State Voting Rights Act doesn’t live up to noble name
May 15, 2015
This post originally appeared in the leadership blog of the Majority Coalition Caucus, Exit 105. When talk turns to the Voting Rights Act, that old black-and-white news footage starts running through our minds — sit-ins, boycotts and the March on Washington. The federal law of 1965 was one of the most significant bills of the... Read More...
Governor signs Roger Freeman Act to help families in need
May 14, 2015
Today Gov. Jay Inslee signed House Bill 2140, which creates a law to help families struggling to pay for court-ordered services. The signing caps an effort that began during the 2014 legislative session under the leadership of the late Rep. Roger Freeman, who passed away last October. Before the bill... Read More...
Report from Olympia — May 13, 2015
May 13, 2015
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... Read More...
Senate panel hears testimony on ‘Victims’ Voice Act’
May 12, 2015
Today the Senate Law and Justice Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 6099, a measure to help ensure that deceased crime victims have an advocate at sentencing hearings when there is no one else to speak for them. The bill, known as the Victims’ Voice Act, is sponsored by Sen.... Read More...
Report from Olympia — April 30, 2015
April 30, 2015
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... Read More...
Padden urges House to follow Senate lead on remote testimony
April 28, 2015
Sen. Mike Padden went into the 2015 regular session with a goal of increasing the opportunities for public participation in the legislative process. An analysis of the Senate’s remote testimony pilot program shows that Padden and his colleagues in the Senate took significant steps toward achieving that goal in that... Read More...
Report from Olympia — April 24, 2015
April 24, 2015
Today the Senate passed a resolution commending businesses that have made veteran employment a priority. Our state is honored to host several major military bases and significant installations from all branches of the military, including Spokane County’s own Fairchild Air Force Base. With our military having been engaged in two... Read More...
Report from Olympia — April 17, 2015
April 17, 2015
There are just nine days left in the legislative session. This week we hit the deadline for the Senate and House to take action on bills from the opposite chamber, except those necessary to implement the budget and bills in dispute between the chambers. While I am hopeful that I... Read More...
Report from Olympia — April 14, 2015
April 15, 2015
The scheduled end of the 2015 legislative session is only 12 days away. That’s a very short amount of time to complete all the work yet to be done – especially on the budget. This week the House and the Senate began formal negotiations over their budget proposals. The two... Read More...