Spokane Valley solon already tapped to lead Senate Law and Justice Committee  

The 2013 legislative session will convene at noon Monday with three committees on Sen. Mike Padden’s list. In addition to heading the Senate Law and Justice Committee, Padden will serve on the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

“It’s a great combination: families, justice and fiscal responsibility,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley.

The post of Law and Justice chairman is familiar to Padden; he held that title as a state representative prior to leaving the Legislature in 1995 to serve 12 years as a Spokane County District Court judge. His committee will address issues concerning civil and criminal law, plus legislation affecting the courts and law enforcement.

The Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee considers issues related to children and families, including foster care, child protection and welfare services, children and adult mental health issues, and family reconciliation and support programs. It also addresses corrections- and offender-related matters, including the operations of the Department of Corrections, the Department of Social and Health Services’ Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration and the DSHS Mental Health Division.

Padden’s appointment to the Senate Ways and Means Committee will put him in the thick of the effort to develop the next two-year state operating budget. He and his colleagues in the new Senate Majority Coalition Caucus have committed to coming up with a sustainable spending plan that lives within the means provided by taxpayers.

“While our coalition’s focus this session will be on jobs, education and the budget, that doesn’t diminish the importance of concerns that fall into other categories such as human services and law enforcement,” Padden said. “I look forward to having interesting and valuable discussions in those areas.”