Tag Archives: DUIs

4th District town hall meeting to take place April 2

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers March 27, 2024. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

You are invited to attend a town hall meeting on Tuesday, April 2 to discuss the recently ended 2024 legislative session. The meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Gerald A. Scheele Training Room at the Spokane Conservation District Building, 4422 E. 8th Ave. in Spokane Valley.

During the one-hour meeting, key issues from the session will be discussed and questions taken. I hope you can attend. If you have questions, please contact my legislative assistant, Annalise, by calling our district office at 509-921-2460.

If you have questions about how to participate in state government this year or thoughts to share on anything in this e-newsletter, please give me a call or send me an email. 

Thank you, as always, for the honor of representing you in Olympia!

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Governor signs three Padden bills

In the nearly three weeks since the 2024 legislative session ended, Governor Inslee has been busy signing many bills passed by the Legislature. Three of them are measures that I introduced. More information about them is below. In addition, the governor is expected tomorrow to sign Senate Bill 5934, the pollinator habitat measure I sponsored at the suggestion of Girl Scout Julia Costello. 

Senate Bill 5792

Senate Bill 5792, signed March 15, will exclude buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than three stories high from the definition of “multiunit residential building” if one story is utilized for above- or below-ground parking or retail space. This bill builds on last year’s successful measure to have more housing options for Washington’s middle class. Condominiums provide an affordable path to homeownership for first-time homebuyers.   

During its public hearings this session, SB 5792 received positive testimony from Spokane Valley Mayor Pam Haley, Spokane Valley City Councilman Rod Higgins, Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson and an official with the Building Industry Association of Washington.

The law created last year by Senate Bill 5058, which I also prime-sponsored, exempts buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than two stories high from the definition of “multiunit residential building.”

Washington has one of the lower homeownership rates in the nation, and both last year’s law and this year’s new law can help our state address this problem. These smaller condominiums will still have the same building requirements of a townhouse or single-family house.

Senate Bill 5840

Senate Bill 5840 will simplify the process of leasing property – a change requested by the Real Property section of the Washington State Bar Association to bring Washington in line with other states. Washington is the rare state that requires commercial leases with terms longer than a year to be acknowledged before a notary. Many legal documents do not need to be notarized. By eliminating the notary, these transactions will be a little easier. SB 5840 was signed March 13.

Senate Bill 5920

Senate Bill 5920 allows the state Department of Health to have more psychiatric beds in Washington. This proposal reinstates authority for DOH until 2028 to grant certificate-of-need exemptions related to increasing psychiatric-bed capacity by allowing additional psychiatric beds or construction of a new psychiatric hospital.  

A couple of years ago, a company was deterred from building a psychiatric hospital in Spokane Valley due to the certificate-of-need process. It was built in California instead, which does not require a certificate of need. The federal government figured out long ago that certificates of need do not work; it repealed federal certificate-of-need requirements in 1987. The governor signed SB 5920 on March 18.

During the public hearings on SB 5920 this session, the Washington Policy Center’s Elizabeth Hovde testified in favor of the measure. “I’m thankful for this bill,” said Hovde. “It addresses a need for vulnerable people. Experts say a minimum of 50 public psychiatric beds are needed for every 100,000 people. Washington state fails to meet that standard by a longshot.” She added that the state had an average of 13.3 psychiatric beds per 100,000 people in 2023.

Governor signs impaired-driving bill that includes Padden policy

Yesterday the governor signed House Bill 1493, a measure to combat impaired driving that includes policy that I have proposed for several years. This new and overdue law is a major step toward making Washington roads and highways safer. It includes provisions that will keep more repeat impaired drivers off the road.   

An amendment approved by the Legislature added language from Senate Bill 5032, a measure that I introduced that would expand the period for reviewing prior convictions of impaired driving to 15 years, from the 10 years now in state law, when determining whether a new offense of impaired driving is charged as a felony.

The policy language from SB 5032 kept in HB 1493 will increase the penalty to a felony offense, rather than a gross misdemeanor, for any person who has three or more prior DUI offenses within that “lookback” period.

Adding the ‘lookback’ language to the new law will help keep additional repeat impaired-driving offenders off the roads. Washington has seen a significant increase in traffic deaths over the past few years. Drunken driving and drug-impaired driving, especially by repeat offenders, are two leading causes. The law created by House Bill 1493 will help remove the most dangerous drivers from our roads and highways and get them into treatment or they will be held accountable by the state criminal justice system. This bill provides balance, as it is strong on treatment while also being strong on accountability.

Many traffic fatalities in the state involve drivers who have had as many as eight DUI offenses, but the current 10-year lookback period is not long enough to allow the state to impose stronger punishment against such offenders.

Repeat impaired-driving offenders commit most of the vehicular homicides and vehicular assaults in Washington. We now have a new law to prevent those horrible and senseless crimes.

According to a recent Seattle Times story, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission predicts 2023 will surpass 800 traffic fatalities, the most the state has seen since 1990.

WTSC data shows there were 740 traffic deaths in the state in 2022 (the highest in over 30 years), including 389 fatalities involving drug- or alcohol-impaired driving. There were 674 traffic deaths in 2021, including 345 fatalities involving impaired driving. In 2020, Washington had 574 traffic fatalities, including 282 involving impaired driving.

King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Amy Freedheim testified in favor of HB 1493 last year.  “We are a facing a crisis in traffic safety. Fatalities are at numbers we have not seen in over two decades, and over 60 percent of them involve impairment. This bill closes many of the loopholes,” Freedheim said during her testimony.

Report: WA has highest burglary rate of any state

Our state’s bad reputation for crime gets worse. It’s bad enough that Washington ranks first nationally for auto thefts. But according to a story published two weeks ago, an analysis of FBI crime data by a Arizona-based law firm shows Washington has the highest burglary rate of any state in America. The analysis revealed our state had 548.4 burglaries per 100,000 residents, more than twice the national rate of 254.3.

The Legislature’s approval this session of Initiative 2113, which fully restores law enforcement’s ability to pursue suspects, should help reduce burglaries and other crimes, although our state’s lowest-in-the-nation number of law enforcement officers per capita makes it hard for law enforcement to get the upper hand in its ongoing battle with criminals. I-2113 takes effect June 6 this year.

West Valley High School teacher honored

Like some of you, I read the Spokesman-Review article last week about a West Valley High School teacher and adviser, Shanté Payne, who recently received an award: high school adviser of the year from the Northeast region of the Association of Washington Student Leaders. It’s always good to see local teachers and other educators being recognized for their good work. Congratulations to Shanté on this honor.

New government guide available

With the election of many new officeholders in various local government positions, there is a new 4th District Government Guide for districts residents to use. It includes names and contact information for officials at the federal, statewide, legislative and local government levels. It also provides other helpful information. If you would like to have a copy of the new government guide mailed to you, please contact my legislative assistant, Annalise Hemingway, at annalise.hemingway@leg.wa.gov or call her at our district office at 509-921-2460.

Copies of the updated government guide also will be available soon at these locations:

  • Millwood City Hall (9103 E Frederick Ave., Spokane)
  • Argonne Library (4322 N Argonne Road, Spokane)
  • Spokane Valley City Hall (10210 E Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley)
  • Spokane Valley Library (12004 E Main Ave., Spokane Valley)
  • Liberty Lake City Hall (22710 E Country Vista Drive, Liberty Lake)
  • Liberty Lake Library (23123 E Mission Ave., Liberty Lake)
  • Otis Orchards Library (22324 E Wellesley Ave., Otis Orchards)
  • Spokane Valley Senior Center (2426 N Discovery Place, Spokane Valley)

Contact us!

If you have a question or concern about state government, please do not hesitate to contact our office. During the session we are conducting business from our Senate office in Olympia. We are here to serve you!

