In the News

January 17, 2024

Senate passes Padden bill to keep repeat property offenders behind bars longer

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...
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January 16, 2024

Bipartisan bill to ‘ditch the switch’ in Washington receives Senate hearing

A Senate committee today took public testimony on 4th District Sen. Mike Padden’s bipartisan bill that would allow the people of Washington to “ditch the switch” from standard time to daylight saving time each year. “If there is one issue most people agree on, it’s the dislike of moving their...
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November 06, 2023

Legislators in Washington and Oregon to offer bills creating year-round standard time

As people across America adjust to this past weekend’s switch from daylight saving time to standard time, state senators in Washington and Oregon are planning to introduce bills early next year to put their states on standard time year-round. This is not the first time the lawmakers have sought to...
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August 22, 2023

Padden says Washington’s drug-overdose crisis is now among worst in U.S.

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...
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July 20, 2023

Four Padden-sponsored laws take effect July 23

On Sunday (July 23) many new laws passed this year by the Legislature will take effect. Four of these new laws are based on bills prime-sponsored by 4th District Sen. Mike Padden: Senate Bill 5033, SB 5058, SB 5096 and SB 5218. ‘Kimberly Bender’s law’ The law created by Senate...
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May 16, 2023

Padden believes drug-possession bill passed by Legislature not strong enough to deal with state’s drug crisis

During a one-day special session today, the Legislature approved a bill enhancing penalties for possession of hard drugs, but 4th District Sen. Mike Padden was among the “no” votes in the Senate. Padden, the ranking Republican on the Senate Law and Justice Committee, believes the compromise version of Senate Bill...
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May 09, 2023

Governor signs Padden bill to benefit employee stock ownership plans

Gov. Jay Inslee today signed Senate Bill 5096, a bipartisan measure prime-sponsored by 4th District Sen. Mike Padden that will aid businesses looking to adopt an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) corporate structure. “This new law will help promote employee ownership, which is valuable not only for employees but for...
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May 04, 2023

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...
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April 24, 2023

Padden laments Legislature’s lack of progress to address impaired driving

The day after its annual session at the state Capitol ended, 4th Legislative District Sen. Mike Padden is criticizing the Legislature’s inability to pass a meaningful bill that would help combat impaired driving. “The Legislature missed a golden opportunity to start reversing the disturbing increase in traffic accidents caused by...
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