Author Archives: brianzylstra

Democrats should reconsider proposed ‘abortion anytime’ change to state constitution, says Padden, who notes strong opposition to proposal

State Sen. Mike Padden issued this statement following the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee’s public hearing today on Senate Joint Resolution 8202, a Democrat-sponsored proposal requested by Gov. Jay Inslee that could remove all limits on abortion through a change to Washington’s constitution. Padden, R-Spokane Valley, is a committee member.

“Contrary to what our governor might believe, most people have complex and nuanced views on abortion. According to a national Marist Poll last May, only 24 percent of Americans think abortion should be available at any point during a pregnancy, while 68 percent favor some type of restrictions on abortion. This proposed constitutional amendment could open the door for future legislatures in Washington to ease current restrictions on abortions in our state.

“We need to show our humanity and compassion toward the unborn child as well as the mother, and there are proposals this session that reflect this need. For instance, I have sponsored a proposal (Senate Bill 5098) that would ban abortions of unborn children with Down syndrome. One of my Senate colleagues, Senator Shelly Short, has introduced a measure (Senate Bill 5227) that would ban abortions based on sex selection – like aborting a girl simply because the parents want a boy.

“As we saw during testimony today on this divisive and controversial proposal, 622 people signed up against SJR 8202, while only 325 were in favor of it. Senate Democratic leaders should consider this strong opposition when deciding whether to move their proposal forward.

“I think most Washingtonians, even those who generally support abortion, would find this proposal too extreme and unacceptable.”

Besides serving on the Health and Long Term Care Committee, Padden is ranking Republican on the Senate Law and Justice Committee. He serves the 4^th Legislative District.

Because SJR 8202 is a proposed constitutional amendment, it would require two-thirds approval in the Senate and two-thirds approval in the House for the Legislature to pass it. If this measure is approved by the Legislature this year, it would be placed on the statewide ballot for Washington voters to decide in the 2023 general election in November.

The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to end April 23.

Senate committee passes bill to combat impaired driving

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers Dec. 19, 2022. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

The Legislature is now in the second week of its 2023 session in Olympia. The focus early in this 105-day session is on committee meetings, where many bills that have been introduced so far receive public hearings.

A key issue this session is public safety. While there are several important areas that fall within the public-safety umbrella, one of the most crucial involves the startling increase in traffic fatalities in recent years.

Statistics compiled by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission show Washington road deaths reached a 20-year high in 2021. There were 670 traffic deaths in 2021, including 272 fatalities involving drug-impaired driving and 155 deaths involving alcohol-impaired driving. In 2020, Washington had 574 traffic fatalities, including 214 involving drug-impaired driving and 135 involving alcohol-impaired driving.

The commission has a current preliminary estimate of 745 traffic fatalities in 2022. Figures for traffic deaths involving drug- or alcohol-impaired driving aren’t available yet.

For the third time in three years, the Senate Law and Justice Committee has passed my legislation to combat impaired driving. The committee approved the bill this morning, sending it to the Senate Transportation Committee for further consideration.

Senate Bill 5032 would expand the period for reviewing prior convictions of impaired driving to 15 years, from the 10 years now in state law, when determining whether a new offense of impaired driving is charged as a felony. The proposal would increase the penalty from a gross misdemeanor to a felony offense for any person who has three or more prior DUI offenses within that “lookback” period.

It’s very similar to another proposal I introduced, Senate Bill 5054, which was passed by the Law and Justice Committee and the full Senate during the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions, including unanimous approval last year. The bill later died in the House both years.

Like its predecessor, SB 5032 has bipartisan sponsorship.

Repeat impaired-driving offenders commit most of the vehicular homicides and vehicular assaults in Washington. This is a measure to try to prevent those horrible, senseless crimes. Four years ago, I was out driving here in Olympia on a weekend on I-5. Right at the Pacific Avenue exit I saw the remains of a crash in which a 17-year-old Hispanic woman from the Tri-Cities was killed. They were changing a tire on the shoulder and a repeat drunk driver crashed into them on the shoulder.

Many similar traffic fatalities in the state involve drivers who have had as many as eight DUI offenses, but the current 10-year lookback period is not long enough to allow the state to impose stronger punishment against such offenders. It’s common sense to extend the lookback period 15 years instead of the current 10 years.

This year’s bill also would give offenders a chance to undergo treatment with the hope they eventually will no longer have a problem with alcohol or drugs.