Phone: (360) 786-7606

Olympia Office: 215 Legislative Modular Building, Olympia, WA 98504-0404

Email address: Mike.Padden@leg.wa.gov

PLEASE NOTE: Any email or documents you provide to this office may be subject to disclosure under RCW 42.56. If you would prefer to communicate by phone, please contact Sen. Padden’s Olympia office at (360) 786-7606.

To request public records from Sen. Padden, please contact Randi Stratton, the designated public records officer for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate members.

Governor signs impaired-driving bill that includes Padden policy

Amid Washington traffic fatalities reaching their highest point in over 30 years, Gov. Jay Inslee today signed House Bill 1493, a measure to combat impaired driving that includes policy proposed by 4th District Sen. Mike Padden for years.

The final version of HB 1493 was passed March 6 by the House on a 69-27 vote. The Senate approved it 49-0 on Feb. 29. The new law takes effect June 6.

“This new and overdue law is a major step toward making Washington roads and highways safer,” said Padden, Republican leader on the Senate Law and Justice Committee. “It includes provisions that will keep more repeat impaired drivers off the road.”

An amendment approved by the Senate added language from Senate Bill 5032, a measure introduced by Padden that would expand the period for reviewing prior convictions of impaired driving to 15 years, from the 10 years now in state law, when determining whether a new offense of impaired driving is charged as a felony.

The policy language from Padden’s SB 5032 kept in the bill signed today also would increase the penalty to a felony offense, rather than a gross misdemeanor, for any person who has three or more prior DUI offenses within that “lookback” period.

Adding the ‘lookback’ language to the new law will help keep additional repeat impaired-driving offenders off the roads, said Padden, R-Spokane Valley.

“Washington has seen a significant increase in traffic deaths over the past few years. Drunken driving and drug-impaired driving, especially by repeat offenders, are two leading causes. House Bill 1493 will help remove the most dangerous drivers from our roads and highways and get them into treatment or they will be held accountable by the state criminal justice system. This bill provides good balance, as it is strong on treatment while also being strong on accountability,” added Padden.

Padden said many traffic fatalities in the state involve drivers who have had as many as eight DUI offenses, but he noted the current 10-year lookback period is not long enough to allow the state to impose stronger punishment against such offenders.

“Repeat impaired-driving offenders commit most of the vehicular homicides and vehicular assaults in Washington. We now have a new law to prevent those horrible and senseless crimes,” said Padden, a former Spokane County district court judge.

According to a recent Seattle Times story, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission predicts 2023 will surpass 800 traffic fatalities, the most the state has seen since 1990.

WTSC data shows there were 740 traffic deaths in the state in 2022 (the highest in over 30 years), including 389 fatalities involving drug- or alcohol-impaired driving. There were 674 traffic deaths in 2021, including 345 fatalities involving impaired driving. In 2020, Washington had 574 traffic fatalities, including 282 involving impaired driving.

 

Legislature approves initiative restoring police pursuits, plus 2 other initiatives

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers March 7, 2024. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

This year’s 60-day legislative session is on track to end later today. During the past two days, the Legislature approved final versions of the state supplemental operating, capital and transportation budgets. These spending plans make adjustments to the original two-year budgets enacted by the Legislature last spring. There is more information about the three budgets later in this e-newsletter.

Last Monday, a very historic event happened when the Legislature passed three initiatives that were sent to us in January.

I-2113 – restoring police pursuits

The Senate voted 36-13 to pass Initiative 2113, which would fully restore the ability of Washington police officers to engage in vehicular pursuits. The House then approved it 77-20.

I-2113 is a major step toward making Washington communities safer and reversing the growing crime problem in Washington.

Among the many problems plaguing Washington now, crime is perhaps the greatest concern for citizens and communities. In fact, our state has reached a crisis point because of skyrocketing crime.

Thanks to state laws like the one passed by majority Democrats in 2021 that placed tight limits on when law-enforcement officers can engage in vehicle pursuits of suspects, criminals have become more emboldened. They are acting in a more brazen manner as they commit crimes. The result is many people throughout Washington have been victims of auto theft, retail theft, burglary and other property crimes. Making matters worse, many auto thieves use the stolen vehicles to smash into “pot shops” to steal cash, or use these cars as battering rams to break into other stores to steal merchandise.

Fortunately, once I-2113 goes into effect on June 6, law-enforcement officers will once again be able to pursue suspects instead of helplessly watching them drive away.

According to the Washington State Patrol, between 2014 and 2020 an average of 1,200 suspects per year fled from police. In 2022, after the pursuit standard was changed to probable cause, 3,100 suspects fled — an increase of more than 150%. Before the change in the pursuit law, the statewide record for stolen cars in a single year was 30,000. That record increased to nearly 47,000 stolen vehicles in 2022. Washington is now fourth in the U.S. for auto thefts per capita.

As I noted during my floor speech in favor of this initiative, it’s not only the owner of the vehicle that suffers, it’s the victims of all the crimes that are committed with these stolen vehicles. Some of these crimes have led to the deaths of our citizens.

Many sheriffs and police chiefs throughout Washington have voiced their frustration about the tighter pursuit restrictions, to little avail. Although the Legislature last year passed a law restoring some ability for law-enforcement officers to pursue suspects, it was still far short of the pre-2021 police-pursuit policy. It is good to see that the state’s police pursuit law will return to where it was thanks to I-2113.

Several articles were published by Spokane-area media outlets about the Legislature passing I-2113, including stories by the Washington State Standard/Spokane Radio, KXLY-TV , KHQ-TV and Seattle-based Crosscut.

The other two initiatives that were approved by the Legislature on Monday are:

  • Initiative 2081, which would give parents the right to review K-12 instructional materials and require parental notification of school-provided medical services. It was passed by the Senate 49-0. The House later approved it 82-15.
  • Initiative 2111, which would ban any state or local income tax in Washington. The Senate approved I-2111 on a 38-11 vote. The House then passed it 76-21.

I voted for all three measures. As is the case with I-2113, Initiative 2081 and Initiative 2111 will go into effect June 6.

If you have questions about how to participate in state government this year or thoughts to share on anything in this e-newsletter, please give me a call or send me an email.

Thank you, as always, for the honor of representing you in Olympia!

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Legislature takes no action on three other initiatives

The Olympics appear to the north during a recent sunny morning at the Capitol.

The other three initiatives sent to the Legislature this session will not be passed by the Legislature before we adjourn and go home. They are:

  • I-2109, which would repeal the state capital-gains income tax that was passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature in 2021.
  • I-2117, which would repeal the state’s costly climate policy that was enacted by majority Democrats in 2021 and took full effect early last year.
  • I-2124 , which would allow individuals to opt out of the mandatory payroll tax for the state-run long-term care program called “WA Cares.”

These three initiatives did not even receive public hearings this session, which was very disappointing. Had they reached the Senate floor for votes, I would have voted for each of them.

Since the Legislature did not pass these three initiatives this session, they automatically will be placed on the statewide ballot this fall for Washington voters to decide.

4th District projects funded in supplemental capital budget

The Legislature on Wednesday unanimously approved the compromise version of this year’s supplemental state capital budget. As was the case with the Senate version of the capital budget, this final version includes funding for several projects in the 4th District:

  • $975,000 to help with the recovery from last summer’s Oregon Road wildfire near the community of Elk, as well as the Gray fire near Medical Lake. The wildfire-recovery effort will be administered by the Spokane Conservation District.
  • $4.8 million to replace the boiler at the Kaiser Aluminum plant in Spokane Valley. This is about meeting state emission requirements, so this funding is a huge plus for Kaiser and its over 1,100 workers. Kaiser is matching the capital budget funds.
  • $2 million for Seven Nations Healing Lodge youth expansion.
  • $1 million for Broadway Senior Housing.
  • $300,000 in phase two funding for Spokane Scale House Market in Spokane Valley. The 2023-25 budget included $750,000 for Spokane Scale House Market, located at Spokane Conservation District.
  • $258,000 for a playground at The Intersection Preschool and Childcare on North McDonald Road.
  • $150,000 for the city of Spokane Valley Cross Country Course.
  • $32,000 for the West Valley Centennial Middle School baseball field’s fences and dugout.

