On Friday, after a regular session and three special sessions that spanned six months, the Legislature finally adjourned for the year. It was frustrating that it took so long to reach a final agreement on a new state budget. In the end, the Legislature passed the 2015-17 operating budget by...

I’d like to report that I am back in Spokane Valley, and all of the work in the Legislature has finally come to a close. Unfortunately, the third special special session will not end as quickly as we had hoped. Last Tuesday night, we worked around the clock to pass...

There was some breaking news overnight. At 1:30 a.m. the governor announced that legislative negotiators had reached a tentative deal on a new operating budget. While details of the deal have just been released, there is now hope that we’ll be able to avoid a state-government shutdown when the current...

While I am very hopeful that we will soon see a resolution to the budget negotiations, progress remains slow. The sticking points, however, have never been clearer. The Senate proposal has no tax increases. If the House accepted the Senate proposal, as is, the session could come to a close...

It’s frustrating that nearly two weeks into the second special legislative session, the Legislature has yet to reach agreement on a new budget. At the same time there has been a measure of progress which suggests things are beginning to come together.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said, “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it… I do not know anyone who has gotten to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but it...

We recently got more good budget news; the economic forecast that came out this week pointed to the state expecting more revenue thanks to our recovering economy.This proves once again that there is no need for new taxes. In fact, there are some of us who believe that it is...

Sen. Padden with Rose Gundersen, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Washington Engage — an organization that works to prevent sex and labor trafficking in Washington State. Our district office is now open! Although the special session means that I have to continue to be in Olympia for a bit...

While there is still much work to be done, several bills did make it through the legislative process and are now being signed into law. Last week Senate Bill 5101, my legislation to allow courts to order a mental evaluation of an offender, even if the Department of Corrections does...