Tag Archives: Senate Law and Justice Committee

Padden bill to increase penalty for drug possession receives committee hearing

The Senate Law and Justice Committee held a public hearing today on a bill introduced by 4^th District Sen. Mike Padden that aims to reverse the alarming trend in fentanyl use and fentanyl-related deaths in Washington.

Padden’s measure, Senate Bill 5035, would make possession or use of illegal drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin a class C felony, with opportunities for drug court participation.

“In 2021 the Democrat majority in the Senate passed Senate Bill 5476, which de facto decriminalized possession of hard drugs, such as fentanyl, meth and heroin,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley. “It’s no wonder fatal drug overdoses are hitting record numbers in Washington. The Democrats’ law that decriminalized drugs has been an absolute and costly failure. We need to fix this crisis, and Senate Bill 5035 would help us do that, including a chance for offenders to go into drug diversion programs.”

SB 5035 is one of several proposals heard by the Senate Law and Justice Committee today that seek to provide a new legislative response to the state Supreme Court’s February 2021 decision in State v. Blake. The justices ruled Washington’s felony drug-possession statute was unconstitutional because it criminalized possession even when a person did not knowingly have drugs. SB 5476, which was passed by the Legislature two months after the high court handed down its decision, is a temporary fix that expires this summer.

“There is general agreement that the action taken by the Legislature in response to Blake did not work. Senate Bill 5476 expires this year, so we need to take new action this session. We need the proper leverage to get those people into treatment. A misdemeanor charge won’t compel them to get into treatment as much as a felony charge,” said Padden.

SB 5035 is scheduled to receive a vote in the Law and Justice Committee on Thursday.

According to the state Department of Health, 2,264 people in Washington died of a drug-related overdose in 2021, compared to 1,731 drug-overdose deaths in the state in 2020 and 1,259 in 2019.

Spokane resident Molly Cain signed up in support of SB 5035. Cain testified on Feb. 1 during the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee legislative hearing on the fentanyl crisis. Part of Cain’s congressional testimony can be viewed here. Cain’s son, Carson, died of a fentanyl poisoning in 2020 at age 23.

Committee passes Padden bill raising penalty for custodial sexual misconduct

A bipartisan bill that aims to impose longer sentences on sexually abusive jail and prison guards was unanimously approved today by the Senate Law and Justice Committee.

Senate Bill 5033 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. The proposal is prime-sponsored by 4^th District Sen. Mike Padden, the ranking Republican on the Law and Justice Committee.

“Officers who work in Washington’s correctional facilities are part of the law-enforcement community just as much as the officers who patrol our communities and investigate crimes,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley. “Like all the other 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.

“This crime is already a Class C felony, but that unfortunately does not seem to be having the appropriate deterrent effect. SB 5033 would increase the punishment for corrections officers who sexually assault or abuse inmates in the course of their jobs,” added Padden.

Padden’s bill 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.

During the Law and Justice Committee’s public hearing on SB 5033 earlier this week, Michele Devlin, Clallam County’s chief criminal deputy prosecutor, testified in support of the bill. Devlin prosecuted the 2020 case against Gray, a former Forks jail guard 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.

Another person who testified in favor of the bill was Dawn Reid, 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 sexually harassed her. Reid asked Padden to name the legislation “Kimberly’s law” in memory of her daughter.

The Law and Justice Committee amended the proposal today by naming it “Kimberly Bender’s law.”

SB 5033 now goes to the Senate Rules Committee for further consideration. The Rules Committee decides which bills passed by other Senate committees may reach the Senate floor.

Democrats making extreme attempt to expand abortion

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers Jan. 26, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

One of the most controversial measures before this year’s Legislature received a public hearing Tuesday morning in the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee.

Senate Joint Resolution 8202, if passed by the Legislature and then by voters statewide, would give constitutional protection to abortion access in Washington.

As someone who is strongly pro-life, I oppose this extreme and overreaching proposal that was requested by Governor Jay Inslee and is sponsored by 16 Senate Democrats. This measure would move our state toward the “abortion anytime, abortion anywhere” goal that many pro-abortion people want to see realized.