It’s good to see taxpayers’ money coming back as investments in local projects.

Supplemental transportation budget includes 4th District projects

Earlier today, the Legislature passed this year’s state supplemental transportation budget. I voted for this budget, as it provides funding for several projects in the 4th District, including:

  • $24 million for improvements to Interstate 90 improvements to interchanges and nearby roads.
  • $10.4 million for Spokane Transit Authority’s Argonne Station park-and-ride.
  • $10.348 million for corridor design work on an Interstate 90 project between Sullivan Road and the Idaho state line.
  • $6 million for the Barker Road/Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad grade separation project.
  • $6 million for the Bigelow Gulch/Forker Road realignment project.
  • $5.8 million for the Millwood Trail project from Spokane Community College to Fancher Road. The overall plan is to eventually connect this new trail with the trail that starts just north of the West Valley High School sports fields in Millwood and then to the Centennial Trail.

Supplemental operating budget funds training for corrections officers

The Legislature today also approved the state supplemental operating budget. It provides funding to expand the state Corrections Academy so it can add additional classes. I’m working with state officials so that part of that funding can go to the new Spokane County Sheriff Regional Training Center, near Fairchild Air Force Base.

Legislature keeps Padden policy in bill passed to combat impaired driving

At a time when traffic deaths in Washington have reached their highest point in over 30 years, the Legislature took a major step toward addressing this serious problem last night by passing House Bill 1493, a measure that would combat impaired driving.

The passage of this bill is a major step toward making our roads and highways safer. It includes provisions that will keep more repeat impaired drivers off the road.   

HB 1493 includes policy that I have proposed the past four years. An amendment approved by the Senate last week added language from Senate Bill 5032, a measure that I introduced that would expand the period for reviewing prior convictions of impaired driving to 15 years, from the 10 years now in state law, when determining whether a new offense of impaired driving is charged as a felony.

The policy language from SB 5032 that is now part of HB 1493 also would increase the penalty to a felony offense, rather than a gross misdemeanor, for any person who has three or more prior DUI offenses within that “lookback” period.

Washington has seen a significant increase in traffic deaths over the past few years. Drunken driving and drug-impaired driving, especially by repeat offenders, are two leading causes. House Bill 1493 will help remove the most dangerous drivers from our roads and highways and get them into treatment or they will be held accountable by the state criminal justice system. This bill provides good balance, as it is strong on treatment while also being strong on accountability.

Many traffic fatalities in the state involve drivers who have had as many as eight DUI offenses, but the current 10-year lookback period is not long enough to allow the state to impose stronger punishment against such offenders.

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, there were 740 traffic deaths in the state in 2022 (the highest in over 30 years), including 389 fatalities involving drug- or alcohol-impaired driving. There were 674 traffic deaths in 2021, including 345 fatalities involving impaired driving. In 2020, Washington had 574 traffic fatalities, including 282 involving impaired driving.

The final version of the impaired driving measure, HB 1493, was passed last night by the House on a 69-27 vote. The Senate approved it 49-0 on February 29. It now goes to Governor Jay Inslee for final consideration.

Legislature OKs pollinator bill requested by Mount Spokane HS student

Last fall, Mount Spokane High School student Julia Costello approached me about helping her with part of her pollinator project, which she has been doing to earn a major Girl Scout award.

What began as her request became Senate Bill 5934, a bipartisan measure to promote the use of pollinator-friendly shrubs or bushes in landscaping. It was passed by the Legislature this week and now goes to the governor for final consideration.

Pollinators, including bees and butterflies, play a very important role in the pollination of crops, contributing to the production of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Seventy-five percent of the world’s food supply depends on pollinators. They play a vital role in sustaining agriculture.  Taking steps to protect and enhance pollinators is very important to both agriculture and the environment.

It was an honor to work with Julia on this bill and to help her as she works to finish requirements to earn the Gold Award, which is equivalent to earning the Eagle Scout award as a Boy Scout. One of Julia’s Gold Award requirements is working with a legislator on sponsoring a bill. Julia made a strong case why improving pollinators’ habitat is important and beneficial.  I’m pleased the Legislature has passed her bill.

Julia’s testimony in favor of the bill during its public hearing before the House Local Government Committee last month can be viewed here.  

Spokane Conservation District Director Vicki Carter sent a letter to Padden in January in support of the proposal. Part of Carter’s letter reads: “Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other insects, play a fundamental role in the pollination of crops, contributing to the production of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Their vital role in sustaining agriculture cannot be overstated, as approximately 75% of the world’s food crops depend on pollinators for successful reproduction. Therefore, taking steps to protect and enhance pollinator populations is essential for ensuring food security and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.”

Under the bill, a local government may encourage but need not require applicants for project or commercial-building permits to include pollinator-friendly plants in any landscaped area. 

Legislature OKs second Padden bill removing red tape from construction of smaller condominiums

For the second year in a row, the Legislature has unanimously approved a bill of mine that helps encourage home ownership in Washington by making it easier to construct smaller condominium buildings. It now goes to the governor.

Senate Bill 5792 would exclude buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than three stories high from the definition of “multiunit residential building” if one story is utilized for above- or below-ground parking or retail space.

This bill builds on last year’s efforts to have more housing options for Washington’s middle class. The law created last year by Senate Bill 5058 exempts buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than two stories high from the definition of “multiunit residential building.”

When SB 5792 received a public hearing in the House Housing Committee last month, Spokane Valley Mayor Pam Haley and an official with the Building Industry Association of Washington testified in favor of it. During its public hearing in the Senate Law and Justice Committee early this session, Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson and Spokane Valley City Council Deputy Mayor Rod Higgins testified in support of the bill.

Condominiums provide an affordable path to homeownership for first-time homebuyers. The combination of SB 5058 and this year’s new bill should result in more homeownership in our state. Washington has one of the lower homeownership rates in the nation, and both SB 5792 and last year’s condo-building law can help our state address this problem. These smaller condominiums would still have the same building requirements that a townhouse or single-family house would have. 

Farewell to ‘Team Padden’ this year

A big thank-you goes to my Senate office staff this session for all of its terrific work, especially in responding to constituents’ emails and phone calls. Earlier this week, we gathered at my Senate floor desk for a group photo. From left to right are legislative assistant Annalise Hemingway, session assistant Ethan Mettlin and session intern Vandee Pannkuk. Annalise will continue as my legislative assistant and will work in our 4th District office during the interim months.  

Starting Wednesday, March 13, we will be back in the district office. The phone number is 509-921-2460. The office address is 5105 E. Third Ave., Ste. 102, Spokane Valley, WA 99212.  

Contact us!

If you have a question or concern about state government, please do not hesitate to contact our office. During the session we are conducting business from our Senate office in Olympia. We are here to serve you!

Phone: (360) 786-7606

Olympia Office: 215 Legislative Modular Building, Olympia, WA 98504-0404

Email address: Mike.Padden@leg.wa.gov

PLEASE NOTE: Any email or documents you provide to this office may be subject to disclosure under RCW 42.56. If you would prefer to communicate by phone, please contact Sen. Padden’s Olympia office at (360) 786-7606.

To request public records from Sen. Padden, please contact Randi Stratton, the designated public records officer for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate members.

Legislature keeps Padden policy in bill passed to combat impaired driving

With traffic deaths in Washington reaching their highest point in over 30 years, 4th District Sen. Mike Padden applauded the Legislature’s passage of House Bill 1493, a measure that would combat impaired driving and includes policy he has proposed for years.

The final version of HB 1493 was passed tonight by the House on a 69-27 vote. The Senate approved it 49-0 on Feb. 29. It now goes to Gov. Jay Inslee for final consideration.

