Tag Archives: Senate Bill 5795

Democrats refusing to act on six voter initiatives sent to Legislature

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers February 1, 2024. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

It is looking more and more likely that the six initiatives now before the Legislature will wind up going before Washington voters this November.

In late December, petitions containing more than the required number of valid voter signatures for the six measures were delivered to the Office of Secretary of State’s Elections Division, which then conducted a standard signature-check process.

Sponsors said each of the six initiatives had at least 424,896 signatures, well over the minimum of 324,516 signatures needed to be certified, and more than the recommended total of 405,000. According to the initiatives’ sponsors, the combined total number of signatures for the six measures was 2,684,663. 

As Secretary of State Steve Hobbs certified each of the six initiatives, it was delivered to the Legislature for consideration.

This graphic shows that Washington voters have rejected 11 income-tax proposals. It is appearing more likely that they will have their say again this fall on a measure that would ban any local or state government in Washington from imposing an income tax.

By the end of this past week, all six initiatives had been certified and sent to the Legislature:

  • Initiative 2113 deals with police pursuits. It would erase certain requirements that since 2021 have prevented law-enforcement officers from pursuing a suspect unless they think someone has committed certain crimes, including a violent offense or driving while impaired. It has been sent to the Senate Law and Justice Committee for consideration.
  • I-2117 would repeal the state’s costly climate policy, called “cap-and-trade” by some but “cap-and-tax” or “cap-and-gouge,” by opponents who note this law has caused gas prices to rise substantially. The climate policy became state law in 2021 and took full effect early last year. It is now in the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee.
  • I-2081 would give parents the right to review K-12 instructional materials and require parental notification of school-provided medical services. It has been referred to the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.
  • I-2109 would repeal the state capital-gains tax that was passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature in 2021. It is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
  • I-2111 would ban any local or state government in our state from imposing an income tax. Like I-2109, this measure is in the Ways and Means Committee.
  • I-2124 would allow people to opt out of the mandatory payroll tax for the state-run long-term care program. It is before the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.

Legislators have three options with initiatives to the Legislature: 1) adopt the initiative as written, in which case it becomes law; 2) refuse to pass it, which would result in the measure automatically being placed on the statewide ballot next fall; 3) propose and approve an alternative initiative, in which case both the original initiative and the alternative would both appear together on the fall statewide ballot.

Regretably, Senate Democrats so far have refused to even schedule public hearings on any of the six initiatives. Any initiative not enacted this session will be placed on the statewide ballot this fall for you and other voters to decide.      

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

Panel passes pollinator proposal

A bill I introduced at the request of a Mount Spokane High School student to help bees and other pollinators is buzzing through the Senate this year.

The Senate Local Government, Land Use and Tribal Affairs Committee on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 5934, a bipartisan measure that aims to promote the use of pollinator-friendly shrubs or bushes in landscaping.

Mount Spokane High School senior Julia Costello approached me this past fall about sponsoring the bill.

Julia is a Girl Scout working to complete the 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 compelling case why improving pollinators’ habitat is beneficial. It was nice for Julia to see this bill pass out of committee. It has been an honor and pleasure to work with her.

Before passing SB 5934, the Senate panel approved an amendment that establishes that a local government may encourage, but does not have to require, applicants for project or commercial-building permits to include pollinator-friendly plants in any landscaped area. 

Spokane Conservation District Director Vicki Carter sent a letter in support of SB 5934.    

The proposal will be sent to the Senate Rules Committee, which serves as the final hurdle before bills reach the Senate floor for a vote by the entire Senate.

Gonzaga Prep student serves as page

Last week I had the pleasure of sponsoring Anthony DeGon (in photo above), a sophomore at Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane, during his week as a Senate page at the Capitol.

Anthony told me he is very interested in representative government, so I think he really enjoyed his time here in Olympia and seeing how the Legislature works.

He enjoys playing football, soccer, skating and reading in his free time. He also is an active member of the Prep debate team. He wants to attend college to further his future by studying political psychology. Anthony is the son of Alice DeGon. 