Contrary to what our governor might believe, most people have complex and nuanced views on abortion. According to a national Marist Poll last May, only 24 percent of Americans think abortion should be available at any point during a pregnancy, while 68 percent favor some type of restrictions on abortion. This proposed constitutional amendment could open the door for future legislatures in Washington to ease current restrictions on abortions in our state.

We need to show our humanity and compassion toward the unborn child as well as the mother, and there are proposals this session that reflect this need. For instance, I have sponsored a proposal (Senate Bill 5098) that would ban abortions of unborn children with Down syndrome. One of my colleagues, 7^th District Sen. Shelly Short, has introduced a measure (Senate Bill 5227) that would ban abortions based on sex selection – like aborting a girl simply because the parents want a boy.

There were 622 people who signed up against SJR 8202 while only 325 signed up in favor of it. Among those opposing it was Bishop Frank Schuster of the Archdiocese of Seattle.

Senate Democratic leaders should consider this strong opposition when deciding whether to move their proposal forward.

You can watch TVW’s coverage of the public hearing by clicking here.

Because SJR 8202 is a proposed constitutional amendment, the Legislature cannot enact it alone – the people get the final say. It would require two-thirds approval in the Senate and two-thirds approval in the House to be placed on the statewide ballot for Washington voters to decide in the 2023 general election in November.

I think most Washingtonians, even those who generally support abortion, would find this proposal too extreme and unacceptable. I’m hopeful the Legislature will not pass SJR 8202, which could result in abortions becoming even more commonplace in our state.

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

Committee passes bill helping employee stock ownership plans

Testifying on SB 5096 before the Senate Business, Financial Services, Gaming and Trade Committee earlier this month.

You might recall that the Senate Business, Financial Services, Gaming and Trade Committee last week held a public hearing on my proposal (Senate Bill 5096) that would aid businesses looking to adopt an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) corporate structure.

There was good news early this week when the committee approved SB 5096. This measure specifically would:

Create the Washington Employee Ownership Program at the state Department of Commerce to offer technical support and other services to certain businesses considering certain employee ownership structures.
Form the Washington Employee Ownership Commission to oversee the program.
Provide a business and occupation tax credit for costs related to converting a qualifying business to an employee ownership structure.

The bill now goes to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for further consideration.

Committee OKs bill removing red tape for small condominium building construction

The Senate Law and Justice Committee this morning passed a bill I’ve introduced that would help encourage home ownership in our state by making it easier for smaller condominium buildings to be constructed.

Senate Bill 5058 would exempt buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than two stories from the definition of multiunit residential building.

The bill received support from several groups and individuals during its public hearing on Monday, including Spokane Valley City Council member Arne Woodard, who told the committee, “Throughout Washington state, including the Spokane Valley, we need more homeownership opportunities. Condominiums provide a great opportunity for homeownership…To capture homeownership opportunities, we need to change those Washington state laws that are preventing condominiums from being constructed. We need to cut the red tape. Senate Bill 5058 does exactly that for small condominiums with 12 units or less.”

Other organizations or individuals testifying in favor of SB 5058 included the Building Industry Association of Washington, Master Builders, Washington Realtors and Jim Frank of Greenshore New Beginning Homes. You can watch TVW’s coverage of the bill hearing here.

Spokane teen works as Senate page

It was my honor and privilege to sponsor Spokane resident Alex Lucas as a Senate page this week. Alex, 14, is an eighth-grader at Saint Charles Catholic School. The son of David and Laura Lucas, he is a Boy Scout and enjoys skiing, hunting, fishing and motorsports.

State Supreme Court hears state income tax case today

In 2021, Democratic majorities in the Legislature passed a measure creating a state income tax, despite arguments by Republicans that this proposal was illegal and unconstitutional. Early last year, Douglas County Superior Court Judge Brian Huber ruled that the state income-tax law was indeed unconstitutional, but proponents of the tax appealed in the hope that the state Supreme Court would hear the case and rule in their favor. They are aware that a majority of the nine justices were appointed by Democratic governors who support a state income tax.

The Supreme Court last summer announced that it would consider the appeal. After months of anticipation by those following this contentious issue, the justices are holding its hearing on the state income-tax case today. To watch TVW’s coverage of the hearing, click here.