While we can’t blame drunken driving and drug-impaired driving entirely for the alarming increase in traffic deaths over the past few years, preventing impaired driving should be a key goal in our state. We’ve seen too many accidents and fatalities caused by drunk and drug-impaired drivers, especially repeat offenders. This bill should help get the most dangerous drivers off the road and into treatment.

The bill received supporting testimony from several people and organizations, including Gov. Jay Inslee’s public safety policy official, the Washington State Patrol and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

TVW’s coverage of the public hearing on SB 5032 can be viewed here.

I am optimistic this will be the year the Legislature finally passes this important proposal.

If you have questions about how to participate in state government this year or thoughts to share on anything in this e-newsletter, please give me a call or send me an email.

Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving as your state senator!

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Bill helping employee stock ownership plans receives committee hearing

Last Thursday, the Senate Business, Financial Services, Gaming and Trade Committee held a hearing on one of the proposals that I introduced before session even began. Senate Bill 5096 would aid businesses looking to adopt an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) corporate structure.

The bipartisan proposal aims to do three things. It would:

Create the Washington Employee Ownership Program at the state Department of Commerce to offer technical support and other services to certain businesses considering certain employee ownership structures.
Form the Washington Employee Ownership Commission to oversee the program.
Provide a business and occupation tax credit for costs related to converting a qualifying business to an employee ownership structure.

Last week’s public hearing on SB 5096 went well. You can view TVW’s coverage of my testimony on the bill by clicking here. Several people from different business-related organizations, including an official with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman, also testified in support of it. TVW’s coverage of their testimony on the proposal can be viewed by clicking here.

The next step is for the committee to approve it. I’m hopeful that will happen sometime in the next few weeks.

During its annual meeting last November, the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce held a panel discussion on ESOPs to promote employee ownership of businesses. During the event, I took part in a discussion on how businesses can implement this policy and possible legislation to help implement ESOPs. Several chamber members who attended the panel presentation said they were enthused by it, which was encouraging.

Meeting with constituents about early childhood education

Last week I enjoyed having a meeting in my Olympia office with two Spokane-area residents to talk about the importance of early childhood education. With me were Tami Boone (left) of Riverside and Rachel DeDomenico (right) of Spokane. Both are family services specialists with the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program.

District survey results

About a week before Christmas, our office mailed out a presession survey to households throughout the 4^th Legislative District. In the few weeks since the survey was sent out, our office has received about 600 responses from constituents. We appreciate everyone who took time out of their busy lives to answer the questions and mail the survey back to my Olympia office! Here are the results from the survey as of last week:

Question 1: Washington’s revenue forecast indicates a surplus of $3.9 billion for the current 2021-23 biennium and just over $5 billion for the 2023-25 budget cycle. Should taxpayers receive tax relief from the Legislature due to high inflation’s impact on family budgets?

87% said yes.

12% said no.

1% didn’t respond or had a different response.

Question 2: If you think the Legislature should provide tax relief for Washingtonians, what type of tax relief do you most favor?

13% favored a decrease in the state property tax.

7% favored a decrease in the sales tax.

7% favored a decrease in the gas tax.

11% wrote in multiple decreases in taxes.

56% favored decreases in all of the taxes listed above.

5% said none.

Question 3: Recently the majority party in Washington decriminalized fentanyl, meth, heroin and other hard drugs for the first two offenses. What position should the 2023 Legislature take with regard to hard drugs?

11% said possession or use of hard drugs should stay decriminalized in Washington.

86% said possession or use of hard drugs should return to being a felony in Washington.

3% didn’t respond or had a different response.

Question 4: The Legislature in 2021 passed a state law changing the standard for law-enforcement officers to pursue suspects in vehicles from reasonable suspicion to probable cause. This has made it far more difficult for law enforcement to pursue suspected criminals. What do you think?

89% said the Legislature should change state law to again make it easier for law-enforcement officers to pursue suspects.

10% said the current law is fine as it is.

1% didn’t respond or had a different response.

Question 5: The State Building Code Council recently voted to essentially ban the use of natural gas to heat new homes and apartments and instead use heat pumps. What do you think?

12% agreed with the Building Code Council that natural gas should be banned from new homes and apartments.

86% said natural gas should still be allowed to heat new homes and apartments.

2% didn’t respond or had a different response.

