Washington state rep’s bill to pay college athletes unlikely to pass, but it’s a step in the right direction

When Drew Stokesbary was in law school at Notre Dame and his fellow students would debate the idea of paying college athletes, he was squarely in the “no way” camp.

Now a state representative in Washington from Auburn, Stokesbary’s thinking on the subject has evolved. In fact, it has flipped, to the point that the Republican has introduced legislation to allow student-athletes enrolled in Washington’s colleges to earn compensation.

House Bill 1084, which has been pre-filed for the upcoming Legislative session and will likely be referred to the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee, isn’t likely to pass any time soon.