Tag Archives: gas prices

The bell rings — 60-day legislative session starts today

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers January 8, 2024. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

This year’s legislative session begins today and is scheduled to last 60 days, ending March 7. Today will be highlighted with the traditional opening-day ceremonies in the Senate chamber. Tomorrow the Senate and House of Representatives will meet in a joint session in the House chamber to hear Governor Inslee’s final state of the state address. 

Once these events are over, the Senate will focus much of its time on committee meetings. Each bill is referred to a committee, where it may receive a public hearing and possibly a vote – steps that are typically determined by the committee chair. The Senate will be in “committee mode” for most of the next month, though occasionally we will meet on the floor of the Senate chamber to debate and vote on bills sent forward by the committees. A solid run of these floor sessions will follow the initial round of committee work. 

Veteran state government reporter Jim Camden wrote this column for the Spokesman-Review that explains how to keep tabs on the session. Jim’s column includes one of my favorite quotes: “No man’s life, liberty or property is safe when the Legislature is in session.”

The Inlander also ran a session preview story over the weekend.

The Legislative Building, where the Senate and House chambers are located.

Here are several resources to help you follow this year’s session 

  • My legislative website|Here you will find my news releases and clips, newsletters, bills, contact information, biography, and other information. 
  • The 4th District Government Guide| In this resource book, you will find the phone numbers, email addresses and offices of city, county, state and federal officials who represent you. 
  • The Capitol Buzz| A daily recap of the top online news stories. Click the link to subscribe. 
  • TVW| You may watch live broadcasts of floor and committee action online. 
  • Legislature’s website| Bill reports, committee agendas, and information about upcoming activities in the Legislature are here. 
  • State agencies| This website is where you may find all the state agencies, boards, and commissions. 
  • Washington Votes| The Washington Policy Center’s vote-tracking website. 

To Track Legislation 

  1. Go to leg.wa.gov  
  1. On the left-hand panel, click “Bill Information.”  
  1. If you know the bill number, enter it in the search field and click enter. 
  1. Don’t have a bill number? Under the section “Standard Reports” you’ll find alternative tracking tools. You may search based on topic, within a specific biennium, and more. 

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

Meet Team Padden for 2024 session 

I’m happy to introduce my legislative staff for this year’s session. My legislative assistant, Annalise Hemingway (right), joined the office last spring. My session aide this year is Ethan Mettlin (middle). Ethan has returned to my office for this year’s session after interning for me last year. Vandee Pannkuk (left) is my session intern this year. Vandee, an Onalaska native, attends Washington State University and is studying political science and criminal justice. 

Reporters challenge Inslee over gas prices at legislative preview 

In recent years it has seemed like many reporters, whether they are part of the Capitol Press Corps that cover state government or part of the Seattle media, have been hesitant to challenge Governor Inslee on issues when it’s apparent that he is wrong or misleading the public.  

But in recent months, more members of the media have confronted the governor over how the state’s cap-and-trade program has led to higher gas prices in Washington over the past year. That willingness by the media to go after Inslee was on full display during this past Thursday’s legislative-session preview held on the Capitol campus.  

After Inslee began his portion of the meeting by touting what he considers to be his accomplishments as governor entering what will be his last year in that office, some of the assembled media members took aim at him over a report published this week by the Washington Policy Center’s Todd Myers that showed Inslee knew long ago that a tax on carbon emissions would significantly increase gas prices.  

The Myers piece noted that the governor’s chief policy advisor at the time told members of the Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee in 2014 that a “High Carbon Price” scenario with a “CO2 price of $52 per metric ton (MT) – almost identical to the state’s current CO2 price – would increase gas prices by 44 cents per gallon.”  

The publication of this report allowed reporters to ask Inslee about it Thursday. As you might guess, the governor was not inclined to agree with Myers’ assertion.  

Brandi Kruse, a former reporter for Seattle’s KIRO radio and KCPQ-TV who now hosts the “Undivided” political podcast, asked Inslee pointed questions over gas prices that appeared to make the governor uncomfortable.    

You may watch the governor’s interactions with reporters at the 3-hour, 4-minute mark of TVW’s coverage. It definitely is worth viewing. 

The Center Square has an interesting article about Myers’ report and the defiant response by Inslee’s  spokesman. KIRO Radio in Seattle published the transcript of a long and sometimes contentious interview with the governor last Friday in which KIRO reporters were not willing to let Inslee off the hook over higher gas prices.