Question 6: Many Washington students suffered learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic and policies implemented by some school districts that resulted in the closing of schools and reduction in classroom time. What do you think is the best way to help students overcome learning loss?

25% said curriculums need to change.

17% said more or redirected funding (funds follow kids, tutors, alternatives to public school, more teachers, etc.).

8% said we need to keep schools open and end all COVID restrictions and eliminate online classes.

22% said kids need a make up a school year, or that school should be extended through summer, etc.

28% didn’t respond or had very unique opinions.

Two local teens serve as Senate pages

This week I had the privilege of sponsoring two Senate pages from the Spokane Valley: Abby Lind (left) is a freshman at Ridgeline High School. Abby lives in Greenacres, plays the violin, competes in tennis and softball, and is involved in the school orchestra. Hailey Huff (right) is a freshman at University High School. Hailey lives in Mead and is involved in Future Business Leaders of America, Key Club, tennis and youth group. It was nice to meet Abby and Hailey this week!

Contact us!

If you have a question or concern about state government, please do not hesitate to contact our office. During the session we are conducting business from our Senate office in Olympia. We are here to serve you!

Phone: (360) 786-7606

Olympia Office: 215 Legislative Modular Building, Olympia, WA 98504-0404

Email address: Mike.Padden@leg.wa.gov

PLEASE NOTE: Any email or documents you provide to this office may be subject to disclosure under RCW 42.56. If you would prefer to communicate by phone, please contact Sen. Padden’s Olympia office at (360) 786-7606.

To request public records from Sen. Padden, please contact Randi Stratton, the designated public records officer for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate members.

Committee passes Padden bill to combat impaired driving

For the third time in three years, and amidst an increase in traffic fatalities in Washington caused by alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers, an anti-impaired driving bill from 4^th District Sen. Mike Padden has been approved by the Senate Law and Justice Committee.

The committee passed SB 5032 during its meeting today. The bill now goes to the Senate Transportation Committee for further consideration.

A similar proposal introduced by Padden, Senate Bill 5054, was passed by the Law and Justice Committee and the full Senate during the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions, including unanimous approval last year. The bill later died in the House both years.

At the bill’s public hearing earlier this week, Padden told his fellow members of the Law and Justice Committee that repeat impaired-driving offenders commit most of the vehicular homicides and vehicular assaults in Washington.

“This is a measure to try to prevent those horrible, senseless crimes,” Padden testified. “Four years ago, I was out driving here in Olympia on a weekend on I-5. Right at the Pacific Avenue exit I saw the remains of a crash in which a 17-year-old Hispanic woman from the Tri-Cities was killed. They were changing a tire on the shoulder and a repeat drunk driver crashed into them on the shoulder.”

Padden, the ranking Republican on the Law and Justice Committee, said similar traffic fatalities in the state involve drivers who have had as many as eight DUI offenses, but the current 10-year lookback period is not long enough to allow the state to impose stronger punishment against such offenders.

“I think it’s common sense to make the lookback period 15 years instead of 10,” added Padden, a former Spokane County district court judge.

Padden said this year’s bill also would give offenders a chance to undergo treatment with the hope they eventually will no longer have a problem with alcohol or drugs.

According to statistics compiled by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Washington road deaths reached a 20-year high in 2021. There were 670 traffic deaths in 2021, including 272 fatalities involving drug-impaired driving and 155 deaths involving alcohol-impaired driving. In 2020, Washington had 574 traffic fatalities, including 214 involving drug-impaired driving and 135 involving alcohol-impaired driving.

The commission has a current preliminary estimate of 745 traffic fatalities in 2022. No 2022 figures on traffic deaths involving drug- or alcohol-impaired driving are available yet.

“Our state has seen an alarming increase in traffic deaths over the past few years, and drunk driving and drug-impaired driving are two leading causes. This bill would help get the most dangerous drivers off the road and into treatment,” said Padden. “Preventing impaired driving should be a key goal in our state. We’ve seen too many accidents and fatalities caused by drunk and drug-impaired drivers, especially repeat offenders. This bill could help reverse this tragic trend.”

TVW’s coverage of the public hearing on SB 5032 can be viewed here.

Back in Olympia for start of 2023 legislative session

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers Dec. 19, 2022. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

The 2023 legislative session is underway. The 105-day session began Monday with the traditional opening-day ceremony in the Senate chamber, in which new or recently reelected senators were sworn into office by state Supreme Court Justice Steven Gonzalez.