Last week, The Seattle Times published an op-ed piece that argued why the state Supreme Court should agree with the Douglas County judge and toss the state income tax out. This part is especially worth reading:

Did you know Washington’s Supreme Court could approve a new “excise tax” that will follow you wherever you go? Did you know that over the past 12 years the state has experienced a 150% increase in tax revenue — from $26 billion to $66 billion? Do you believe that, even with this spectacular increase in revenue that the state Legislature would ever cut “regressive” taxes on sales, gas, soda or liquor?

If you answered no, no, and no, you are not alone.

Next Thursday, Jan. 26, the state Supreme Court will hear arguments about the legality of a new tax. The state Legislature invented this tax in 2021, despite having a $10 billion surplus, under an “emergency” clause. By using the emergency clause, it circumvented the will of Washington state residents who have traditionally had a say on any major tax changes via initiative or referendum. In fact, it is clear the citizens don’t want this excise tax as they rejected it 61% to 39% in a statewide advisory vote in November 2021.

The state also claims that this new tax is a legal “excise tax” on personal income from capital gains. The problem is that an excise tax is typically paid on things like retail sales, gas or liquor and collected where the items are purchased. But this new tax is on your income earned anywhere, which means it’s an illegal excise tax that would follow you wherever you go. Or to put it another way, it’s like Washington state charging you an additional gas tax on gas you bought in Oregon or any other state!

Meeting with Spokane Conservation District officials

Yesterday morning I met with Brittany Tyler (left) and Vicki Carter (right) in my office to discuss their goal to have a permanent farmers market in the Spokane region. Vicki is the director of the Spokane Conservation District and Vets on the Farm. We had a good chat. It was nice of Brittany and Vicki to make the long trip to Olympia this week.

Radio interviews on public safety issues

During a legislative session, radio stations or talk-show hosts in the Northwest reach out to me to comment on bills or issues before the Legislature. The past week was no exception.

After the Senate Law and Justice Committee last week passed my proposal (Senate Bill 5032) to combat impaired driving, KOMO Radio in Seattle aired a story about the committee’s vote to advance it. You can hear my comments from an audio news release that KOMO Radio used for its story.

Earlier this week, Portland-based talk-show host Lars Larson, whose program is carried by many radio stations throughout the Northwest, interviewed me live on the air about bills before the Legislature this session that deal with the possession of hard drugs. You can hear the interview with Lars 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 committee passes bill to combat impaired driving

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers Dec. 19, 2022. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

The Legislature is now in the second week of its 2023 session in Olympia. The focus early in this 105-day session is on committee meetings, where many bills that have been introduced so far receive public hearings.

A key issue this session is public safety. While there are several important areas that fall within the public-safety umbrella, one of the most crucial involves the startling increase in traffic fatalities in recent years.

Statistics compiled by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission show Washington road deaths 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. Figures for traffic deaths involving drug- or alcohol-impaired driving aren’t available yet.

For the third time in three years, the Senate Law and Justice Committee has passed my legislation to combat impaired driving. The committee approved the bill this morning, sending it to the Senate Transportation Committee for further consideration.

Senate Bill 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. 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.

It’s very similar to another proposal I introduced, Senate Bill 5054, which was passed by the Law and Justice Committee and the full Senate during the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions, including unanimous approval last year. The bill later died in the House both years.

Like its predecessor, SB 5032 has bipartisan sponsorship.

Repeat impaired-driving offenders commit most of the vehicular homicides and vehicular assaults in Washington. This is a measure to try to prevent those horrible, senseless crimes. Four years ago, I was out driving here in Olympia on a weekend on I-5. Right at the Pacific Avenue exit I saw the remains of a crash in which a 17-year-old Hispanic woman from the Tri-Cities was killed. They were changing a tire on the shoulder and a repeat drunk driver crashed into them on the shoulder.

Many similar 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. It’s common sense to extend the lookback period 15 years instead of the current 10 years.

This year’s bill also would give offenders a chance to undergo treatment with the hope they eventually will no longer have a problem with alcohol or drugs.

While we can’t blame drunken driving and drug-impaired driving entirely for the alarming increase in traffic deaths over the past few years, preventing impaired driving should be a key goal in our state. We’ve seen too many accidents and fatalities caused by drunk and drug-impaired drivers, especially repeat offenders. This bill should help get the most dangerous drivers off the road and into treatment.