The Senate Page Program is an opportunity for Washington students to spend a week working in the Legislature. Students are responsible for transporting documents between offices, as well as delivering messages and mail. Pages spend time in the Senate chamber and attend page school to learn about parliamentary procedure and the legislative process. Students also draft their own bills and engage in a mock committee.

Committee OKs Padden health-care bill

Last Thursday, the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee passed Senate Bill 5920, my proposal that would allow our state Department of Health to have more psychiatric beds in our state. 

This proposal would reinstate authority for the Department of Health 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.

SB 5920 addresses a need for vulnerable people and illustrates how certificates of need hurt Washingtonians. The need for more beds is clear, and the certificate-of-need law is an unnecessary barrier. States with these laws have higher costs and fewer medical services.

Two weeks ago, Elizabeth Hovde, who testified in favor of SB 5920 during its public hearing before the Health and Long Term Care Committee, wrote about the bill for the Washington Policy Center. You may read her article here.

TVW interview on “ditch the switch” bill

Senator Manka Dhingra (left) and I were interviewed last week by The Impact host Mike McClanahan about SB 5795, our legislation to “ditch the switch” by keeping Washington on year-round standard time.    

Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of doing a sit-down interview at the TVW headquarters in Olympia for the weekly show “The Impact”. Host Mike McClanahan had invited Redmond Senator Manka Dhingra and me to discuss Senate Bill 5795, the proposal that we are sponsoring this year to “ditch the switch”  by keeping Washington on year-round standard time instead of going back and forth between standard time and daylight saving time each year. You may watch our interview here.

“The Impact” airs on TVW on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Unfortunately, the chair of the Senate State Government and Elections Committee, Senator Sam Hunt of Olympia, after originally scheduling SB 5795 for a vote, chose not to bring up SB 5795 for a vote before the committee cutoff yesterday. Unless something significant happens between now and the end of session, it appears that the “ditch the switch” bill will need to wait till next year, which means that Washingtonians will be forced to continue switching between standard time and daylight saving time each year. 

State senators send letter to Congress in support of Snake River dams

Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River. 

One federal issue that has the attention of many Washington state legislators is the fate of the four lower Snake River dams between Clarkston and the Tri-Cities. Last December’s announcement by the Biden administration that it and four Northwest tribes were “partnering to restore wild salmon habitats in the Columbia River Basin” while exploring the possibility of breaching the four dams in the future has been a major concern for state lawmakers, especially those from eastern Washington.

That is why I spearheaded a letter last week in support of the four Snake River dams, signed by 20 state Senate Republicans members. The letter was sent to 5th District U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the committee’s ranking member and chair and ranking member of the House Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee.   

Earlier this week, I met with two officials with Modern Electric Water Company – an electric and water utility in Spokane Valley – who visited Olympia, General Manager Joe Morgan and Government Relations and Communications Coordinator Chelsea Martin. Chelsea last week sent a letter of support for the dams on behalf of Modern Electric Water Company to Representative McMorris Rodgers and the other three U.S. House members.    

Senator Padden this week talked about energy issues and the four lower Snake River dams with two officials from Spokane Valley’s Modern Electric Water Company, General Manager Joe Morgan (left) and Government Relations and Communications Coordinator Chelsea Martin (middle).  

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.

Bipartisan bill to ‘ditch the switch’ in Washington receives Senate hearing

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers January 25, 2024. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

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. 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.

That is why I have introduced a bipartisan bill that would allow Washington to finally “ditch the switch” by keeping us on standard time permanently.

A proposed substitute version of Senate Bill 5795 came before the Senate State Government and Elections Committee last week. The measure’s lead co-sponsor, 45th District Senator Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, and I testified before the panel. TVW’s coverage of the SB 5795 hearing may be viewed here and here.

The substitute version of SB 5795 has a “trigger” mechanism in which if Congress approves a bill having states be on year-round daylight saving time, Washington state would then be on year-round daylight saving time.  