With that pomp and circumstance behind us, the Senate now shifts much of its time to committee meetings. Each bill is referred to a committee, where it may receive a public hearing and possibly a vote – steps that are typically determined by the committee chair. We will be in “committee mode” for the next six weeks, though occasional floor sessions will be held to debate and vote on bills.

It was nice to see all of my fellow senators and many Senate staff for the first time since the 2020 legislative session ended nearly three years ago. The past two sessions were not conducted in the manner that many of us wanted, as citizens were prevented from having direct, in-person contact with their legislators due to COVID-19. It’s good to see that citizens will be able to actually meet in person with legislators during session.

Here are some resources to help you better navigate this 105-day “long” session.

My legislative website| Here you will find my news releases and clips, newsletters, bills, contact information, biography, and other information.
The 4th District Government Guide| In this resource book, you will find the phone numbers, email addresses and offices of city, county, state and federal officials who represent you.
The Capitol Buzz| A daily recap of the top online news stories. Click the link to subscribe.
TVW| You can watch live broadcasts of floor and committee action online.
Legislature’s website| Bill reports, committee agendas, and information about upcoming activities in the Legislature are here.
State agencies| This website is where you can find all the state agencies, boards, and commissions.
Washington Votes| The Washington Policy Center’s vote tracking website.

For Bill Tracking

Go to leg.wa.gov
On the left-hand panel, click “Bill Information.”
If you know the bill number, enter it in the search field and click enter.
Don’t have a bill number? Under the section “Standard Reports,”you’ll find alternative tracking tools. You may search based on topic, within a specific biennium, and more.

If you have questions about how to participate in state government this year or thoughts to share on anything in this e-newsletter, please give me a call or send me an email.

Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving as your state senator!

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Meet “Team Padden” for this session

I’m pleased to introduce my legislative staff for the 2023 session. My legislative assistant, Scott Staley (left), joined the office last week after spending many years as the legislative assistant for past 4^th District state Reps. Larry Crouse, Leonard Christian and Bob McCaslin. My session aide is Irina Dolbinina (middle). Irina graduated from high school in Vancouver, Washington, earned a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Washington State University-Vancouver, and then graduated from Seattle University’s School of Law. Irina has returned to my office for this year’s legislative session after interning for me in 2017. Ethan Mettlin (right) is my session intern this year. Ethan is a senior at Central Washington University who is majoring in business administration. He plans to attend law school in the future.

Several public-safety bills sponsored for 2023 session

Sen. Padden asks a question during a Senate Law and Justice Committee meeting last month in Olympia.

Public safety will be one of the key issues for legislators to address this session. In fact, a recent statewide poll showed that 23% of respondents chose public safety as their most important issue.

Following months of working with policy stakeholders and citizens like you, I have introduced several bills for this year’s session that aim to provide meaningful solutions to problems facing our state. I encourage you to follow these proposals this session as they move through the legislative process. As was the case in 2022, this year’s focus is to fix what the majority Democrats have done in recent years to weaken our criminal-justice system. My goal is to enact common-sense policies that work for all of Washington.

Here are just a few of the measures I have prime-sponsored and will be working to advance this year:

SB 5032 – Increase DUI “lookback” and sentencing
SB 5033 – Custodial sexual misconduct
SB 5034 – Vehicular pursuits
SB 5035 – Controlled substance possession
SB 5042 – Vascular neck restraints
SB 5055 – Private prison contracting
SB 5056 – Habitual property offenders
SB 5058 – Multiunit residential buildings
SB 5090 – Torts
SB 5096 – Employee ownership
SB 5098 – Down Syndrome/abortion
SB 5108 – Law enforcement training
SB 5116 – Bail fund oversight
SB 5218 – Sales tax exemption for complex rehabilitation products
SB 5226 – Active warrants priority/Department of Corrections

To see a list of all of the bills that I am prime-sponsoring or co-sponsoring this session, click here.

Honoring a Central Valley student

Chantel Fan (left), a Chinese American leader in the Spokane Valley, presented a certificate to Lucy He Monday night for winning a national essay contest. With them are Lucy’s parents.

Central Valley High School student Lucy He has received a legislative certificate of appreciation for winning the Chinese American History Month national essay contest. Chantel Fan, a representative of the Spokane Chinese community, presented He with the certificate during the Central Valley School Board’s meeting Monday night.

