Mike Padden

Today the House Judiciary Committee heard public testimony on a bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden aimed at increasing the independence of the state’s administrative-law judges by reducing opportunities for them to be pressured or punished by state-agency heads. “It’s so important for the public to have confidence in the...

Legislative Update: Key bills gain bipartisan support Yesterday’s ‘house of origin” voting deadline means that several bills have died for the session, but this is a good thing. The deadlines we put in place help to prioritize bills that have statewide significance and broad appeal. They also help identify bills...

Today the Senate approved Senate Bill 5363, which would prohibit government’s use of its eminent-domain power for economic development. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden, passed the Senate by a vote of 30-19 and now heads to the House of Representatives for its consideration. The term “eminent domain” refers...

Wednesday, March 11 is the deadline for both the Senate and House to pass their own bills – or they are off the table for the session. Budget-related bills may be considered until the end of the session. At this point in the session, several of the measures I introduced...

Sen. Mike Padden’s bill to help cities and towns protect their taxpayers from the cost of nuisance abatement was passed by the Senate today by a vote of 40-9 and now heads to the House of Representatives. “In January, Spokane Valley City Manager Mike Jackson and City Attorney Cary Driskell...

On Monday the Senate unanimously approved a bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden aimed at making it easier for law enforcement to obtain blood samples for forensic testing in criminal investigations – especially those concerning DUI offenses. “In some jurisdictions there is up to a five-hour delay in acquiring an...

No man is an island, and no Senator can fully serve the people of his district without a great staff. We are fortunate to have a tremendous team serving the Fourth District in the state Senate. Pictured above, my Legislative Assistant Mike McCliment, Intern Tyler Sherwin and Session Aide Esther...

Last year there was a furor when it appeared the staff of the Office of Insurance Commissioner leaned on a judge in order to obtain favorable decisions. This rather troubling situation was possible because the judge in question, Patricia Petersen, was employed by the Insurance Commissioner’s office. But here’s the...

Today the Senate approved a bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden aimed at increasing the independence of the state’s administrative-law judges by limiting the ability of state-agency heads to add undue pressure or retribution during administrative hearings. “I was a district court judge for 12 years,” said Padden, who chairs...