Padden introduces bills to “ditch the switch,” tackle fentanyl crisis 

Senator Padden asks a question during a committee meeting.

In the weeks leading up to this year’s legislative session, many lawmakers “prefiled” bills that will be formally introduced now that it’s opening day. Among the several bills I filed before today are proposals aiming to make our roads and highways safer, reduce fentanyl’s terrible impact in our state and finally end the twice-yearly switch between daylight saving time and standard time:  

  • Senate Bill 5791 calls for the Washington State Patrol to establish a pilot program to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of oral fluid roadside information used as part of the enforcement of impaired-driving laws. The measure is already scheduled for a public hearing tomorrow at 4 p.m. in the Senate Transportation Committee. 
  • Senate Bill 5795 would allow Washington to “ditch the switch” and keep the state on standard time year-round. If there is one issue most people agree on, it’s the dislike of moving their clocks from standard time to daylight saving time in the spring and then back to standard time in the fall. This bill would keep our state on standard time permanently. The proposal has not been sent to a committee yet, but it likely will go to the Senate State Government and Elections Committee. 
  • Senate Bill 5929 would make reckless endangerment with fentanyl a Class B Felony. Children are dying throughout our state as fentanyl use has increased dramatically. Late last month, information was released that fentanyl deaths in King County topped 1,050 last year, surpassing an all-time record. The bill is expected to be sent to the Senate Law and Justice Committee for consideration.

Two other proposals I’m introducing this session are:

  • Senate Bill 5792 would expand on a new state law passed last session that makes it easier for small condominium buildings to be constructed. That new law, which I introduced, specifically exempts buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than two stories from the definition of a “multiunit” residential building. The 2024 bill would allow the construction of such condo buildings to include a third level for parking or retail stores.
  • Senate Bill 6026 would protect the rights of parents and guardians by using students’ given names in public schools.

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.

 

Let’s “ditch the switch!” and have year-round standard time in Washington

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers November 20, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

In November, Americans in nearly every state were forced to adjust to the annual switch from daylight saving time back to standard time.

If there is one issue most people agree on, it’s the dislike of moving their clocks from standard time to daylight saving time in the spring and then back to standard time in the fall. It confuses and annoys many people, and it causes health problems for some. That’s why state Sen. Kim Thatcher of Oregon and I are working together to see if our respective legislatures will agree to keep our states’ clocks on standard time year-round. We will each introduce legislation to do so in our upcoming legislative sessions.

In 2019, I supported the passage of a state law in Washington calling for year-round daylight saving time. However, that law will not take effect until the federal government approves the same change.

In 2022, I co-sponsored Senate Bill 5511, a bipartisan measure that would have exempted Washington from observing daylight saving time until the state could move to Pacific Daylight Time year-round. SB 5511 was not approved by the Senate.

Sen. Thatcher and I have contacted legislators in California, Idaho and Nevada to see if they also will introduce year-round standard-time bills in those states. 

Arizona and Hawaii are the only states on permanent standard time. Because Congress has already decided states may be on permanent standard time if they choose, Oregon and Washington would not need the federal government to pass a bill authorizing the two states to be on year-round standard time.

Since Sen. Thatcher and I two weeks ago announced our plans to introduce legislation to switch our states to year-round standard time, there have been several news stories about this popular issue, including reports by KPBX Radio in Spokane, The Center Square  and KING-TV in Seattle. Click here to hear my interview with KONA Radio, in the Tri-Cities.

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!

Here’s wishing you and everyone else a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Crime, drug problems still plaguing Washington

Over the past few years, crime has worsened in Washington, whether it is violent crime, retail theft, auto theft or other offenses. Much of the rising crime in our state can be blamed on laws passed by our Democratic majorities in the Legislature, including the disastrous 2021 laws that restricted law-enforcement officers from pursuing suspects and weakened penalties for hard-drug possession down to a misdemeanor.  

Two weeks ago, Axios in Seattle posted a story saying that Washington’s violent crime rate continues to increase. According to the article, there were 375.6 reported violent crimes for every 100,000 people in Washington last year, compared to 380.7 violent crimes per 100,000 people nationally, according to the FBI’s data. The story also noted that Washington’s violent crime rate was about 1% below the U.S. rate in 2022. That is a significant rise from 2012, when the state’s violent crime rate was about 23% below the national rate.