“The passage of this bill is a major step toward making our roads and highways safer,” said Padden, Republican leader on the Senate Law and Justice Committee. “It includes provisions that will keep more repeat impaired drivers off the road.”

An amendment approved by the Senate on Feb. 29 added language from Senate Bill 5032, a measure from Padden that would expand the period for reviewing prior convictions of impaired driving to 15 years, from the 10 years now in state law, when determining whether a new offense of impaired driving is charged as a felony.

The policy language from Padden’s SB 5032 kept in the bill passed today also would increase the penalty to a felony offense, rather than a gross misdemeanor, for any person who has three or more prior DUI offenses within that “lookback” period.

“I’m pleased that the ‘lookback’ language added to House Bill 1493 by the Senate stayed in the final version passed by the House today,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley.

“Washington has seen a significant increase in traffic deaths over the past few years. Drunken driving and drug-impaired driving, especially by repeat offenders, are two leading causes. House Bill 1493, as passed by the Legislature, will help remove the most dangerous drivers from our roads and highways and get them into treatment or they will be held accountable by the state criminal justice system. This bill provides good balance, as it is strong on treatment while also being strong on accountability,” added Padden.

Padden said many traffic fatalities in the state involve drivers who have had as many as eight DUI offenses, but he noted the current 10-year lookback period is not long enough to allow the state to impose stronger punishment against such offenders.

“Repeat impaired-driving offenders commit most of the vehicular homicides and vehicular assaults in Washington. The Legislature now has passed a bill to prevent those horrible and senseless crimes,” said Padden, a former Spokane County district court judge.

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, there were 740 traffic deaths in the state in 2022 (the highest in over 30 years), including 389 fatalities involving drug- or alcohol-impaired driving. There were 674 traffic deaths in 2021, including 345 fatalities involving impaired driving. In 2020, Washington had 574 traffic fatalities, including 282 involving impaired driving.

For fourth straight year, Senate passes Padden bill to combat impaired driving

With traffic deaths in Washington reaching their highest point in over 30 years, the Senate today again approved an anti-impaired driving bill sponsored by 4th District Sen. Mike Padden. It is the fourth straight year the Senate has passed such a measure.

Senate Bill 5032, which was passed 43-5, would expand the period for reviewing prior convictions of impaired driving to 15 years, from the 10 years now in state law, when determining whether a new offense of impaired driving is charged as a felony. The proposal would increase the penalty from a gross misdemeanor to a felony offense for any person who has three or more prior DUI offenses within that “lookback” period.

“Washington has seen a significant increase in traffic deaths over the past few years. Drunk driving and drug-impaired driving, especially by repeat offenders, are two leading causes,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley. “This bill tries to remove the most dangerous drivers from our roads and highways and into treatment or being accountable by the state criminal justice system.”

During his floor speech in support of the bill, Padden said it tries to address a crisis on Washington roads and highways.

“So many repeat impaired offenders are the ones who have vehicular homicides, vehicular assaults, and they are causing havoc on our roadways for innocent victims,” Padden told senators. “The numbers have gone up so much, especially on the alcohol/drug combination impaired driving. In 2023, there were over 800 deaths on Washington roadways.

“This bill has a good balance – strong on treatment but also strong on accountability,” added Padden.

Before the Senate approved SB 5032, Padden successfully added a floor amendment that permits a person who participates in a deferred prosecution for a first gross misdemeanor driving under the influence (DUI) or physical control of a vehicle under the influence (PC) charge to participate in a second deferred prosecution on a person’s next DUI under very strict sideboards.

Noting how tomorrow is Groundhog Day, Padden said the response to his bill is reminiscent of the motion picture “Groundhog Day,” in which the lead character repeatedly relives the same day.

“In 2021, the Senate approves the bill – and the House lets it die. In 2022, and again this past year, the Senate approves the bill – and the House lets it die. We’ve seen this movie enough, and it’s doing nothing to make Washington safer.”

Padden, the Republican leader on the Senate Law and Justice Committee, said many traffic fatalities in the state involve drivers who have had as many as eight DUI offenses, but the current 10-year lookback period is not long enough to allow the state to impose stronger punishment against such offenders.

“Repeat impaired-driving offenders commit most of the vehicular homicides and vehicular assaults in Washington. This bill tries to prevent those horrible and senseless crimes,” said Padden, a former Spokane County district court judge. SB 5032 would give offenders a chance to undergo a highly structured treatment program, he added.

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, there were 740 traffic deaths in the state in 2022 (the highest in over 30 years), including 389 fatalities involving drug- or alcohol-impaired driving. There were 674 traffic deaths in 2021, including 345 fatalities involving impaired driving. In 2020, Washington had 574 traffic fatalities, including 282 involving impaired driving.

Senate Democrats pass two bills that limit gun rights

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers April 13, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

The rights of law-abiding Washingtonians to buy and use firearms took another step backward late last week when the Democrat-run Senate passed two measures, both requested by Gov. Inslee, that will restrict this constitutionally protected right. No Republicans supported either bill.

On Friday, the Senate voted 28-18 to pass House Bill 1143, which would prohibit someone from buying a firearm from a dealer unless the buyer has passed a background check and has completed a firearm-safety training program.

Then on Saturday, after hours of debates and votes on nearly 20 Republican-sponsored amendments (all defeated by the majority Democrats), the Senate voted 27-21 to approve House Bill 1240, which would ban the sale or purchase in our state of modern sporting rifles.

Under HB 1240, exceptions are included for those who now own or someday inherit such a firearm. Violating the proposed law would be a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.

Several of my Republican colleagues gave powerful and impassioned speeches about why HB 1240 should not be passed. Two speeches that stood out were by 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler and 10th District Sen. Ron Muzzall. (Click on their names to watch parts of their speeches.)

Read this Tacoma News Tribune story to see a list of the roughly 60 specific firearms that would be banned under HB 1240 and where the bill goes next.

What is especially frustrating and inconsistent about the Democrats’ approach to what they call “gun violence” is that they vote to approve proposals that deny freedom-loving people of their right to have certain guns, then turn around and pass a bill that would decriminalize the illegal use of firearms for repeat offenders. If the Legislature really cares about gun violence, legislators need to make sure that crimes committed with a firearm receive sufficient punishment. Decriminalizing their illegal actions is the wrong approach. It likely will lead to more crime in the future.         

In the days leading up to the two votes on the Senate floor, my office received 1,336 emails on HB 1143 and 1,652 emails on HB 1240. Many of these emails addressed both bills. Of all of these emails, only 100 or so were in favor of the two proposals. To those 4th District residents who took the time to call or email me about these two bills, thank you! I appreciate how you care about this important right.

Because the Senate amended both bills before passing them, the House of Representatives must vote to “concur” (agree) with those changes before they can be sent to the governor. 

If and when the governor signs these bills, I expect lawsuits will be filed against both proposals. It is very possible that they will be found unconstitutional.  

This newsletter covers several other issues and events happening in Olympia in this past week.

If you have questions about how to participate in state government this year or thoughts to share on anything in this e-newsletter, please give me a call or send me an email.

Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving as your state senator!

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Updated 4th District government guide now available

Every year or two, our office produces and mails a 4th District government guide to residents of our legislative district. With the help of my staff, we recently produced and sent out an updated government guide that includes helpful contact information on your local, state and federal government elected officials, as well as other government services. The online version of the new government guide can be found here.

If you did not receive the new government guide and would like a printed copy, please contact my legislative assistant, Irina, in our Olympia office by either calling at 360-786-7606 or emailing her at irina.dolbinina@leg.wa.gov.

Legislature passes bill expanding eligibility for property-tax exemption

Throughout this session, other lawmakers and I have called for the Legislature to provide tax relief for Washingtonians. While there won’t be any widespread tax relief this year, there is some modest good news to share.