If the bill becomes law, the change would go into effect on November 4, one day after daylight saving time ends on November 3. 

Senators Padden (left) and Dhingra are shown testifying last week on Senate Bill 5795 before the Senate State Government and Elections Committee. 

“Research shows that the transition between standard time and daylight saving time and back again causes a range of negative health effects, including worse stress, an increased number of car and workplace accidents, and even greater rates of suicide. Those serious detrimental effects on Washingtonians’ health are why it’s so important that we do away with springing forward and falling back,” said Dhingra about the bill.

I am partnering with legislators from Oregon, California and Idaho to propose bills that would keep these four Western states on year-round standard time.  It is encouraging that legislators in these neighboring states plan to introduce bills this year to move their states to year-round standard time.

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

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

Senate passes bill to keep repeat property offenders behind bars longer

A bill I introduced that could keep repeat property offenders behind bars longer was approved last week by the Senate on a 38-10 vote.

Senate Bill 5056 would allow prosecutors to seek up two additional years on a sentence for first-degree robbery offenders if they can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is a habitual property offender. 

We have a real crisis in the explosion of property crimes, including thefts of vehicles,, catalytic converters and electric-charging equipment. What this bill tries to do is keep habitual, repeat offenders behind bars for longer periods of time. That will decrease the property-crime rate substantially. Law-enforcement officers say relatively few people commit most of the property crimes in this area.   

Under the measure, prosecutors may seek the special allegation of habitual property offender if the defendant meets certain criminal-history criteria, such as recent, repeat instances of property crime.  

During the Senate Law and Justice Committee’s public hearing on SB 5056 in 2023, officials with the Washington Retail Association and Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs testified in favor of the proposal. The proposal also received positive testimony from Jessica Laughery of Hutton Settlement. 

SB 5056 now goes to the House of Representatives for further consideration. 

Bill to reduce impaired driving passes committee, nears full Senate vote

Impaired driving is a worsening problem on Washington’s roads and highways. According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, there were 740 traffic deaths in our state 2022 (the highest in over 20 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.

A proposal I prime-sponsored that aims to reduce impaired driving on Washington’s roads and highways is advancing through the Senate.

Senate Bill 5791 was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee this past Thursday. The proposal would require the Washington State Patrol to establish a pilot program to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of oral fluid swabs as part of the enforcement of impaired-driving laws.  

SB 5791 is on the Senate’s second-reading calendar, which means it could receive a full Senate vote at any time.

Impaired driving continues to be a growing problem on our state’s roads, so the Legislature needs to take additional steps to combat it. Oral-swab testing represents one more tool for law enforcement in reducing impaired driving. It’s important for law enforcement to see how effective the oral-swab tests would help in determining if drivers are legally impaired. If the pilot program under this proposal proves to be effective, the Legislature can make oral-swab testing a permanent part of the state’s efforts to decrease impaired driving in Washington.

During its public hearing in the transportation committee, many people testified in favor of the proposal. Supporters include the Washington State Patrol, Chuck DeWeese with the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving, Christopher Kirby of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and Ashley Bonus with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

TVW’s coverage of the SB 5791 public hearing is available for viewing here.

Cougar Canyon Academy student serves as Senate page

Abby Trudel, a 10th-grader at Cougar Canyon Academy in Spokane, spent last week working as a Senate page at the Capitol. It was my honor to sponsor Abby. She did an excellent job paging and gained some valuable insight into the legislative process. Abby is the daughter of Allan and Vicki Trudel.

Abby, 14, has been studying and performing ballet for eight years, and loves to read, run, and crochet in her free time. She also volunteers at her church with the youth groups by caring for toddlers and other young children to help out in her community.

I was happy to sponsor two of her older siblings when they were Senate pages in recent years.

The Senate Page Program is an opportunity for Washington students to spend a week working in the Legislature. Students are responsible for transporting documents between offices, as well as delivering messages and mail. Pages spend time working in the Senate chamber and attend page school to learn about parliamentary procedure and the legislative process. Students also draft their own bills and engage in a mock session.