I recently did a seven-minute live phone interview with Portland-based talk-show host Lars Larson, whose show is carried throughout the Northwest. We discussed the current crime problem in Washington, and how it is fueled partly by the ongoing restrictions on law-enforcement officers to pursue suspects, as well as the continuing problem with hard drugs, especially fentanyl.

Although our Legislature last session passed a bill that slightly increased the penalty for serious drug possession from a misdemeanor to what is essentially a hybrid between a misdemeanor and a gross misdemeanor, that will not be enough to persuade drug offenders to seek needed treatment. The threat of felony punishment would be a stronger tool to convince offenders to go into treatment.  

Speaking at Veterans Day event

On November 11, I had the honor of joining other elected officials and local veterans at the Veterans Day event at Pines Cemetery, hosted by American Legion Post 241. During the ceremony, I spoke to the gathering about the importance of honoring America’s veterans for their service to our nation, and recent laws passed by the Legislature that help veterans. Thanks to all of our veterans!

Addressing Liberty Lake City Council about condo legislation

On November 8, I attended the Liberty Lake City Council meeting and told councilors there about my  legislation for next session that would expand on a new state law passed last session that makes it easier for small condominium buildings to be constructed. That new law, which I introduced, specifically exempts buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than two stories from the definition of a “multiunit” residential building. The 2024 bill would allow the construction of such condo buildings to include a third level for parking or retail stores.

Partnering with California, Quebec on a carbon market coalition?!

Early this month, the state Department of Ecology announced it is considering joining a carbon market coalition with California and the Canadian province of Quebec.

Soon after DOE announced this news, KHQ-TV in Spokane did a Zoom interview with me on this topic. I pointed out how such a move could increase carbon costs, which in turn could raise gasoline prices yet again. People are very worried making ends meet, and another gas-price hike will really hurt their wallets. You can watch that news story, including the interview, here.

Contact us!

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

Phone: (509) 921-2460

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.

Pain at the pump grows

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers September 12, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

Throughout this year, drivers around our state have been forced to pay much more for gasoline than in nearly every other state, with the notable exception of California. The cause for the higher gas prices is the cap-and-trade program, fully implemented on January 1 through the Climate Commitment Act that was requested by Governor Inslee and passed a couple of years ago by Democratic majorities in the Legislature.

Unfortunately, we should expect gas prices to rise yet again. 

On August 30, the state Department of Ecology held its latest quarterly carbon auction under cap-and-trade. The cost of the “allowances” at that auction is expected to eventually drive the cumulative gas-price hike associated with cap-and-trade to over 51 cents a gallon.

According to AAA’s state-by-state gas price averages, Washington’s average gas price yesterday was $5.066 a gallon, roughly 30 cents a gallon more than the two next most expensive states (Hawaii at $4.784 and Oregon at $4.720) and only behind California, which tops gas prices nationally at $5.439.

It isn’t surprising that our state’s high gas prices have pushed many drivers across the border to buy cheaper gas in Idaho, which hurts retailers in Spokane County and other border counties.

Governor Inslee has encouraged the higher gas prices to happen. Besides pushing for cap-and-trade two years ago, Inslee has done nothing to reduce the higher gas prices; instead, he demonizes oil companies for passing along the higher costs to consumers. The governor has rejected proposed solutions by Republican legislators to lower gas prices. Meanwhile, low-income people, whom the governor claims to care about, have been hit especially hard since they typically must devote a larger portion of their income toward gas and transportation because of where they live, especially those in rural areas.   

Since carbon auctions authorized by the state’s cap-and-trade program began this year, nearly $1.5 billion has been collected – money taken from hard-working Washingtonians for programs that will make environmentalists happy but very likely will NOT reduce carbon emissions or improve the climate.

My colleague, Senator Curtis King of Yakima and the lead Republican on the Senate Transportation Committee, issued a news release last week that criticized the most recent carbon auction and the cap-and-trade program in general.

In his news release, Senator King said: “Governor Inslee’s policy is trying to impoverish Washingtonians into changing their driving behavior by making them stop driving gas-powered cars, and at the same time attempting to make it more expensive for many people to heat their homes because cap-and-trade will raise natural-gas prices as well. This program championed by our governor is being unnecessarily cruel to many people in our state by causing fuel and heating prices to soar.”