The bill received supporting testimony from several people and organizations, including Gov. Jay Inslee’s public safety policy official, the Washington State Patrol and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

TVW’s coverage of the public hearing on SB 5032 can be viewed here.

I am optimistic this will be the year the Legislature finally passes this important proposal.

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 helping employee stock ownership plans receives committee hearing

Last Thursday, the Senate Business, Financial Services, Gaming and Trade Committee held a hearing on one of the proposals that I introduced before session even began. Senate Bill 5096 would aid businesses looking to adopt an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) corporate structure.

The bipartisan proposal aims to do three things. It would:

Create the Washington Employee Ownership Program at the state Department of Commerce to offer technical support and other services to certain businesses considering certain employee ownership structures.
Form the Washington Employee Ownership Commission to oversee the program.
Provide a business and occupation tax credit for costs related to converting a qualifying business to an employee ownership structure.

Last week’s public hearing on SB 5096 went well. You can view TVW’s coverage of my testimony on the bill by clicking here. Several people from different business-related organizations, including an official with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman, also testified in support of it. TVW’s coverage of their testimony on the proposal can be viewed by clicking here.

The next step is for the committee to approve it. I’m hopeful that will happen sometime in the next few weeks.

During its annual meeting last November, the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce held a panel discussion on ESOPs to promote employee ownership of businesses. During the event, I took part in a discussion on how businesses can implement this policy and possible legislation to help implement ESOPs. Several chamber members who attended the panel presentation said they were enthused by it, which was encouraging.

Meeting with constituents about early childhood education

Last week I enjoyed having a meeting in my Olympia office with two Spokane-area residents to talk about the importance of early childhood education. With me were Tami Boone (left) of Riverside and Rachel DeDomenico (right) of Spokane. Both are family services specialists with the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program.

District survey results

About a week before Christmas, our office mailed out a presession survey to households throughout the 4^th Legislative District. In the few weeks since the survey was sent out, our office has received about 600 responses from constituents. We appreciate everyone who took time out of their busy lives to answer the questions and mail the survey back to my Olympia office! Here are the results from the survey as of last week:

Question 1: Washington’s revenue forecast indicates a surplus of $3.9 billion for the current 2021-23 biennium and just over $5 billion for the 2023-25 budget cycle. Should taxpayers receive tax relief from the Legislature due to high inflation’s impact on family budgets?

87% said yes.

12% said no.

1% didn’t respond or had a different response.

Question 2: If you think the Legislature should provide tax relief for Washingtonians, what type of tax relief do you most favor?

13% favored a decrease in the state property tax.

7% favored a decrease in the sales tax.

7% favored a decrease in the gas tax.

11% wrote in multiple decreases in taxes.

56% favored decreases in all of the taxes listed above.

5% said none.

Question 3: Recently the majority party in Washington decriminalized fentanyl, meth, heroin and other hard drugs for the first two offenses. What position should the 2023 Legislature take with regard to hard drugs?

11% said possession or use of hard drugs should stay decriminalized in Washington.

86% said possession or use of hard drugs should return to being a felony in Washington.

3% didn’t respond or had a different response.

Question 4: The Legislature in 2021 passed a state law changing the standard for law-enforcement officers to pursue suspects in vehicles from reasonable suspicion to probable cause. This has made it far more difficult for law enforcement to pursue suspected criminals. What do you think?

89% said the Legislature should change state law to again make it easier for law-enforcement officers to pursue suspects.

10% said the current law is fine as it is.

1% didn’t respond or had a different response.

Question 5: The State Building Code Council recently voted to essentially ban the use of natural gas to heat new homes and apartments and instead use heat pumps. What do you think?

12% agreed with the Building Code Council that natural gas should be banned from new homes and apartments.

86% said natural gas should still be allowed to heat new homes and apartments.

2% didn’t respond or had a different response.

Question 6: Many Washington students suffered learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic and policies implemented by some school districts that resulted in the closing of schools and reduction in classroom time. What do you think is the best way to help students overcome learning loss?

25% said curriculums need to change.

17% said more or redirected funding (funds follow kids, tutors, alternatives to public school, more teachers, etc.).

