The two sides in a recent whistleblower complaint concerning the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner are expected to come before a state Senate committee Monday afternoon, in their first public appearance since the complaint began making headlines in May.

Sen. Mike Padden, chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, said his panel will work through two other subjects before taking up the newest addition to its agenda, which was prompted by the whistleblower complaint: the independence of hearings officers at state agencies. Continue reading →

SPOKANE VALLEY — State Sen. Mike Padden receives the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s top public-service award from John M. Moffat, administrator of the federal agency’s regions 9 and 10. Padden, a Spokane Valley Republican serving Washington’s 4th Legislative District, had been unable to attend the 32nd annual Lifesavers conference in Nashville, Tenn., where this year’s 12 award winners were announced April 28, so Moffat traveled from Seattle to present the honor Tuesday. 

Padden, a Spokane County District Court judge from 1995-2007, is the lone 2014 Lifesaver award recipient from the Pacific Northwest and West Coast. The presentation took place in the same Spokane Valley courtroom where he presided over DUI court in 2006.

As chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, Padden has led the Legislature’s efforts to strengthen Washington’s laws regarding impaired driving. The inscription on the plaque states: “In recognition of your tireless and unending efforts to end tragedies related to alcohol abuse and DUI.”

More information is at https://mikepadden.src.wastateleg.org/?p=6085. Click here for a photo of Senator Padden.

Sen. Mike Padden is inviting residents of the 4th Legislative District to come and visit with him over coffee in Spokane Valley on Tuesday, June 3.

He’ll be at the Forza Coffee Company, 325 S. Sullivan Rd., from 5 to 7 p.m. Because of limited seating Padden asks that people phone his local legislative office at 921-2460 and arrange a specific meeting time.

“By now things have mostly settled down from the 2014 legislative session; there is news to share about what we accomplished, and it’s never too soon to start preparing for 2015. I’m looking forward to connecting with more people, in person, and listening to their ideas, concerns and questions,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley.

Six months ago Padden met with constituents at coffee shops in Liberty Lake and Greenacres; the one-on-one format proved to be a “big hit,” he said.

The Family Policy Institute of Washington has honored Sen. Mike Padden for consistently standing up at the state Capitol for matters of conscience regardless of the political environment.

At its 2014 annual dinner Friday the Lynnwood-based organization recognized Padden’s efforts with its annual William Wilberforce Statesmanship Award. Wilberforce, a Christian activist and member of the English Parliament, was instrumental in persuading the British Empire to abolish its slave trade, in 1807, and slavery as a whole in 1833. Continue reading →

Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley and chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, offered this statement on Justice Jim Johnson’s final day as a member of the state Supreme Court:

“Justice Johnson has served the people of Washington well. I wish he felt up to finishing out the nearly three years left in his term. However, between two decades as an assistant attorney general and nine years on our state’s high court, wrapped around private-practice work that resulted in some of our state’s most important voter initiatives, he certainly has earned the right to step away today in favor of his health and family.

“When Justice Johnson was a candidate for the Supreme Court in 2004 he promised that he wouldn’t legislate from the bench. After taking office he not only kept that promise but did not mince words when he thought others were ignoring the separation of powers between the three branches of state government. The people of our state could always rely on him to follow the constitution and put their rights first.

“No one can replace Justice Johnson in terms of experience and expertise. However, it should be possible for Governor Inslee to find a successor who also is unafraid to dissent – alone if necessary – and also is unwilling to commandeer the duties and authority of another branch of government. The Supreme Court will continue seeing cases related to taxes and spending and elections and property rights, and the people need someone in their corner the way Justice Johnson has been all these years. His voice of reason will be missed.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today recognized Sen. Mike Padden with its highest public-service award for his “tireless and unending work to end tragedies related to alcohol abuse and DUI.”

NHTSA’s acting chief, David Friedman, announced the honor for Padden during the 32nd annual Lifesavers conference being held in Nashville, Tenn. The award is named for the event, which brings U.S. highway-safety professionals together yearly. Continue reading →

Sen. Mike Padden’s efforts to make Washington a friendlier place to do business took another step forward today with the signing of his bill to reform regulations concerning a new way of selling food.

Senate Bill 6388 puts the state Department of Agriculture in charge of overseeing companies that offer online sales of pre-packaged fresh food to be picked up from a truck rather than a brick-and-mortar store. Continue reading →

A bill introduced by Sen. Mike Padden to help get fresh food to consumers with a minimum of governmental interference is on its way to receiving full approval from the Legislature. The House of Representatives easily approved Senate Bill 6388 on Friday; Padden said the Senate will agree to minor changes made by the House, completing the Legislature’s work on the measure.

“It’s becoming more popular to order pre-packaged fresh food online and pick it up from a truck in a parking lot. However, a fresh-food direct retailer in Spokane Valley told me that because government views his trucks as ‘food service establishments’, he’s had to deal with red tape that could affect both prices and availability,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley. “State law needs to change to keep pace with the new business models for purchasing and delivering fresh foods.” Continue reading →