While drivers in most states see gas prices below $4 a gallon, drivers in our state are being forced to pay at least $5 a gallon thanks to the cap-and-trade program (California, which also has a cap-and-trade program, is the other state with gas over $5). Gas prices are bound to become higher thanks to this very expensive program, which won’t do a thing to reduce global carbon emissions.

Todd Myers, the Washington Policy Center’s environmental analyst, recently wrote a column  that also was critical of the latest carbon auction and its impact on gas prices. Part of Todd’s piece is especially noteworthy:

Washington’s climate law needs a significant overhaul, because even Ecology’s low projections show costs increasing through 2030. Two things should be done in the near term.

First, waive the state’s CO2 target and cap prices at California’s price. Our extremely aggressive 2030 target is a big driver in the excessive price. No amount of fiddling with the system or special auctions will make costs reasonable as long as the cap is so extreme.

Second, we should remove any restrictions on private CO2-reduction projects, sometimes called “carbon offsets.” Ecology’s own analysis shows we could reduce the same amount of CO2 for lower cost by allowing innovators to find alternative ways to cut emissions. Even as the environmental community attacks carbon offsets, they support spending government money on projects that are literally identical. For example, Washington’s taxpayer-funded Clean Energy Fund offers grants to projects like carbon capture to reduce atmospheric CO2. However, if a successful carbon-capture technology was actually created, state law would prohibit it from being used to meet requirements of the CCA. Fund a technology, then ban it. It is absurd.

Elected officials should encourage all CO2-reducing innovation in order to meet the state’s climate goals at an affordable price. The Governor and legislators don’t want that, however, because although allowing innovative approaches to cut emissions would help meet Washington’s CO2 targets, the money for those projects doesn’t go to the state. It is clear that the Governor is prioritizing increased taxes over reducing CO2 efficiently.

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

Spokane Conservation District provides post-fire assistance on Oregon Fire

If you or any of your neighbors were affected by the recent Oregon Fire in northern Spokane County, the Spokane Conservation District is providing post-fire technical assistance. You can learn more or request fire assistance by going here. 

The conservation district provided this information about post-fire assistance in its latest e-newsletter: 

Spokane Conservation District is here to provide support and resources to landowners in Spokane County who have been impacted by the devastating Oregon Rd. fire and Gray fire. Our team of specialists will come to your property and conduct a thorough assessment, providing informed recommendations based on your goals for the property. Additionally, we will also inform landowners of current programs that may provide financial assistance for necessary actions.

Bridge event in Liberty Lake

Senator Padden (second from left) sits with Central Valley School District Superintendent John Parker (left), Spokane Valley Fire Department Chief Frank Soto Jr. (second from right) and Liberty Lake Mayor Cris Kaminskas (right) during Saturday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the new Lud Kramer Bridge.

Last Saturday morning, I was one of the speakers at the ribbon-cutting event for the new Lud Kramer Bridge, located in Liberty Lake. Other speakers included Liberty Lake Mayor Cris Kaminskas, Central Valley School District Superintendent John Parker, Spokane Valley Fire Department Chief Frank Soto Jr., Washington State Department of Transportation Regional Administrator Todd Trepanier and Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce President Lance Beck. The event was sponsored by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The new bridge will help provide congestion relief for Liberty Lake. Students will have easier access to Selkirk Middle School, as well as the new Ridgeline High School that opened a few years ago. This project also will benefit the community’s police and fire departments. For example, Spokane Valley Fire Station 3 is located on the south side of the bridge and can now respond more quickly to calls to the north of I-90.

Thanks go to several people for their hard work to make the new bridge a reality, especially former Liberty Lake Mayor Steve Peterson, former state Department of Transportation Eastern Region Director Mike Gribner and current Liberty Lake Mayor Cris Kaminskas. The project was a partnership between the state Department of Transportation and the City of Liberty Lake.

With the new bridge in the background, Senator Padden speaks during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new span.

Work began in October 2021 on the crossing, which is named after Lud Kramer, a former Washington secretary of state who later settled in Liberty Lake. The bridge will create an additional north/south connection between Country Vista Drive and Mission Avenue. This will alleviate traffic from needing to use Harvard Road over I-90 or Barker Road.