The Legislature has approved a proposal that would make more people eligible to qualify for property-tax relief. House Bill 1355 would increase the income limit to qualify for existing property-tax exemptions. Under the bill, homeowners can get an exemption on their property taxes if they are at least 61 years old, unable to work because of a disability or meet one of several other qualifications. Applicants also must make less than their county’s income limit for the program. More information about this proposal can be found here.  

The Senate passed HB 1355 47-0 last Friday. The House approved it 96-0 in March. The measure now goes to the governor.

Senate passes flawed housing bill

On Tuesday, the Senate passed House Bill 1110, which would require certain cities planning under the state’s Growth Management Act to authorize minimum development densities on lots zoned predominately for residential use. I voted against it. This is an issue that should be addressed by locals, not the state. This legislation takes away local control on land-use decisions from the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and Millwood. It gives the decision-making power to Olympia. You can watch my floor speech opposing HB 1110 by clicking here. Because the Senate amended HB 1110 before approving it, the proposal must return to the House for concurrence.

Padden bills update

Yesterday was “floor cutoff,” the final day for the full Senate to approve bills passed by the House earlier this session and for the full House to pass bills approved by the Senate. Three of my bills – plus a fourth bill that has been folded into a House proposal – are still alive after this key deadline. Sunday, April 23 is the last scheduled day of this year’s legislative session.

SB 5096 would aid businesses looking to adopt an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) corporate structure. This bipartisan proposal is on the House second-reading calendar. Because the proposal is considered necessary to implement the budget, it was exempt from yesterday’s floor cutoff.   

SB 5218 would make the sale of motorized wheelchairs and other mobility-improving equipment tax-exempt. This bill is scheduled for passage by the House Finance Committee tomorrow morning following a public hearing. Like, SB 5096, SB 5218 was exempt from this week’s floor cutoff deadline because it is considered necessary to implement the budget.

SB 5058 would help encourage home ownership in our state by making it easier for smaller condominium buildings to be constructed. It specifically would exempt buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than two stories from the definition of multiunit residential building. The bill was passed 97-0 by the House yesterday. Because the House did not amend it, the bill now goes to the governor.

HB 1493 deals with drunk driving. Even though it is a House proposal, it now includes language from SB 5032, my bipartisan proposal that would expand the period for reviewing prior convictions of impaired driving to 15 years, from the 10 years now in state law, when determining whether a new offense of impaired driving is charged as a felony. Under the proposal, any person who has three or more prior DUI offenses within that 15-year lookback period would face a felony, rather than the current penalty of a gross misdemeanor. SB 5032 would give offenders a chance to undergo a highly structured treatment program. The Senate passed HB 1493 on a 48-0 vote Tuesday. You can watch my floor speech in favor of HB 1493 by clicking here. Because the Senate amended it, the bill returns to the House for “concurrence.”   

Abortion-pill stockpile proposal receives Senate hearing

A pro-abortion bill that was introduced only last week is being fast-tracked by Senate Democrats toward passage by the Legislature this session.

Senate Bill 5768 received a public hearing Monday in the Senate Ways and Committee, which passed the bill on a party-line vote yesterday. The proposal would allow the Department of Corrections to stockpile and distribute doses of the abortion pill Mifepristone. If and when SB 5768 reaches the Senate floor, I will vote against it. This proposal is part of an effort by Governor Inslee and some Democrats to turn Washington into an abortion destination state.

The SB 5768 hearing and vote came days after Gov. Inslee announced that he was stockpiling 30,000 doses of Mifepristone in case U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of Texas blocked federal Food and Drug Administration approval of the abortion-causing drug. The Texas judge issued a decision last Friday to block this abortion-causing drug. Later on the same day, U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice from eastern Washington’s federal court issued an order prohibiting the FDA from pulling access to the drug. The issue over Mifepristone is likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.     

Otis Orchards student serves as page

Brigitte Peterson (above), a sophomore at Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame, is serving as a Senate page this week. Brigitte, 15, is the daughter of Vincent and Amanda Peterson of Otis Orchards. She enjoys volleyball, softball, golf, skiing and playing the piano. Although Brigitte lives in the 4th District, 6th District Sen. Jeff Holy of Cheney was kind enough to sponsor her because I had already reached my quota of page sponsorships for this session.   

Session update video created for 4th District Slavic-speaking population

In recent years, the Slavic-speaking population in the 4th Legislative District has grown substantially, as immigrants from Russia and Ukraine have settled in our area. Just as I did a few years ago, I recently shot a video that is for our district’s Slavic-speaking population. The video is meant to welcome our Slavic-speaking neighbors and provide them with an update on the legislative session, including the Senate resolution that honors Ukrainian Americans. It also provides information on how to take English-as-a-second-language (ESL) classes at Spokane Community College. Special thanks to my legislative assistant, Irina Dolbinina, who is featured in the video translating what I say into the Russian language, which is very similar to the Ukrainian language. The video can be viewed by clicking here.  

Contact us!

If you have a question or concern about state government, please do not hesitate to contact our office. During the session we are conducting business from our Senate office in Olympia. We are here to serve you!

Phone: (360) 786-7606

Olympia Office: 215 Legislative Modular Building, Olympia, WA 98504-0404

Email address: Mike.Padden@leg.wa.gov

PLEASE NOTE: Any email or documents you provide to this office may be subject to disclosure under RCW 42.56. If you would prefer to communicate by phone, please contact Sen. Padden’s Olympia office at (360) 786-7606.

To request public records from Sen. Padden, please contact Randi Stratton, the designated public records officer for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate members.

Senate unanimously passes Padden bill providing tax exemption for mobility equipment

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers April 6, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

Someone suffering from multiple sclerosis, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) or some similar ailment often must rely on motorized wheelchairs or other high-tech equipment to have the mobility to continue living independent lives. Unfortunately, such equipment can cost $30,000 or more, making it hard to afford.

The Senate recently passed a bill I sponsored that would make it easier for people to purchase this expensive mobility-improving equipment.  

The Senate last Friday voted 48-0 in favor of Senate Bill 5218, which would make the sale of motorized wheelchairs and other mobility-improving equipment tax-exempt. Removing the sales tax from motorized wheelchairs or other technological equipment will help those needing them to save money while also helping maintain their independence.   

We received written testimony in favor of the bill from Steve Gleason, the former Gonzaga Prep, Washington State University and New Orleans Saints football player who contracted amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Steve indicated how important this legislation would be, not only for those who have ALS or MS but those who need what I would call high-tech wheelchairs that can do so much and can cost $30,000 and up. The sales-tax portion is a large amount of money for this equipment. Steve pointed out that if people have this equipment, they are less likely to go into hospitals and require more expensive medical care.

The proposal states that to claim the sales-tax exemption, the purchaser must provide the seller with an exemption certificate as prescribed by the state Department of Revenue. The tax exemption would apply to mobility-enhancing equipment sold or used on or after Aug. 1, 2023. 

SB 5218 has been sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

You can hear a radio story created by Senate Republican Caucus broadcast information officer Tracy Ellis about the Senate passing this bill.

This newsletter covers several other issues and events happening in Olympia in this past week.

If you have questions about how to participate in state government this year or thoughts to share on anything in this e-newsletter, please give me a call or send me an email.

Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving as your state senator!

Happy Easter! 

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Update on other Padden bills

After devoting much of our time the past three weeks to committee meetings in which public hearings were held on bills passed by the House, we are once again spending hours each day on the Senate floor to debate and vote on bills (mostly House proposals) that are still alive this session. The House is doing the same thing with bills passed earlier this session by the Senate.

