People buying motorized wheelchairs or other mobility-improving equipment could pay less thanks to a bill that has been approved by the Legislature. Senate Bill 5218, from 4th District Sen. Mike Padden, would make such equipment tax-exempt. The House of Representatives unanimously approved the measure today after the Senate unanimously passed...

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers April 13, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. Dear friends and neighbors, The rights of law-abiding Washingtonians to buy and use firearms took another step backward late last week when the Democrat-run Senate passed two measures, both...

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers March 16, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. The 2023 legislative session is now in its 10th week, with five weeks to go. April 23 is the scheduled last day. As the Legislature approaches the home stretch...

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers March 3, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. The Legislature is halfway through its 2023 session. This is Day 54, and Washington’s constitution allows our “long” session to run for no more than 105 days. On Monday,...

The Senate today unanimously approved a bill from 4th District Sen. Mike Padden that would help encourage home ownership in Washington by making it easier for smaller condominium buildings to be constructed. Senate Bill 5058 would exempt buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than two stories high...

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers Jan. 26, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. Dear friends and neighbors, One of the most controversial measures before this year’s Legislature received a public hearing Tuesday morning in the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee....

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...

Measures would reduce barriers to condo construction and help protect free speech In a virtual ceremony today at the state Capitol, Gov. Jay Inslee signed two of Sen. Mike Padden’s measures from the 2021 legislative session. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5024, which cleared both the House and Senate unanimously after...

Today the House unanimously passed Sen. Mike Padden’s measure to let members of cooperative associations cast votes electronically. The bill also passed the Senate unanimously in February. “More than a year into the pandemic, many businesses and associations are still having difficulty in safely and regularly meeting to conduct their...