Session isn’t over — Senate insists on Hirst fix before adjournment
The following newsletter was sent to subscribers to Sen. Padden’s Report From Olympia, July 6, 2017. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletters, click here. Legislature OK’s budget, but overtime continues Dear friends and neighbors, Last week was an important one for the Washington Legislature – but our session isn’t over...
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Sen. Padden issues statement on final budget vote
Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, released the following statement after the Senate’s final vote Friday on the 2017-19 operating budget. Padden was the only member of the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus to vote against the $43.7 billion budget agreement. The budget bill, SB 5883, was approved in the Senate by...
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Final budget deal reached — details to come
The following newsletter was sent to subscribers to Sen. Padden’s Report From Olympia, June 29, 2017. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletters, click here. High drama in Legislature’s final days Dear friends and neighbors, After months of work, negotiators for the Senate and the House announced Wednesday they have reached...
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Greeners gone wild — Senate probes costs
The following newsletter was sent to subscribers to Sen. Padden’s Report From Olympia, June 22, 2017. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletters, click here. Stay tuned as Legislature works on session-ending deal Dear friends and neighbors, The Legislature’s biggest drama continues to play out behind closed doors as negotiators for...
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As budget negotiations proceed, Senate insists on Hirst fix
The following newsletter was sent to subscribers to Sen. Padden’s Report From Olympia, June 15, 2017. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletters, click here. Hirst fix passes Senate for third time Dear friends and neighbors, Work is continuing at the statehouse as we negotiate a final deal on the state...
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Public safety at The Evergreen State College is topic of Senate work session
OLYMPIA – Over-the-top student protests, vandalism, threats of violence, and other public safety concerns are prompting an inquiry by the Senate Law and Justice Committee into recent events at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. The committee will hold a work session on campus safety Tuesday at 1 p.m. in...
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Senate committee chair offers new version of Corrections reform bill
OLYMPIA – A new version of this year’s Department of Corrections reform bill will be heard in the Senate Law and Justice Committee Tuesday, as Chair Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, seeks middle ground on one of the session’s biggest issues. The new version of Senate Bill 5294, sponsored by Padden,...
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Freedom on trial at The Evergreen State College
The following newsletter was sent to subscribers to Sen. Padden’s Report From Olympia, June 8, 2017. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletters, click here. Waiting for a session-ending breakthrough Dear friends and neighbors, Right now the Legislature is waiting for House and Senate negotiators work to reach a final agreement on a...
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Padden: Counties’ campaign is about taxes, not public safety
The following op-ed appeared in The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review, June 4, 2017. By Sen. Mike Padden Special to The Spokesman-Review In the final weeks of the 2017 legislative session, we’ve been hearing wild claims about the Senate’s no-new-taxes budget proposal; you might get the idea the sky is falling. The argument...
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