The funding for the bridge project – nearly $9 million – was through the state Connecting Washington transportation funding package passed by the Legislature in 2015. An additional $4.1 million was provided by the City of Liberty Lake for the project. Included in that $4.1 million was a small contribution by Spokane County.

This project was part of the overall Barker to Harvard project which included:

  • Roundabouts at the on/off-ramps at Barker Road and I-90.
  • Widening the Harvard Bridge over I-90 in Liberty Lake to add a exit only lane for NB travel to WB I-90. This project also extended both westbound I-90 on-ramps to allow longer merge lanes.

Other recent events and meetings

A train locomotive that is part of the Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad was seen during the Harvest Rail Tour.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have attended other meetings or events in the 4th Legislative District or elsewhere in our state. Here is a partial recap of legislative events I attended:

  • Harvest Rail Tour: On September 5, I joined several legislators from both sides of the state in Cheney for the annual Harvest Rail Tour, organized by the HighLine Grain Growers. The tour of the Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad began with the grain growers showing us the Four Lakes Shuttle Loading Facility, followed by a five-mile ride on Washington Eastern Railroad engines. The legislative group later went to Davenport to see rail realignment and loading facility improvements, followed by a meeting at Spokane International Airport. During the tour, legislators learned about how the rail line contributes to job growth in the region, including additional jobs at the Louisiana Pacific facility.
  • Legislative Police Academy: On September 7-8, I was in Tacoma for the Legislator Police Academy, hosted by the National Conference on State Legislatures. On the first day of the event, attendees, including legislators from nine states, heard speeches by my colleague, Senator John Lovick, a former Washington State Patrol trooper and former Snohomish County sheriff; and Monica Alexander, executive director of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Later last Thursday, two NCSL staff members shared legislative trends, followed by a legislative roundtable discussion.

Contact us!

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

Phone: (509) 921-2460

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.

Despite stable state coffers, Democrats want to create ‘wealth tax’

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers March 16, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

The 2023 legislative session is now in its 10th week, with five weeks to go. April 23 is the scheduled last day.

As the Legislature approaches the home stretch of this year’s session, there is still plenty of work ahead. At the top of the to-do list are passing new two-year state operating, capital and transportation budgets.

Democrat  budget writers are expected to unveil their operating budget proposal late next week, just days after the next state revenue forecast is released. House Democrat budget writers likely will release their spending plan a few days later after the Senate budget comes out.

One big question leading up to next week’s operating budget rollout is whether the Democrats will propose new or higher taxes. The most recent state revenue forecast, released last November, revealed that state revenues are expected to increase by $545 million for the 2021-23 biennium (which ends June 30) and $684 million for the 2023-25 budget cycle. In terms of total dollars, it showed the state with $60.779 billion in revenue for the current biennium and $62.966 billion for the 2023-25 biennium. There is no need for any new taxes.   

A recent example is the capital-gains/state income-tax proposal that was passed by majority Democrats and signed by Governor Inslee in 2021. (That tax was ruled unconstitutional in March 2022. An appeal of the ruling is before the state Supreme Court, which heard arguments in the case in late January. There is no word on when the court will issue its ruling.)

Although our state has plenty of money in its coffers, that apparently is not enough to satisfy some legislators. A new and notable example is Senate Bill 5486, which was introduced by 36th District Sen. Noel Frame, a Seattle Democrat. SB 5486 would establish what some call a “wealth tax” – a 1 percent tax on “financial intangible assets” in excess of $250 million.

Republicans oppose this bill because the sponsors clearly want to create another way to take away money from people, even though the state already has enough money. Instead of continually trying to target those in a particular income bracket, the bill’s sponsors should focus on getting the most out of existing tax dollars and making state government more efficient.

The Democrats’ wealth-tax bill received a public hearing last week in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Because it is a bill that is considered “necessary to implement the budget,” SB 5486 has been exempted from any of the deadlines for Senate bills to be passed.

Many people testified either in favor of or in opposition of SB 5486. The testimony of two people who testified against the bill, anti-tax activist Tim Eyman and Association of Washington Business official Emily Shay, made good points on why the bill should not be approved by the Legislature. You can watch their testimony here.     

Other Republicans and I will continue to fight this unnecessary and harmful proposal and try to prevent it from being approved.