8% said we need to keep schools open and end all COVID restrictions and eliminate online classes.

22% said kids need a make up a school year, or that school should be extended through summer, etc.

28% didn’t respond or had very unique opinions.

Two local teens serve as Senate pages

This week I had the privilege of sponsoring two Senate pages from the Spokane Valley: Abby Lind (left) is a freshman at Ridgeline High School. Abby lives in Greenacres, plays the violin, competes in tennis and softball, and is involved in the school orchestra. Hailey Huff (right) is a freshman at University High School. Hailey lives in Mead and is involved in Future Business Leaders of America, Key Club, tennis and youth group. It was nice to meet Abby and Hailey this week!

Contact us!

Phone: (360) 786-7606

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

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

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.

Committee passes Padden bill to combat impaired driving

For the third time in three years, and amidst an increase in traffic fatalities in Washington caused by alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers, an anti-impaired driving bill from 4^th District Sen. Mike Padden has been approved by the Senate Law and Justice Committee.

The committee passed SB 5032 during its meeting today. The bill now goes to the Senate Transportation Committee for further consideration.

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

At the bill’s public hearing earlier this week, Padden told his fellow members of the Law and Justice Committee that repeat impaired-driving offenders commit most of the vehicular homicides and vehicular assaults in Washington.

“This is a measure to try to prevent those horrible, senseless crimes,” Padden testified. “Four years ago, I was out driving here in Olympia on a weekend on I-5. Right at the Pacific Avenue exit I saw the remains of a crash in which a 17-year-old Hispanic woman from the Tri-Cities was killed. They were changing a tire on the shoulder and a repeat drunk driver crashed into them on the shoulder.”

Padden, the ranking Republican on the Law and Justice Committee, said similar 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.

“I think it’s common sense to make the lookback period 15 years instead of 10,” added Padden, a former Spokane County district court judge.

Padden said this year’s bill also would give offenders a chance to undergo treatment with the hope they eventually will no longer have a problem with alcohol or drugs.

According to statistics compiled by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Washington road deaths 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.

“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. This bill would help get the most dangerous drivers off the road and into treatment,” said Padden. “Preventing impaired driving should be a key goal in our state. We’ve seen too many accidents and fatalities caused by drunk and drug-impaired drivers, especially repeat offenders. This bill could help reverse this tragic trend.”

TVW’s coverage of the public hearing on SB 5032 can be viewed here.

Back in Olympia for start of 2023 legislative session

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers Dec. 19, 2022. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

The 2023 legislative session is underway. The 105-day session began Monday with the traditional opening-day ceremony in the Senate chamber, in which new or recently reelected senators were sworn into office by state Supreme Court Justice Steven Gonzalez.

With that pomp and circumstance behind us, the Senate now shifts much of its time to 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. We will be in “committee mode” for the next six weeks, though occasional floor sessions will be held to debate and vote on bills.

It was nice to see all of my fellow senators and many Senate staff for the first time since the 2020 legislative session ended nearly three years ago. The past two sessions were not conducted in the manner that many of us wanted, as citizens were prevented from having direct, in-person contact with their legislators due to COVID-19. It’s good to see that citizens will be able to actually meet in person with legislators during session.

Here are some resources to help you better navigate this 105-day “long” 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 can 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 can find all the state agencies, boards, and commissions.
Washington Votes| The Washington Policy Center’s vote tracking website.

For Bill Tracking

Go to leg.wa.gov
On the left-hand panel, click “Bill Information.”
If you know the bill number, enter it in the search field and click enter.
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 this session

I’m pleased to introduce my legislative staff for the 2023 session. My legislative assistant, Scott Staley (left), joined the office last week after spending many years as the legislative assistant for past 4^th District state Reps. Larry Crouse, Leonard Christian and Bob McCaslin. My session aide is Irina Dolbinina (middle). Irina graduated from high school in Vancouver, Washington, earned a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Washington State University-Vancouver, and then graduated from Seattle University’s School of Law. Irina has returned to my office for this year’s legislative session after interning for me in 2017. Ethan Mettlin (right) is my session intern this year. Ethan is a senior at Central Washington University who is majoring in business administration. He plans to attend law school in the future.