Though I was in Olympia, I appeared remotely via Zoom to speak about Lucy, who won the contest sponsored by Asians for Equality.

It’s a tremendous honor for Lucy to win this national essay contest, and it was my privilege to congratulate her on this outstanding achievement.

Senate Bill 5000, which would designate January as Americans of Chinese Descent History Month, received a public hearing yesterday in the Senate State Government and Elections Committee, with a committee vote on the proposal slated for tomorrow at 8 a.m. You can view the video of the SB 5000 public hearing testimony here.

Opposition to Inslee proposal to delay construction of North-South Freeway

An aerial photo of the North-South Freeway construction.

For decades, perhaps the most anticipated highway project in the Spokane region has been the North-South Freeway (or North-South Corridor), which would run from the north end to Spokane to the south end of the city, allowing drivers to avoid busy and congested surface arterials like Division Street.

Although significant funding has been approved by the Legislature for the NSC in recent years, Gov. Inslee apparently is not in favor in seeing it completed anytime soon. As a recent KXLY story noted, the governor’s proposed 2023-25 state transportation budget would actually delay the project by six years, so instead of its expected completion in 2027-29, it would not be finished until 2033-35.

It’s unconscionable that the governor would want to delay this this important and long-planned highway project. I don’t understand Inslee’s rationale for wanting to delay it. If anything, the North-South Freeway project should be accelerated so it can be completed sooner.

It’s encouraging that the entire legislative delegation for the Spokane region (Republicans and Democrats alike) are in agreement that this project should not be delayed. Fortunately, the governor’s proposed transportation budget is just that – a proposal. It will be up to the Legislature to actually craft and approve the new two-year transportation budget. I expect there will be a strong bipartisan push from our Spokane-area legislators to make sure the NSC project remains on schedule, if not accelerated.

Freedom Caucus: Inslee FINALLY takes a stand on homelessness

Three of the four Freedom Caucus members gather on the Senate floor for the first day of session: 31st District Sen. Phil Fortunato, 19th District Sen. Jeff Wilson and 4th District Sen. Mike Padden. Not pictured is the fourth member of the Freedom Caucus, 2nd District Sen. Jim McCune.

In recent years, our state’s homelessness problem has worsened, with more homeless camps popping up in various communities. According to one article, Washington has the fifth-highest homeless population among states, behind California, New York, Florida and Texas – all much more populated than our state.

In the east Spokane area, “Camp Hope” along I-90 has generated plenty of attention and controversy since it sprang up last year, with local government officials unable to remove the camp’s inhabitants until at least late January because of a recent court order, despite the cold winter season now upon us. The Spokesman-Review recently ran a story about how the general contractor in charge of completing the reconstruction of Thor and Freya streets will receive a $70,000 settlement from the city of Spokane as compensation for damages and other claims blamed on Camp Hope.

During the proliferation of homeless people in the state, Gov. Inslee has been largely silent on this troubling issue. However, during last Thursday’s legislative preview forum, Inslee told reporters and editors that homeless camps are a blight on communities and that Washingtonians are demanding “an end to the squalor in their neighborhoods.”

You can imagine what a pleasant surprise it was to hear the governor speak so frankly about homelessness and finally acknowledge that this is a serious problem that must be addressed this year.

Two days after Inslee’s comments, the other three members of the Senate Freedom Caucus (31^st District Sen. Phil Fortunato, 2^nd District Sen. Jim McCune and 19^th District Sen. Jeff Wilson) and I publicly stated how we were pleased to see the governor taking a stand on this issue but wondering what took him so long. As noted in our news release, I’m glad the governor is finally realizing that we have a serious homeless housing problem. The state has needed to address this for quite some time. Hopefully, Democrats in the Legislature will join with us in taking effective action on it this session.

Contact us!

Phone: (360) 786-7606

Olympia Office: 215 Legislative Modular Building, Olympia, WA 98504-0404

Email address: Mike.Padden@leg.wa.gov

To request public records from Sen. Padden, please contact Randi Stratton, the designated public records officer for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate members.

Padden to honor student during Central Valley School Board meeting Monday

Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, will help honor a local high school student for winning a national essay contest. The ceremony is Monday (Jan. 9) night.

Central Valley High School student Lucy He will receive a legislative certificate of appreciation for winning the Chinese American History Month essay contest during the Central Valley School Board’s meeting Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the school district’s Learning and Teaching Center, 2218 N. Molter Road in Liberty Lake.

