered as a felony. By comparison, Oregon and Idaho require only three.