Parental rights initiative certified, sent to Legislature

A citizen initiative to expand parental rights was certified late last week by Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and sent to the Legislature for consideration. Initiative 2081 would give parents the right to review K-12 instructional materials and require parental notification of school-provided medical services. I-2081 has been sent to the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee for consideration, but it is not expected to receive a public hearing.

In all, Secretary Hobbs has certified and delivered five initiatives to the Legislature.

  • Initiative 2113 deals with police pursuits. It would erase certain requirements that since 2021 have prevented law-enforcement officers from pursuing a suspect unless they think someone has committed certain crimes, including a violent offense or driving while impaired. I-2113 has been referred to the Senate Law and Justice Committee.
  • I-2117 would repeal the state’s costly climate policy, called “cap-and-trade” by some but “cap-and-tax” or “cap-and-gouge,” by opponents who note this law has caused gas prices to rise substantially. The climate policy became state law in 2021 and took full effect early last year. The measure is now in the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee.
  • I-2109 would repeal the state capital gains tax that was passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature in 2021. It is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
  • I-2111 would ban any local or state government in Washington from imposing an income tax. This measure is expected to be sent to the Ways and Means Committee.

One more initiative to the Legislature is still going through the signature-verification process and is expected to be certified in the near future.

Legislators have three options with initiatives to the Legislature: 1) adopt the initiative as written, in which case it becomes law; 2) refuse to pass it, which would result in the measure automatically being placed on the statewide ballot next fall; 3) propose and approve an alternative initiative, in which case both the original initiative and the alternative would appear together on the fall statewide ballot.

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.

Bipartisan bill to ‘ditch the switch’ in Washington receives Senate hearing

A Senate committee today took public testimony on 4th District Sen. Mike Padden’s bipartisan bill that would allow the people of Washington to “ditch the switch” from standard time to daylight saving time each year.

“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, R-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.”

A proposed substitute version of Senate Bill 5795 came before the Senate State Government and Elections Committee. TVW’s coverage of the SB 5795 hearing may be viewed here and here.

If the bill becomes law, the change would go into effect on Nov. 4, one day after daylight saving time ends on Nov. 3.

The measure’s lead co-sponsor is 45th District Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond.

“In 2019, we passed bipartisan legislation to move our state to permanent daylight saving time,” said Dhingra. “That change requires congressional approval, but Congress has not acted. That’s why I support this bill that will put our state on permanent standard time. I have heard from constituents that they overall prefer to stay on permanent daylight saving time, so this bill includes a trigger, so that if Congress does act and allows states to choose permanent daylight saving time, our state will automatically switch once and for all.

“Research shows that the transition between standard time and daylight saving time and back again causes a range of negative health effects, including worse stress, an increased number of car and workplace accidents, and even greater rates of suicide. Those serious detrimental effects on Washingtonians’ health are why it’s so important that we do away with springing forward and falling back,” added Dhingra.

Padden is partnering with Oregon state Sen. Kim Thatcher and California state Sen. Roger Niello to propose bills that would keep the three West Coast states on year-round standard time. The Oregon Legislature begins its 2024 session on Feb. 5. The California Legislature reconvened Jan. 3.

“Switching back and forth between daylight time and standard time confuses and annoys many people, and it causes health problems for some. That’s why Senator Thatcher and I are working together to see if our respective legislatures can keep our clocks on standard time year-round,” added Padden.

Padden said he, Thatcher and Niello have talked with legislators in Idaho and Nevada to see if they will introduce similar bills in those states.

“It is encouraging that these legislators in California, Idaho and Nevada plan to introduce bills this year to move their states to year-round standard time,” said Padden.

Arizona and Hawaii currently 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 and other states would not need the federal government to pass a bill authorizing states to be on year-round standard time.

(Sen. Padden’s head photo can be found here. Sen. Dhingra’s head photo can be found here.)