Chantel Fan, a representative of the Spokane Chinese community, will present He with the certificate.

Padden will appear remotely via Zoom from Olympia to speak about the Central Valley student, who recently won the contest sponsored by Asians for Equality.

“It’s a tremendous honor for Lucy to win this national essay contest, and I look forward to congratulating her on this outstanding achievement,” said Padden.

Senate Bill 5000, which would designate January as Americans of Chinese Descent History Month, has been prefiled for the 2023 legislative session, which begins Monday, Jan. 9, in Olympia. SB 5000, prime-sponsored by 39^th District Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, is scheduled to receive a public hearing Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in the Senate State Government and Elections Committee, with a committee vote on the proposal slated for Friday at 8 a.m.

Good news for drivers and others affected by Pines Road traffic issues

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers Dec. 19, 2022. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

For many years, one of the most troublesome traffic spots in the Spokane Valley has been where Pines Road (State Route 27) crosses Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s busy railroad tracks.

Between freight and passenger trains, the BNSF crossing sees an estimated average of 67 train crossings daily, which can easily cause backups into the Pines Road-Trent Avenue intersection. The estimates are 2,400 vehicles delayed each day, due to the crossing being blocked for more than 3½ hours a day.

From a safety standpoint, the Pines Road-BNSF crossing ranks among the most serious road-rail “conflict” locations in Washington, as emergency vehicles can be delayed either by the rail crossing or the busy highway intersection. The same issues contribute to traffic congestion and have discouraged development of commercial property in the area.

Proponents of a long-awaited project that would construct an underpass where the train tracks now cross Pines Road received great news on Dec. 2. A grant award was announced that puts the city of Spokane Valley $5 million closer to moving ahead with this much-needed road-improvement effort. The grant also will contribute to the construction of a roundabout at the nearby intersection of Pines Road and Trent Avenue (State Route 290).

These improvements are incredibly important to Spokane Valley and the surrounding region because they offer so many benefits: fewer collisions, less congestion, better emergency access, a boost to economic development and more. This grant is a big win because it provides the needed state match for federal funding. The grant now provides enough money for the project to begin.

Between the new underpass and the new roundabout, this will mean a huge improvement in the flow of traffic. The recent funding announcement puts it all one step closer to reality.

The $5 million grant will come through the state Department of Transportation. We appreciate the help on this grant from DOT’s Eastern Region office, especially regional administrator Mike Gribner.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2023!

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Public-safety bills prefiled before session starts

Although the 2023 session is still a few weeks away, several legislators already have “prefiled” bills in hopes that they will be scheduled for committee hearings soon after the session begins. As ranking Republican on the Law and Justice Committee, I have prefiled several bills that I expect will be sent to that panel for consideration, including two noteworthy proposals:

Senate Bill 5034 would change existing state law to again make it easier for law-enforcement officers to pursue suspects in vehicles. In 2021, the Legislature changed the legal standard required for officers to engage in vehicular pursuits, limiting law enforcement’s ability to pursue and detain suspects.
Senate Bill 5035 would make possession or use of illegal drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin a class C felony with diversion opportunities and drug court. In recent years, the Democratic majorities in the Legislature passed SB 5476 which reduced the penalty for drug possession to an unenforceable misdemeanor that does not effectively utilize data-supported drug court programs. It’s no wonder fatal drug overdoses are expected to hit record numbers in Washington this year.

Coffee event held after snow forces rescheduling

On December 13, I held my latest coffee event in the 4^th District. This event, at Riverside High School, was an opportunity for residents of the Mt. Spokane area to meet and discuss concerns or express ideas. The two-hour event originally was scheduled for December 8, but heavy snow forced us to reschedule it to the 13th. A big thank-you goes to the Riverside School District administration, including Superintendent Ken Russell, for letting us hold the event there — and also to the nine people who accommodated the new date and took time out of their busy lives to share their thoughts.

Will continue to lead Senate GOP on Law and Justice Committee

This photo was taken during a Senate Law and Justice Committee meeting in 2019.

Earlier this month, we learned what our committee assignments will be for the next two years. Mine from the past two years are unchanged.

