Health Care

Washington now leads U.S. in drug overdose deaths Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers July 25, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. Dear friends and neighbors, Washington now has the dubious honor of having the highest gas prices of all states in America. Unfortunately, our state has become a national leader... Read More...
A bad category to be No. 1: Washington has highest gas prices in U.S. Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers June 26, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. A bad category to be No. 1: Washington has highest gas prices in U.S. Dear friends and neighbors, People normally associate June 21 with the first day of summer.... Read More...
Honoring fallen soldiers during Memorial Day ceremony Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers May 31, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. Dear friends and neighbors, I hope all of you enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend. While the three-day weekend provides a great opportunity for us to gather with family and... Read More...
Governor signs two Padden bills one week after legislative session ends SB 5058 encourages home ownership, SB 5218 provides tax exemption for mobility equipment Gov. Jay Inslee today signed Senate Bill 5058, 4th District Sen. Mike Padden’s legislation that helps encourage home ownership in Washington by making it easier for smaller condominium buildings to be constructed. The law created by SB... Read More...
Opposing bill to make assisted suicide easier Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers Feb. 17, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. In 2008, Washington voters approved Initiative 1000, which established the so-called “Death with Dignity Act.” Opponents call it “Assisted Suicide Expansion.”  Efforts have been made the last two years... Read More...
Democrats making extreme attempt to expand abortion 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.... Read More...
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... Read More...
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... Read More...
In the News: Interstate compact would help nurses get to work Seattle Times Editorial  Washington has a shortage of nurses in the best of times. But especially during the ongoing public health emergency, the state cannot afford to have qualified professionals sitting on their hands waiting for paperwork to go through. Even in an emergency, nurses who travel to the state... Read More...
Padden satisfied with high-court decision affirming religious freedom Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley and chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, offered this statement following today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that certain corporations may claim religious-freedom protections. “For the second week in a row the court has found that the Obama administration overreached its authority. Today’s ruling... Read More...