March 10, 2016

Legislative session goes into overtime

This newsletter was distributed to Sen. Mike Padden’s subscribers on March 10, 2016. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletters, click here. On what should have been the morning of adjournment, a rainbow appeared over the Capitol. Dear friends and neighbors, It shouldn’t have happened, but the Legislature is heading into...
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March 09, 2016

Padden releases results of 2016 legislative survey

Here’s what residents of the 4th Legislative District are saying about top legislative issues Here are the results of Sen. Mike Padden’s 2016 legislative survey. Sen. Sheldon circulated his survey in a newsletter mailed to residents of the 4th Legislative District, and also made it available online. Thanks to all...
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March 07, 2016

Governor’s response to DOC fiasco superficial, say Padden and O’Ban

Sens. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, and Steve O’Ban, R-Pierce County, chair and vice chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, released this statement following Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement of demotions and reprimands for certain Department of Corrections employees involved in the early release of thousands of felons: “The fact...
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March 07, 2016

Lawmakers call for action on DUI bills before end of 2016 session

OLYMPIA – Lawmakers from all four corners of the Legislature are calling for action on DUI bills before the regular legislative session ends on Thursday. At a news conference Monday morning at the Capitol, lawmakers said the state needs stronger measures to deal with repeat offenders and to improve the...
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March 01, 2016

Senators: Testimony reveals flaws in governor’s DOC report

Click here for a printable copy of the one-page summary Sens. Mike Padden and Steve O’Ban, chair and vice-chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, released the following statement Tuesday: Today we distributed a one-page summary of the biggest discrepancies we have discovered to this point between the governor’s...
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February 29, 2016

Investigatory hearing delayed after eye-opening testimony in Corrections case

OLYMPIA – The Senate Law and Justice Committee is postponing its scheduled Tuesday investigatory hearing into the Department of Corrections’ early-release scandal following testimony Monday morning that demonstrated major inconsistencies with a report released last week by the governor’s office. Those inconsistencies include the omission of critical comments several witnesses...
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February 29, 2016

Senate votes to make 4th DUI a felony – for the 4th time

OLYMPIA – The Washington Senate once again has said yes to a bill making a 4th DUI conviction a felony, and sponsor Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, said he hopes the 4th unanimous vote in a row will convince the House to take action. Senate Bill 5105 allows prison terms for...
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February 26, 2016

Hearings begin in Department of Corrections fiasco

This newsletter was distributed to Sen. Mike Padden’s subscribers on Feb. 26, 2016. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletters, click here. This week the Senate launched hearings into the management troubles at the Department of Corrections that caused thousands of felons to be released early and may have caused the...
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February 25, 2016

Governor’s DOC report incomplete, senators say

OLYMPIA — Sens. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, and Steve O’Ban, R-Pierce County, said Thursday a new report from the governor’s office regarding the Department of Corrections sentencing fiasco ignores troubling indications of mismanagement at the highest level of the agency. The governor’s report, released while the Senate Law and Justice...
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