I will continue to serve as the ranking Republican on the Senate Law and Justice Committee. It’s an honor to have served on this committee since becoming a senator in 2011. Many important public-safety bills, including some that fellow Republicans and I are sponsoring, will come before Law and Justice next session. Our goal should be to advance bills that will help make people and communities safer in our state.

My two other assignments are the Senate Transportation Committee and Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee. Many highway projects need to be completed in our state. Continuing to be a voice on the Transportation Committee is important to projects in the 4^th District and eastern Washington. Health care is another issue that affects people statewide, especially in terms of cost and access, so that panel also has crucial work to do.

Good talk about ESOPs at Spokane Valley Chamber meeting

During its annual meeting on November 17, the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce held an event on employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) to promote employee ownership of businesses. The ESOP panel discussed the benefits of ESOPs and highlighted proposed legislation that would aid businesses looking to adopt an ESOP corporate structure.

During the event, I took part in an informative panel discussion on how businesses can implement this policy. Other panelists were Gellert Dornay, a national expert on ESOPs who has helped many businesses convert to an employee-owned model; John Bole, the CEO of Yoke’s Fresh Market, an employee-owned chain based in Spokane Valley; and an official from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, based in Pullman.

A number of the chamber members who attended the panel presentation said they were enthused by it, which was encouraging.

Legislators gather in Olympia for pre-session committee meetings

The 2023 legislative session is less than a month away, but state legislators gathered in Olympia at the start of December for Legislative Assembly Days, in which Senate and House committees held meetings or work sessions.

Senate Republican Caucus members gathered November 29 in the Legislative Building for the caucus reorganization meeting (known as “re-org” in Olympia-speak), in which we elected our top leadership officers. The current SRC leadership team was re-elected: Leader John Braun of Centralia, Caucus Chair Judy Warnick of Moses Lake, Floor Leader Shelly Short of Addy, and Whip Keith Wagoner of Sedro-Woolley. The remaining four caucus-leadership positions are expected to be chosen in early January.

2023 session should function close to normal

Perhaps the most frustrating thing about the Legislature during the COVID-19 shutdown was how Democratic legislative leaders chose to prevent the public from having in-person access to legislators, whether it was Senate or House floor session, legislative committee meetings or office meetings with lawmakers.

Legislative committees were forced to hold their meetings virtually, which was awkward for many. And without good internet access, you might not have been able to watch or participate in a meeting at all.

In short, the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions were to many a step back in terms of open government. But it now appears that the 2023 session, which starts January 9, should function pretty much as normal.

The Senate Facilities and Operations Committee met a few weeks ago to determine how the upcoming session will be conducted. What the committee decided will be of interest to anyone wishing to come to Olympia for the 2023 legislative session:

The Senate will return to in-person floor action and voice voting for the 2023 session. Committee meetings will generally be in person, with some exceptions.
In-person meetings will be allowed in member offices and meeting rooms.
Members of the public may enter Senate facilities, except if they have COVID symptoms or have tested positive for COVID within the last five days.

While things won’t be 100% back to where they were before COVID, the 2023 session definitely will look more normal than the past two, which is welcome news. The people deserve to have full access to their lawmakers and the legislative process.

Contact us!

If you have a question or concern about state government, please do not hesitate to contact our office. During the interim we are conducting business from our district office in Spokane Valley. We are here to serve you!

Phone: (509) 921-2460

District Office: 5105 E 3rd Ave, Ste 102 Spokane Valley, WA 99212

Email address: Mike.Padden@leg.wa.gov

To request public records from Sen. Padden, please contact Randi Stratton, the designated public records officer for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate members.

Senate Republicans unveil trio of bills to improve public safety

Two members of the Senate Republican Caucus have prefiled bills for the 2023 legislative session that aim to reverse recent criminal-friendly laws passed by Democratic majorities.

“One of our main goals this session is to advance bills that will help make people and communities safer in our state,” said Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, who is ranking Republican on the Senate Law and Justice Committee and was a Spokane County District Court judge from March 1995 until January 2007. “Unfortunately, thanks in large part to harmful laws passed by our Democratic colleagues, many people throughout Washington are feeling less safe in recent years. They have every right to expect the Legislature to take action to reverse this alarming increase in crime.”

The three key public-safety proposals introduced by Padden and a Senate Republican colleague include:

Senate Bill 5034, prime-sponsored by Padden, would change state law to again make it easier for law-enforcement officers to pursue suspects in vehicles. In 2021, the Legislature changed the legal standard required for officers to engage in vehicular pursuits, limiting law enforcement’s ability to pursue and detain suspects.