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

Bill targeting catalytic-converter thefts receives Senate hearing

The fastest-growing crime problem in Washington in the past couple of years is catalytic-converter thefts. Catalytic converters use elements like platinum to make vehicle exhaust less harmful, and this crime has skyrocketed over the past two years as precious-metal prices have increased. Thieves can crawl under a car and saw a catalytic converter out of an exhaust system in minutes – or less – which leaves the vehicle owner in a real bind.

About 4,000 catalytic-converter thefts were reported in Washington in 2021, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, ranking the state third in the U.S. Preliminary figures for 2022 put our state on pace to match or surpass that figure.

On Tuesday, the Senate Law and Justice Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 5740, which aims to deter catalytic-converter thefts. One of my colleagues, 19th District Sen. Jeff Wilson of Longview, is the bill’s prime sponsor, and I’m a co-sponsor.

SB 5740 would target the crime rings behind our state’s fastest-growing crime by going after those who purchase stolen catalytic converters in order to recycle them for their valuable precious-metal content.

Under this proposal, those who purchase catalytic converters removed from vehicles must:

  • Obtain a valid license as a scrap dealer or an auto wrecker.
  • Post it on display at their place of business.
  • Keep meticulous records of each transaction, including a photocopy of the seller’s driver license.
  • Promptly report any transaction to police that appears to be suspicious.

Anyone purchasing five or more catalytic converters without a license would be guilty of a Class B felony, trafficking in catalytic converters, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison. Purchase of four or fewer would be a Class C felony.

SB 5740 is exempt from last week’s floor cutoff for Senate bills to be passed by the Senate because it is considered necessary to implement the operating budget.  There still is work to be done on this bill.

Padden bills update

Sen. Padden testifying on one of his bills earlier this session. 

Two of the bills that I introduced earlier this session have seen action in House committees this week.

On Tuesday I testified before the House Innovation, Community and Economic Development, and Veterans Committee in favor of my Senate Bill 5096, which would aid businesses looking to adopt an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) corporate structure. This bill promotes employee ownership, which is good, not only for our employees but for society. Studies have shown that employee-owners are happier, they stay in their job longer and they retire in a much better financial position. Also, employee-owned companies are more likely to stay locally. Additionally, this bill would help those businesses looking to adopt an ESOP. Bryan Richter of Schweitzer Engineering testified in support of the bill. The committee has scheduled a vote on SB 5096 tomorrow morning.  

This morning the House Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 5033, a bipartisan measure that would impose longer sentences on sexually abusive jail and prison guards. The bill 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 considering the unique level of authority they have over people in custody. SB 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.

Changes with Senate office staff

An e-newsletter in January shared a photo of my Senate office staff for this year’s session. The office staff recently underwent some changes. Scott Staley, my legislative assistant earlier this session, recently left this position for personal reasons, and we will miss him very much. Irina Dolbinina, who began the year as my session aide, is now my legislative assistant for the remainder of the session. Ethan Mettlin, who served as my session intern, will be the session aide through the end of April.   

Expect higher fuel prices following state’s first carbon auction

When the Democrat majorities in the Legislature passed the so-called “Climate Commitment Act” two years ago, supporters of the law contended that the “cap-and-trade” program it created would not be very costly to fuel companies or consumers. Now it looks like they will be wrong.

Earlier this month, the state Department of Ecology announced the results from the state’s first carbon-allowance auction, which was mandated by the CCA. The recent auction is the first of a series of quarterly auctions under the law. The estimate in 2021 was that carbon “allowances” under the cap-and-trade program would cost $22.78 per metric ton of carbon. But the recent auction showed these allowances costing $48.50, more than double the cost some had predicted.

The $48.50 allowance would translate to 39 cents per gallon for gasoline and 47 cents a gallon for diesel. Although the advocates for the Climate Commitment Act might argue that oil companies would absorb these extra costs, that is not realistic. It’s much more likely that any additional costs somehow will be passed on to consumers, who already have faced high fuel prices over the past year or two.

Photos with visitors this week

On Wednesday, I had meetings with several people in my office to discuss various issues before the Legislature this session. The top photo shows me with officials with the Washington Auto Dealers Association (from left to right are Anthony Brock, Kristin Goffand Mario Wierzchowski). The bottom photo shows me with Sarah Davenport-Smith from Human Life of Washington.

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.