June 19, 2018

Judges weigh in on controversies

The Legislature is now deep into its interim – the period between legislative sessions, when activities at the Capitol slow considerably and lawmakers spend the majority of their time back in their home districts… While the pace of our state’s legislative branch has slowed for now, the judiciary branch –...
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June 14, 2018

Guilty verdict for early-release killer calls attention to Corrections inaction, Padden says

OLYMPIA – A first-degree murder conviction Thursday in Spokane for a killer released early from prison calls attention to the fact that critically important reforms to the state Department of Corrections have not yet been implemented, says Sen. Mike Padden, ranking Republican on the Senate Law and Justice Committee. More...
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June 05, 2018

Citizens strike back

This continues to be one of the busier interims (the months between legislative sessions) we have seen in recent years. Court cases continue to be big news, with the public challenging the way the majority in Olympia addressed raiding the state’s rainy day fund, properly enacting initiatives, funding local transportation...
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May 09, 2018

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May 09, 2018

Victory in case to protect your right of initiative

Our legislative session is over, but we are still dealing with its aftermath. One of the most troubling things we saw this year was the new majority’s disregard for the rules and procedures laid out by the state constitution. I was among the parties to a lawsuit challenging the Legislature’s...
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April 20, 2018

Ruling sends I-940 to fall ballot; Padden sees victory for constitutional rights

OLYMPIA — Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, offered the following reaction to a ruling Friday in Thurston County Superior Court sending Initiative 940 to the November ballot. Padden was among the plaintiffs in Eyman v. Wyman, which maintains the Legislature disregarded the constitution this year by amending the initiative without...
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April 03, 2018

Public-safety bills becoming laws

A week ago I traveled to Olympia for the signing of two bills I sponsored. One bill concerned the use of body cameras for law enforcement and the other dealt with pretrial release conditions that trial court judges may impose. There are additional details about both bills later in this...
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April 02, 2018

YOUR RIGHT OF INITIATIVE IS UNDER ATTACK!

The people’s right to pass initiatives is guaranteed by the state constitution. But this right is under attack in the Legislature. In this video I explain the threat and what we are doing about it. As seen on Facebook
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March 27, 2018

Governor signs Padden bills on police body cameras, public safety

Measures would clarify rules on body-cam use and restore judges’ ability to protect the public from drunk drivers and other potentially dangerous offenders awaiting trial Today Sen. Mike Padden joined the governor, members of law enforcement and concerned citizens at a ceremony at the Capitol where two of his public-safety...
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