Here is an update on my proposals that are still alive:

Senate Bill 5032, which would combat impaired driving, is no longer moving forward this session. But the bill’s language was amended last week onto another drunk-driving measure, House Bill 1493. SB 5032 would expand the period for reviewing prior convictions of impaired driving to 15 years, from the 10 years now in state law, when determining whether a new offense of impaired driving is charged as a felony. Under the proposal, any person who has three or more prior DUI offenses within that 15-year lookback period would face a felony, rather than the current penalty of a gross misdemeanor. Furthermore, SB 5032 would give offenders a chance to undergo a highly structured treatment program.

The Senate Transportation Committee passed HB 1493 on Tuesday, so now it is in the Senate Rules Committee, which acts as a final hurdle for bills to reach the Senate floor.  Earlier this week, the Tacoma News Tribune published my guest editorial explaining why SB 5032 is important and how that language is now part of HB 1493.    

Senate Bill 5058 would help encourage home ownership in our state by making it easier for smaller condominium buildings to be constructed. It specifically would exempt buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than two stories from the definition of multiunit residential building. SB 5058 is in the House Rules Committee, so it is close to reaching the floor for a full vote by the House.

Senate Bill 5096 would aid businesses looking to adopt an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) corporate structure. The bill was passed Monday by the House Appropriations Committee, so it is expected to reach the House Rules Committee soon.

Next Wednesday, April 12, is the “floor cutoff” for the Senate to pass House bills. This year’s legislative session is scheduled to end Sunday, April 23.

Inslee uses tax money to buy over $1 million in abortion-causing pills

Governor Inslee’s plan to make Washington an “abortion destination state” took another disappointing step forward this week when he announced that the Department of Corrections, under his orders, purchased a three-supply (30,000 doses) of the abortion-causing drug mifepristone. DOC seems like the wrong agency for such, but it has a pharmacy license. Inslee also revealed that the University of Washington provided an additional 10,000 pills of this abortion-causing drug, bringing the state’s supply to 40,000 pills. Inslee said it cost the state $1,275,000 to buy the 30,000 pills.

I’m very disappointed that the governor has spent well over $1 million in public money (in other words, tax dollars) to buy such a large supply of abortion-causing drugs as part of his scheme to make Washington a destination state for women from other states to come here to receive an abortion. What about the unborn child?

And the thing is, he decided to make this expensive purchase all because a judge in Texas recently heard arguments in a court case that could force the federal Food and Drug Administration to rescind its approval of mifepristone. The Texas judge has not even issued a ruling, and yet Inslee has taken it upon himself to spend your tax dollars on a possible future event.

You can read KOMO-TV’s story about the abortion-pill mass purchase here.   

During his news conference Tuesday announcing the pill purchase, Inslee shared that Democrats have introduced legislation – Senate Bill 5768 and House Bill 1854  – to authorize DOC to distribute or sell mifepristone to licensed health-care providers in our state. According to the KOMO story, medical abortions count for more than half of all abortions in the U.S. and nearly 60% of abortions in our state.

I am opposed to these proposals.

Senate passes its version of transportation budget

North-South Freeway construction.

On Wednesday, the Senate passed its own version of the 2023-25 state transportation budget. The vote was 42-6. The Senate Transportation Committee, on which I serve, had approved the Senate transportation budget (Senate Bill 5162) on Monday.

The Senate’s plan includes funding for these road or highway projects found in or near the 4th District:

  • US 395 (North Spokane Freeway)
  • I-90 corridor improvements in Spokane area
  • I-90 corridor from Spokane to Idaho state line (design)
  • I-90 interchange improvements from Barker to Harvard
  • Barker Road/Trent Avenue grade separation
  • Spokane Transit Authority – Interstate 90/Valley HPT corridor infrastructure
  • Spokane Transit Authority – Argonne Station Park and Ride
  • Spokane Transit Authority – Sprague Line High Performance Transit improvements
  • Move Ahead Washington – Millwood Trail pedestrian and bike project

More information about the Senate transportation budget can be found here.

The House passed its transportation budget 96-1 on Monday. Now that the Senate has approved its version of the transportation budget, transportation-budget leaders from the two chambers will meet to negotiate a final version of the state transportation budget for the Senate and House to vote on near the end of our session.

Updated 4th District government guide now available

Every year or two, our office produces and mails a 4th District government guide to residents of our legislative district. With the help of my staff, we recently produced and sent out an updated government guide that includes helpful contact information on your local, state and federal government elected officials, as well as other government services. The online version of the new government guide can be found here.

If you did not receive the new government guide and would like a printed copy, please contact my legislative assistant, Irina, in our Olympia office by either calling at 360-786-7606 or emailing her at irina.dolbinina@leg.wa.gov.

Gonzaga Prep student serves as Senate page

It has been my pleasure to sponsor Gonzaga Prep freshman Jack Hamsher (above) as a Senate page this week. Jack is the son of Scott and Jennifer Hamsher of Spokane Valley. He is involved in several school activities, including Chess Club, Debate Club, Math Club and the Asian American and Pacific Islander affinity group. I thank all of the pages I sponsored this year for taking time away from their families, their schools and their friends to work in the Senate for a week. I hope they enjoyed their experience in Olympia, learned about how the Legislature works and made new friends.     

Recent radio and TV interviews

During the past several days, I was asked to do various radio or TV interviews about different bills before the Legislature.

On Tuesday morning, I did a live interview with KXLY Radio’s Dave Spencer. We discussed the state operating-budget proposals, including funding for yet another study on the Snake River dams; my bill recently signed by the governor that increases penalties for jail guards who sexually assault those in their custody; and my bill making motorized wheelchairs and other mobility-enhancing equipment tax-exempt. You can hear the interview here.  

Last Friday afternoon, I did a phone interview with KREM-TV’s Amanda Rowley for a story the station ran on House Bill 1240, which would ban semiautomatic firearms in our state. You can watch the story here.   

Finally, last Thursday, I was interviewed for a story by KING-TV in Seattle about the governor signing Senate Bill 5033, which imposes harsher penalties for sexually abusive jail and prison guards. You can view that story here.      

Contact us!

If you have a question or concern about state government, please do not hesitate to contact our office. During the session we are conducting business from our Senate office in Olympia. We are here to serve you!

Phone: (360) 786-7606

Olympia Office: 215 Legislative Modular Building, Olympia, WA 98504-0404

Email address: Mike.Padden@leg.wa.gov

PLEASE NOTE: Any email or documents you provide to this office may be subject to disclosure under RCW 42.56. If you would prefer to communicate by phone, please contact Sen. Padden’s Olympia office at (360) 786-7606.

To request public records from Sen. Padden, please contact Randi Stratton, the designated public records officer for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate members.

Governor signs Padden bill raising penalties for sexually abusive jail guards

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers March 30, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

I am pleased that my public safety bill that imposes longer sentences on sexually abusive jail and prison guards was signed today by Governor Inslee after being unanimously approved by both the Senate and House this session.

The law created by Senate Bill 5033 reclassifies the crime of first-degree custodial sexual misconduct (in which the corrections officer has sexually assaulted the victim), now a Class C felony, to a Class B felony with a seriousness level of VII. That calls for an initial sentence of 15 to 20 months and a high-end sentence between 7.25 years and 9.6 years. The new law, which will take effect in late July, also reclassifies second-degree custodial sexual misconduct (in which the corrections officer has sexual contact with the victim) from a gross misdemeanor to a Class C felony with a seriousness level of V, which would bring a sentencing range of six to 12 months for those with the lowest offender score and a range of six to eight years for offenders with the highest offender score. The grid is based on the criminal history and the serious level of the crime.

Senator Padden and others join Governor Inslee as he signs Senate Bill 5033 today.

Officers who work in jails and state correctional facilities are part of the law-enforcement community just as much as the officers who patrol our communities and investigate crimes. Like all the people we entrust to administer justice, corrections officers must be held to a high standard, especially considering the unique level of authority they have over people in custody.

SB 5033 was inspired by a KING-TV investigation about a Clallam County jail guard, John Gray, who served just over a year in prison after sexually assaulting four women.