Several public-safety bills sponsored for 2023 session

Sen. Padden asks a question during a Senate Law and Justice Committee meeting last month in Olympia.

Public safety will be one of the key issues for legislators to address this session. In fact, a recent statewide poll showed that 23% of respondents chose public safety as their most important issue.

Following months of working with policy stakeholders and citizens like you, I have introduced several bills for this year’s session that aim to provide meaningful solutions to problems facing our state. I encourage you to follow these proposals this session as they move through the legislative process. As was the case in 2022, this year’s focus is to fix what the majority Democrats have done in recent years to weaken our criminal-justice system. My goal is to enact common-sense policies that work for all of Washington.

Here are just a few of the measures I have prime-sponsored and will be working to advance this year:

SB 5032 – Increase DUI “lookback” and sentencing
SB 5033 – Custodial sexual misconduct
SB 5034 – Vehicular pursuits
SB 5035 – Controlled substance possession
SB 5042 – Vascular neck restraints
SB 5055 – Private prison contracting
SB 5056 – Habitual property offenders
SB 5058 – Multiunit residential buildings
SB 5090 – Torts
SB 5096 – Employee ownership
SB 5098 – Down Syndrome/abortion
SB 5108 – Law enforcement training
SB 5116 – Bail fund oversight
SB 5218 – Sales tax exemption for complex rehabilitation products
SB 5226 – Active warrants priority/Department of Corrections

To see a list of all of the bills that I am prime-sponsoring or co-sponsoring this session, click here.

Honoring a Central Valley student

Chantel Fan (left), a Chinese American leader in the Spokane Valley, presented a certificate to Lucy He Monday night for winning a national essay contest. With them are Lucy’s parents.

Central Valley High School student Lucy He has received a legislative certificate of appreciation for winning the Chinese American History Month national essay contest. Chantel Fan, a representative of the Spokane Chinese community, presented He with the certificate during the Central Valley School Board’s meeting Monday night.

Though I was in Olympia, I appeared remotely via Zoom to speak about Lucy, who won the contest sponsored by Asians for Equality.

It’s a tremendous honor for Lucy to win this national essay contest, and it was my privilege to congratulate her on this outstanding achievement.

Senate Bill 5000, which would designate January as Americans of Chinese Descent History Month, received a public hearing yesterday in the Senate State Government and Elections Committee, with a committee vote on the proposal slated for tomorrow at 8 a.m. You can view the video of the SB 5000 public hearing testimony here.

Opposition to Inslee proposal to delay construction of North-South Freeway

An aerial photo of the North-South Freeway construction.

For decades, perhaps the most anticipated highway project in the Spokane region has been the North-South Freeway (or North-South Corridor), which would run from the north end to Spokane to the south end of the city, allowing drivers to avoid busy and congested surface arterials like Division Street.

Although significant funding has been approved by the Legislature for the NSC in recent years, Gov. Inslee apparently is not in favor in seeing it completed anytime soon. As a recent KXLY story noted, the governor’s proposed 2023-25 state transportation budget would actually delay the project by six years, so instead of its expected completion in 2027-29, it would not be finished until 2033-35.

It’s unconscionable that the governor would want to delay this this important and long-planned highway project. I don’t understand Inslee’s rationale for wanting to delay it. If anything, the North-South Freeway project should be accelerated so it can be completed sooner.

It’s encouraging that the entire legislative delegation for the Spokane region (Republicans and Democrats alike) are in agreement that this project should not be delayed. Fortunately, the governor’s proposed transportation budget is just that – a proposal. It will be up to the Legislature to actually craft and approve the new two-year transportation budget. I expect there will be a strong bipartisan push from our Spokane-area legislators to make sure the NSC project remains on schedule, if not accelerated.

Freedom Caucus: Inslee FINALLY takes a stand on homelessness

Three of the four Freedom Caucus members gather on the Senate floor for the first day of session: 31st District Sen. Phil Fortunato, 19th District Sen. Jeff Wilson and 4th District Sen. Mike Padden. Not pictured is the fourth member of the Freedom Caucus, 2nd District Sen. Jim McCune.

