This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
A bill presented during the last legislative session would give the Washington State Department of Commerce the authority to ban tires it deems inefficient and bad for the climate. (A PDF of that bill can be viewed here.)
Republican State Rep. Jim Walsh has pre-filed his own bill ahead of the next session in Olympia that would do the exact opposite, essentially letting Washington consumers buy any tire they want to buy.
Earlier bill about tires had protecting the environment in mind
The bill announced earlier this year would apply to any replacement tires for cars and light-duty trucks under 10,000 pounds. It would also give the Department of Commerce the ability to fine people anywhere from $100 to $10,000 for violations.
The bill focused on the rolling resistance of tires. Heavier and more durable tires have more resistance and less energy efficiency. The heavier the tire is, the fewer miles to the gallon a vehicle will get.
“At the end of the day, we’re facing a climate crisis, and we need to use as many possible tools to get ourselves out of that,” Democratic State Rep. Chipalo Street told the House Transportation Committee earlier in 2024. “This is one way to increase the gas efficiency of some of our vehicles.”
Previous coverage: Buying tires could become a lot harder
Walsh introduces his own tire bill
Recently, Republican State Rep. Jim Walsh, who is from Aberdeen, explained to media outlet The Center Square he pre-filed House Bill 1041 (HB 1041) in response to the tire bill introduced during 2024′s earlier legislative session.
“For the past several years environmental activists and their allies in the Legislature have been kicking around these proposals to restrict rolling resistance,” Walsh said, according to The Center Square.
Walsh, who is the chair of the Washington State Republican Party as well, confirmed he pre-filed that bill during an appearance on KIRO Newsradio’s “The John Curley Show” Wednesday. He explained that while he is in favor of helping the environment, he wants to make sure people’s livelihoods don’t suffer in the process.
“I want to save the planet John,” Walsh said. “I’m just trying to save everybody’s jobs and businesses and livelihoods while we also save the planet.”
Chokepoints: Don’t just pound your steering wheel. Tell us what slows you down each day.
Walsh went on to explain what the content of his bill states and what it sets out to accomplish for people in the state of Washington. The bottom line is people should be able to buy whatever tires they feel are best for them.
“So I filed this bill preemptively saying that the state will have no restriction on how not be your tires are,” Walsh said. “If you want big tires with thick treads, you can buy them. If you can afford them and the state will not pass any restriction on what kind of tires you can put on your car.”
The state representative also understands the science behind the initial bill and what it is trying to accomplish. With that said, it also isn’t settled science. It also doesn’t make sense for a state like Washington, which gets a significant amount of precipitation, to have a law limiting the types of tires people can put on their vehicles.
“You know, the theory is if you got knobby, you know, grabby tires, you burn more fuel to drive your vehicle, OK. Yeah, that may be. That may not, depending on the car, depending on the truck, depending on the driving situation. But I mean, we get a lot of rain in Washington and I think it’s really dumb to require thin shred tires in a place that gets as much rain as we do.”
Walsh: This bill may stop others from moving forward
When John asked Walsh about the future of his bill and whether anyone would actively step up to stop it, Walsh took a different tact and pointed out the politics involved with some introduced legislation that never gets off the ground because those bills are meant to get in the way of other bills initiated.
“There are all kinds of bills and sometimes the bill is designed to become law and get signed by the governor. And sometimes the bill is a shot across the bow to prevent another bill from going forward,” Walsh said. “And I think that House Bill 1041. — defending your right to have knobby tires if you want them — might just prevent that other bill from going forward.”
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