When the bill was being considered by the Senate Law and Justice Committee early this session, it was named “Kimberly Bender’s law,” in honor of the 23-year-old Quileute woman who died by suicide in her Forks jail cell in 2019 after reporting to city officials that Gray sexually harassed her. Bender’s mother, Dawn Reid, asked me to name the bill after her daughter.

Gray was convicted in 2021 of two felony and two misdemeanor counts of custodial sexual misconduct and served 13 months of his 20-month sentence.

This newsletter covers several other issues and events happening in Olympia in this past week.

If you have questions about how to participate in state government this year or thoughts to share on anything in this e-newsletter, please give me a call or send me an email.

Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving as your state senator!

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Senate passes flawed operating budget

Another key point of this year’s legislative session was reached when the Senate yesterday voted 40-9 to pass its new state operating budget for the upcoming 2023-25 biennium, which begins July 1.

While the Senate’s spending plan has some positive qualities, including funding to combat drunk driving and funding for two of my bills – Senate Bill 5218 and Senate Bill 5096 – I voted “no” on the budget for a number of reasons. Here are three important ones.

The first is because this budget provides $15 million over the next two years for abortion care, including more than $730,000 for “outreach, patient navigation, and staffing” at the Department of Health. This large amount of money is for the governor’s program to bring women to Washington from states that have abortion restrictions. It is incredibly wrong to use taxpayer dollars to make Washington an “abortion destination state.”

One of the lower Snake River dams in southeastern Washington.

Second, the Senate operating budget includes $500,000 in one-time funding for yet another study involving the four lower Snake River dams. This study, to be conducted by the state Department of Ecology, would look at the actions needed to “continue water use for irrigation during drawdown related to potential lower Snake River dam removal and thereafter of a natural flowing river.” These duplicative studies are a waste of taxpayer dollars. I share the strong belief of many eastern Washington legislators and eastern Washington’s congressional delegation that the four Snake River dams in our state should not be breached.

My third reason for opposing this budget is because it does not provide property-tax relief. Many Washingtonians are being taxed out of their homes, and some property tax relief, which the state can afford, would greatly help many homeowners. When Sen. Lynda Wilson, the ranking Republican on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, unveiled her Republican budget proposal two years ago, her plan included property-tax relief. It’s unfortunate this year’s Senate budget won’t provide it.

More information about the Senate operating budget, Senate Bill 5187.

House Democrats released their own operating budget plan on Monday. The House is expected to vote on its own two-year spending plan sometime next week.

Despite Republican opposition, Senate committee passes bills that would weaken Second Amendment rights

This legislative session, a few Democrat-sponsored bills aiming to erode Second Amendment rights have made their way through the Legislature. On Tuesday, the Senate Law and Justice Committee passed two of these measures, despite strong opposition by my Republican colleagues and myself.

One of the proposals, House Bill 1240, would ban the sale or purchase in our state of modern sporting rifles, or “assault weapons,” as Democrats prefer to call them. The measure was passed along party lines. Before that vote was taken, other Republicans and I offered 17 amendments to improve the bill or limit its negative impact, but all were defeated. Like many others, I oppose this bill because it would ban the purchase of some of the most commonly owned and lawfully possessed sporting firearms, including some shotguns and pistols. Many people possess semiautomatic firearms for self-defense, and certainly for hunting. If it becomes law, this proposal will be challenged in court and likely will be ruled unconstitutional.

The other gun measure passed by the committee’s Democratic majority is House Bill 1143, which would prohibit an individual from buying a firearm from a dealer until the buyer has passed a background check and has completed a firearm-safety training program. As opponents argued during testimony before the committee, this bill would restrict access to firearms and won’t address the root causes of crimes committed by individuals with a firearm. It infringes on the rights of Washingtonians to own a firearm. My Republican colleagues and I offered six amendments, but all were rejected.

When the two bills received public hearings in the Law and Justice Committee, a large number of people testified against them, with 37 speaking against HB 1143 and 107 against HB 1240. Both bills likely are now headed to the floor for a full Senate vote.

DUI ‘lookback’ proposal still moving, as part of other drunk-driving proposal

Earlier this session, the Senate voted 48-1 to pass Senate Bill 5032, my proposal to help combat drunk driving.

SB 5032 would expand the period for reviewing prior convictions of impaired driving to 15 years, from the 10 years now in state law, when determining whether a new offense of impaired driving is charged as a felony. Under the proposal, any person who has three or more prior DUI offenses within that 15-year lookback period would face a felony, rather than the current penalty of a gross misdemeanor. Furthermore, SB 5032 would give offenders a chance to undergo a highly structured treatment program.

Our state has seen too many accidents and fatalities caused by drunk and drug-impaired drivers, especially repeat offenders. This bill could help reduce traffic deaths.

While it would have been preferable to pass SB 5032 as a stand-alone measure, I’m pleased that it is continuing to move forward this year as part of another proposal to combat drunk driving.

The Senate Law and Justice Committee recently passed House Bill 1493, which would make several changes to the state’s impaired-driving laws. Before doing so, the committee incorporated the SB 5032 language. The good policy in SB 5032 remains alive as part of HB 1493.

Concerns over land-use bill in Senate

One of the many House bills still being considered by the Senate this session is House Bill 1110, which would require certain cities planning under the state’s Growth Management Act to authorize minimum development densities on lots zoned predominately for residential use.

If HB 1110 reaches the Senate floor, I will vote against it. There are a few reasons why I have concerns with this bill. This is an issue that should be addressed by locals, not the state. This legislation takes away local control on land-use decisions from the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and Millwood. It gives the decision-making power to Olympia. The folks in Olympia are not elected and do not have the same values as 4th Legislative District citizens.

The proposal was passed last week by the Senate Housing Committee and is scheduled to receive a public hearing tomorrow in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Ridgeline students visit Olympia

On Monday, I enjoyed meeting with members of Ridgeline High School’s Robotics Club during their visit to the Capitol. They were a bright group of students who have promising futures ahead of them.

Contact us!

If you have a question or concern about state government, please do not hesitate to contact our office. During the session we are conducting business from our Senate office in Olympia. We are here to serve you!

Phone: (360) 786-7606

Olympia Office: 215 Legislative Modular Building, Olympia, WA 98504-0404

Email address: Mike.Padden@leg.wa.gov

PLEASE NOTE: Any email or documents you provide to this office may be subject to disclosure under RCW 42.56. If you would prefer to communicate by phone, please contact Sen. Padden’s Olympia office at (360) 786-7606.

To request public records from Sen. Padden, please contact Randi Stratton, the designated public records officer for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate members.

Bills passed by Senate don’t go far enough to combat drugs, allow police to pursue suspects

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers March 10, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

The Senate just passed a milestone for the 2023 legislative session. Wednesday was the “floor cutoff,” the last day for the Senate to vote on Senate bills, except measures that are considered necessary for the upcoming state operating, capital and transportation budgets.

With the “floor cutoff” behind us, the Senate has returned its focus to committee meetings, this time to hold public hearings on bills passed by the House. Meanwhile, House committees are holding public hearings on legislation approved by the Senate. The 105-day legislative session is scheduled to end April 23.

During the final days before the floor cutoff, the Senate passed two bills that try to address significant public safety issues. However, both measures failed to significantly improve public safety.

The first of these two measures is Senate Bill 5536. This proposal is the latest attempt to address a problem created by a controversial ruling by our state Supreme Court two years ago.

On February 25, 2021, the Supreme Court in State v. Blake ruled Washington’s felony drug-possession statute was unconstitutional because it criminalized possession even when a person did not knowingly have drugs.

