The 2018 session is underway, and although we have only been in Olympia for a few days, I have much to share with you. Already lawmakers have started work on issues that affect both our state and our district, from addressing the ability of rural property owners to develop and...

Dear Friends and Neighbors, I hope that you and your family enjoyed a very peaceful and joyous Christmas celebration, and are ready to welcome in the new year. As 2018 rapidly approaches, so too does the start of the new legislative session in Olympia. Like every session, this year will...

During this year’s legislative session we pushed repeatedly for a measure to make a fourth DUI a felony under Washington law and also introduced bills aimed at improving drug and alcohol monitoring. Last week elected officials and members of law enforcement from across the country attended the National 24/7 Summit...

The only debate between then-challenger Ronald Reagan and incumbent President Jimmy Carter prior to the 1980 presidential election produced one of the lines for which President Reagan is still remembered. “There you go again,” he said to Carter (before explaining that Carter’s promotion of national health insurance misrepresented Reagan’s position...

For the third time since lawmakers convened at the state Capitol in January, the Washington state Senate has unanimously passed Sen. Mike Padden’s bill to make a fourth DUI conviction in 10 years a felony. “We have only a few more days to act before the end of the current...

Today the Senate adopted a resolution sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden, honoring people with Down syndrome and recognizing the efforts of people and organizations working on behalf of those with developmental disabilities. Padden shared his personal commitment to policies that recognize the rights of those with Down syndrome. “As a...

Early this morning, at the end of a marathon session by lawmakers, the Washington State Senate unanimously passed Sen. Mike Padden’s bill to make a fourth DUI conviction in 10 years a felony. The policy is also funded in the Senate’s operating budget proposal, which was debated last night and...

Saying that there is still work to be done, today Sen. Mike Padden oversaw the Senate Law and Justice Committee’s review of several bills aimed at addressing human trafficking. “The Washington State Legislature has an excellent history of dealing with the issue of human trafficking,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley and...

On Monday, the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on my bill to help keep the cost of residential construction low and housing more affordable. Senate Bill 5759 requires that distinct “prevailing wage” rates be calculated and paid to workers employed in residential construction. SB 5759 emerged...