A bill from 4th District Sen. Mike Padden that could keep repeat property offenders behind bars longer was approved today by the Senate on a 38-10 vote. Senate Bill 5056 would allow prosecutors to seek up two additional years on a sentence for first-degree robbery offenders if they can prove...

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers January 8, 2024. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. Dear friends and neighbors, This year’s legislative session begins today and is scheduled to last 60 days, ending March 7. Today will be highlighted with the traditional opening-day ceremonies...

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers November 20, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. Dear friends and neighbors, In November, Americans in nearly every state were forced to adjust to the annual switch from daylight saving time back to standard time. If there...

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers November 1, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. Dear friends and neighbors, On October 19, many local and state officials gathered for the grand-opening ceremony at the Spokane County Sheriff Regional Training Center, near Fairchild Air Force...

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers October 12, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. Dear friends and neighbors, The public is invited to an upcoming “Taxpayer Town Hall” hosted by Spokane County Treasurer Michael Baumgartner and myself. It takes place this coming Tuesday,...

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers September 28, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. Dear friends and neighbors, In recent years, a glaring example of how our state’s crime problem has worsened is the rise in homicides in Seattle and King County. On...

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers Aug. 24, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here. Let’s hear it for firefighters, others battling area wildfires Dear friends and neighbors, Over the past week, firefighters and others have heroically battled two wildfires in parts of Spokane...

New statistics from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Washington’s fatal drug-overdose situation is even grimmer than a month ago, says Sen. Mike Padden, the lead Republican on the Senate Law and Justice Committee. For the third straight month, the CDC has issued a report that finds...

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...