Tag Archives: Oregon Sen. Kim Thatcher

Western Legislative Coalition Announces Multi-State Effort for Standard Time

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho formed a working group to propose legislation in respective states to make the Pacific Standard Time permanent.

In Washington, Senate Bill 5795, introduced by Senator Mike Padden, received a public hearing on Tuesday in the Senate State Government and Elections Committee.

“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,” said Padden of Spokane Valley. “There have been scientific studies connecting several health problems with switching back and forth between standard time and daylight saving time, including greater risks of heart attacks and more frequent workplace injuries. This bill would allow Washington to finally ‘ditch the switch’ by keeping us on standard time permanently.”

Oregon state Senator Kim Thatcher of Keizer will introduce SB 1548 when Oregon’s legislative session starts on Feb. 4.

“Oregonians have long-expressed their desire to stop changing the clock,” said Thatcher. “Some prefer daylight saving time over standard time, and many don’t care which – they just want to stop changing the clock. Since daylight saving time is just not possible without congressional approval, and after waiting five years for Congress to approve a DST bill that passed here in Oregon in 2019, standard time has become a common-sense choice for 2024 and doesn’t need approval from Congress. Research also shows standard time is the healthier choice! I’m grateful to have the privilege of working with our surrounding states as they, too, introduce bills to ditch the switch!”

In California, Assemblyman Tri Ta of Westminster has introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 1776 and is awaiting a committee hearing. “California voters are tired of disruptive time changes that have outlived their usefulness,” said Ta. “I am honored to join this multi-state coalition, and I know that this will make a difference to promote the health of the people of California and across the American West.”

The principal co-author of AB 1776, Senator Roger Niello of Fair Oaks, shared, “I am glad to be collaborating with representatives of multiple states to make standard time permanent.” He continued, “Different legislative processes and timelines can be challenging, but we are all working together to make Pacific Standard Time permanent so that our constituents can avoid the disruptive process of adjusting their clocks twice a year and adapting to the time change.”

“In Idaho our standard time bill has been drafted as RS30948 and will move to the House State Affairs Committee within the next 10 days, where we are confident of its passage,” said Idaho state Representative Joe Alfieri of Coeur d’Alene.

Here is the current list of representatives that are part of the working group to make the standard time permanent:

California

Senator Roger Niello

Assemblyman Tri Ta

Idaho

Representative Joe Alfieri

Oregon (Note: The Oregon Legislature begins its 2024 session on Feb. 4.)

Senator Kim Thatcher

Washington

Senator Mike Padden

 

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.