The Blake ruling basically decriminalized drug possession or drug use. As you can guess, this decision by the Supreme Court caught the Legislature’s attention two years ago. Two months after the Blake ruling, the Democrat majorities in the 2021 Legislature passed Senate Bill 5476. Every Senate Republican opposed the bill on final passage, along with a couple of Democrats. This law reduced the criminal penalty for possessing an illegal drug like fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine from a felony to a misdemeanor. The language in the legislation prevented even the misdemeanor from being prosecuted.

The action taken by the Legislature two years ago in response to Blake did not work. Plus, the law created by SB 5476 expires this year, so the Legislature needs to take new action on drug possession this session or hard drugs will be legal rather than just effectively legal.

Last Friday night, the Senate voted 28-21 to pass Senate Bill 5536, which aims to provide a solution to the state’s drug laws after the Blake ruling. The bill declares that possession of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine would be charged as a gross misdemeanor after three diversions.

I was among the 21 senators (some were Republicans, others were Democrats) who voted against the proposal. This bill does not go far enough to provide the leverage needed to help people get off dangerous drugs. It’s disappointing that the Senate did not restore making possession of fentanyl and other hard drugs a felony, as it was before the Supreme Court upended our state’s drug laws in the Blake decision two years ago. The threat of a longer sentence is a needed motivation for drug offenders to undergo treatment. We need a balance between accountability and treatment that this legislation doesn’t achieve.

In recent years, our state has endured a startling increase in drug-overdose deaths, and two-thirds of these deaths involve fentanyl. Law enforcement in our state has pointed out the importance of tougher penalties for drug possession in order to incentivize drug users to get the treatment they need to hopefully become clean. I’m concerned that we are missing the chance to create a true ‘carrot-and-stick’ approach to combat drug use in Washington.

While Senate Bill 5536 is an improvement over the inadequate drug-possession law passed in 2021, it does not go far enough to make meaningful and needed changes to our state’s drug laws.

SB 5536 now goes to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

The second public safety measure passed by the Senate that I opposed is Senate Bill 5352, a proposal that deals with vehicle pursuits of suspects by law-enforcement officers. The Senate passed SB 5352 on a 26-23 vote. There were 16 Democrats and 10 Republicans who voted for it, while 13 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted against it.

SB 5352 fails to sufficiently fix the problem created two years ago. It is, however, a vehicle for the Legislature to address the inability of law enforcement to pursue criminals.

The Democratic majorities in the Legislature changed state law in 2021 to limit the ability of officers to pursue suspects. Before the change, officers needed “reasonable suspicion” to initiate a vehicle pursuit of suspects. The new law only allows such vehicle pursuits based on “probable cause.” As a result, officers have been forced to watch criminals drive off. It also has emboldened criminals to commit other crimes and victimize others and resulted in a loss of lives.

According to the Washington State Patrol, between 2014 and 2020 an average of 1,200 suspects per year fled from police. In 2022, after the pursuit standard was changed to probable cause, 3,100 suspects fled — an increase of more than 150%. Before the change in this law, the statewide record for stolen cars in a single year was 30,000. That climbed to nearly 47,000 stolen vehicles in 2022.

Under SB 5352 as approved by the Senate Wednesday, a vehicle pursuit can occur if there is reasonable suspicion, but only for suspicion of violent offenses, sex offenses, vehicular assault offenses, assault in the first-to-fourth degree involving domestic violence, an escape or a driving-under-the-influence offense.

During floor debate on the measure, I offered a floor amendment that would have permitted an officer to engage in a vehicle pursuit if the officer has reasonable suspicion a person inside the vehicle has committed or is committing theft of a motor vehicle. We are fourth in the U.S. for auto thefts per capita. The amendment was defeated along party lines 29-20.

This newsletter covers other issues and events happening in Olympia in this past week.

If you have questions about how to participate in state government this year or thoughts to share on anything in this e-newsletter, please give me a call or send me an email.

Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving as your state senator!

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Senate passes ‘DUI lookback’ bill for third straight year

For third year in a row, the Senate has passed legislation of mine that aims to decrease impaired driving.

Senate Bill 5032 , which was approved 48-1 on Wednesday, would expand the period for reviewing prior convictions of impaired driving to 15 years, from the 10 years now in state law, when determining whether a new offense of impaired driving is charged as a felony. The proposal would increase the penalty from a gross misdemeanor to a felony offense for any person who has three or more prior DUI offenses within that “lookback” period.

Our state has seen an alarming increase in traffic deaths over the past few years, and drunk driving and drug-impaired driving are two leading causes.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reported that road deaths in our state reached a 20-year high in 2021. There were 670 traffic deaths in 2021, including 272 fatalities involving drug-impaired driving and 155 deaths involving alcohol-impaired driving. In 2020, Washington had 574 traffic fatalities, including 214 involving drug-impaired driving and 135 involving alcohol-impaired driving.

The commission has a current preliminary estimate of 745 traffic fatalities in 2022. No 2022 figures on traffic deaths involving drug- or alcohol-impaired driving are available yet.

This bill would help get the most dangerous drivers off the road and into treatment. Our state has seen too many accidents and fatalities caused by drunk and drug-impaired drivers, especially repeat offenders. This bill could help reverse this tragic trend.

Many traffic fatalities in the state involve drivers who have had as many as eight DUI offenses, but the current 10-year lookback period is not long enough to allow the state to impose stronger punishment against such offenders.

Repeat impaired-driving offenders commit most of the vehicular homicides and vehicular assaults in Washington. This is a bill to try to prevent those horrible, senseless crimes.

SB 5032 would give offenders a chance to undergo a highly structured treatment program.

SB 5032 now goes to the House of Representatives for more consideration.

A similar proposal that I introduced, Senate Bill 5054, was passed by the Senate during the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions, including unanimous approval last year. The bill later died in the House both years.

Custodial sexual misconduct bill receives House hearing

Sen. Padden talks to members of the House Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee during his testimony on Senate Bill 5033. 

Senate Bill 5033, a bipartisan measure that I introduced that would impose longer sentences on sexually abusive jail and prison guards, received a public hearing yesterday in the House Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee.

This proposal would reclassify the crime of first-degree custodial sexual misconduct as a Class B felony, allowing a prison term of 10 years instead of the current five-year maximum.

Officers who work in our state’s correctional facilities are part of the law-enforcement community. Like all the other officers who serve the public, corrections officers must be held to a high standard, especially when you consider the unique level of authority they have over people in custody. Senate Bill 5033 would increase the punishment for corrections officers who sexually assault or abuse inmates in the course of their jobs.

The bill was inspired by a KING-TV investigation about a Clallam County jail guard, John Gray, who was convicted in 2021 of two felony and two misdemeanor counts of custodial sexual misconduct and served 13 months of his 20-month sentence.

Just as she did when SB 5033 received a hearing in the Senate Law and Justice Committee earlier this session, Dawn Reid testified in favor of the proposal during its House hearing. Reid is the mother of Kimberly Bender, a 23-year-old Quileute woman who died by suicide in her Forks jail cell in 2019 after reporting to city officials that Gray harassed her.

March 29 is the last day for House policy committees to pass Senate bills.

Chart reveals operating budget growth

As Democratic budget writers prepare to unveil a two-year state operating budget proposal in a few weeks, it is worth seeing how much the operating budget has grown in recent years. As this chart shows, the budget has experienced a 108% spending increase since 2015 if you factor in Governor Inslee’s $70.4 billion proposed budget.         

Contact us!

If you have a question or concern about state government, please do not hesitate to contact our office. During the session we are conducting business from our Senate office in Olympia. We are here to serve you!

Phone: (360) 786-7606

Olympia Office: 215 Legislative Modular Building, Olympia, WA 98504-0404

Email address: Mike.Padden@leg.wa.gov

PLEASE NOTE: Any email or documents you provide to this office may be subject to disclosure under RCW 42.56. If you would prefer to communicate by phone, please contact Sen. Padden’s Olympia office at (360) 786-7606.

To request public records from Sen. Padden, please contact Randi Stratton, the designated public records officer for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate members.