“It’s no coincidence that crime has dramatically increased since this law was passed because it has severely restricted law-enforcement officers from pursuing suspects. Until we make it easier for officers to do their job, we’ll continue to see this spike in crime. Communities deserve better,” said Padden.

Senate Bill 5035, introduced by Padden, would make possession or use of illegal drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin a class C felony with diversion opportunities and drug court.

“In 2021 the Democratic majorities in the Legislature passed SB 5476, which reduced the penalty for drug possession to an unenforceable misdemeanor that does not effectively utilize data-supported drug court programs. It’s no wonder fatal drug overdoses are expected to hit record numbers in Washington this year. The Democrats’ law that decriminalized drugs has been an absolute and costly failure,” said Padden.

Senate Bill 5011, prefiled by Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, supports her recent vow to restore second-degree robbery to the list of offenses counted as a strike under Washington’s voter-approved “three-strikes” law. Majority Democrats had dropped that crime from the list in 2019, then applied the change retroactively in 2021 – which allowed Clark County child-rapist and murderer Roy Wayne Russell, Jr. to evade the mandatory life-without-parole sentence that comes with a third “strike.”

“There are more on the lifer list who could be resentenced and walk free someday. It’s as though the majority did this with no regard for the victims’ families,” said Wilson. “We need laws that are fair to victims, and this mistake needs to be fixed. I hope those who thought weakening the law was a good idea will recognize the error they made and join us to correct it.”

The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to begin on Jan. 9 and end on April 23.

Padden to continue as lead Republican on Senate Law and Justice Committee

Sen. Mike Padden will serve another two years as the ranking Republican on the Senate Law and Justice Committee. Senate committee assignments were released today, five weeks before lawmakers convene at the Capitol for their next session.

“Having served on the Law and Justice Committee since becoming a senator in 2011, I’m pleased to continue on it,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley, who predicted the panel will be one of the more influential Senate committees during the 2023 legislative session.

“Many important public-safety bills, including some that fellow Republicans and I are sponsoring, will come before the Law and Justice Committee next session. Our goal should be to advance bills that will help make people and communities safer in our state,” added Padden, who was a Spokane County District Court judge from March 1995 until January 2007.

Padden, who serves the 4^th Legislative District, also will continue serving on the Senate Transportation Committee and Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee. Padden was appointed to the former in 2019 and the latter in 2021.

“Many highway projects need to be completed in our state. Continuing to be a voice on the Transportation Committee is important to projects in the 4^th District and eastern Washington,” said Padden. “Health care is another issue that affects people statewide, especially in terms of cost and access, so that panel also has crucial work to do.”

The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to start Jan. 9 and end April 23.

Padden lauds Spokane Valley win of grant for highway safety upgrades

A grant award announced today puts the city of Spokane Valley $5 million closer to moving ahead with a long-awaited road-improvement effort.

Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, said the money will ultimately go toward constructing a railroad underpass where BNSF tracks now cross Pines Road (State Route 27). It also will contribute to the construction of a roundabout at the nearby intersection of Pines Road and Trent Avenue (State Route 290).

“These improvements are incredibly important to Spokane Valley and the surrounding region because they offer so many benefits: fewer collisions, less congestion, better emergency access, a boost to economic development and more,” said Padden, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee. “This grant is a big win because it provides the needed state match for federal funding. The grant now provides enough money for the project to begin.”

“Senator Padden’s efforts in Olympia were instrumental for Spokane Valley,” stated Spokane Valley Mayor Pam Haley. “This $5 million award from Washington state leverages $30 million of federal funds to deliver this important project. We look forward to working with all our project partners to begin construction as soon as possible.”

The $5 million grant was provided by the state Department of Transportation.

“We appreciate the help on this grant from the department’s Eastern Region office, especially Mike Gribner, the regional administrator for that office,” said Padden.

From a safety standpoint, Padden explained, the Pines Road-BNSF crossing ranks among the most serious road-rail “conflict” locations in Washington, as emergency vehicles can be delayed either by the rail crossing or the busy highway intersection. The same issues contribute to traffic congestion and have discouraged development of commercial property in the area.

“Between the new underpass and the new roundabout, this will mean a huge improvement in the flow of traffic. Today’s announcement of funding puts it all one step closer to reality,” said Padden.