In recent years, our state’s homelessness problem has worsened, with more homeless camps popping up in various communities. According to one article, Washington has the fifth-highest homeless population among states, behind California, New York, Florida and Texas – all much more populated than our state.

In the east Spokane area, “Camp Hope” along I-90 has generated plenty of attention and controversy since it sprang up last year, with local government officials unable to remove the camp’s inhabitants until at least late January because of a recent court order, despite the cold winter season now upon us. The Spokesman-Review recently ran a story about how the general contractor in charge of completing the reconstruction of Thor and Freya streets will receive a $70,000 settlement from the city of Spokane as compensation for damages and other claims blamed on Camp Hope.

During the proliferation of homeless people in the state, Gov. Inslee has been largely silent on this troubling issue. However, during last Thursday’s legislative preview forum, Inslee told reporters and editors that homeless camps are a blight on communities and that Washingtonians are demanding “an end to the squalor in their neighborhoods.”

You can imagine what a pleasant surprise it was to hear the governor speak so frankly about homelessness and finally acknowledge that this is a serious problem that must be addressed this year.

Two days after Inslee’s comments, the other three members of the Senate Freedom Caucus (31^st District Sen. Phil Fortunato, 2^nd District Sen. Jim McCune and 19^th District Sen. Jeff Wilson) and I publicly stated how we were pleased to see the governor taking a stand on this issue but wondering what took him so long. As noted in our news release, I’m glad the governor is finally realizing that we have a serious homeless housing problem. The state has needed to address this for quite some time. Hopefully, Democrats in the Legislature will join with us in taking effective action on it this session.

Contact us!

Phone: (360) 786-7606

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

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

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 Republicans unveil trio of bills to improve public safety

Two members of the Senate Republican Caucus have prefiled bills for the 2023 legislative session that aim to reverse recent criminal-friendly laws passed by Democratic majorities.

“One of our main goals this session is to advance bills that will help make people and communities safer in our state,” said Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, who is ranking Republican on the Senate Law and Justice Committee and was a Spokane County District Court judge from March 1995 until January 2007. “Unfortunately, thanks in large part to harmful laws passed by our Democratic colleagues, many people throughout Washington are feeling less safe in recent years. They have every right to expect the Legislature to take action to reverse this alarming increase in crime.”

The three key public-safety proposals introduced by Padden and a Senate Republican colleague include:

Senate Bill 5034, prime-sponsored by Padden, would change state law to again make it easier for law-enforcement officers to pursue suspects in vehicles. In 2021, the Legislature changed the legal standard required for officers to engage in vehicular pursuits, limiting law enforcement’s ability to pursue and detain suspects.

“It’s no coincidence that crime has dramatically increased since this law was passed because it has severely restricted law-enforcement officers from pursuing suspects. Until we make it easier for officers to do their job, we’ll continue to see this spike in crime. Communities deserve better,” said Padden.

Senate Bill 5035, introduced by Padden, would make possession or use of illegal drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin a class C felony with diversion opportunities and drug court.

“In 2021 the Democratic majorities in the Legislature passed SB 5476, which reduced the penalty for drug possession to an unenforceable misdemeanor that does not effectively utilize data-supported drug court programs. It’s no wonder fatal drug overdoses are expected to hit record numbers in Washington this year. The Democrats’ law that decriminalized drugs has been an absolute and costly failure,” said Padden.

Senate Bill 5011, prefiled by Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, supports her recent vow to restore second-degree robbery to the list of offenses counted as a strike under Washington’s voter-approved “three-strikes” law. Majority Democrats had dropped that crime from the list in 2019, then applied the change retroactively in 2021 – which allowed Clark County child-rapist and murderer Roy Wayne Russell, Jr. to evade the mandatory life-without-parole sentence that comes with a third “strike.”

“There are more on the lifer list who could be resentenced and walk free someday. It’s as though the majority did this with no regard for the victims’ families,” said Wilson. “We need laws that are fair to victims, and this mistake needs to be fixed. I hope those who thought weakening the law was a good idea will recognize the error they made and join us to correct it.”

The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to begin on Jan. 9 and end on April 23.

Justice for Victims

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This is the last Report from Olympia you will receive in 2015. Due to election-year restrictions, I am not permitted to send out my e-newsletter until the 2016 regular legislative session begins on Jan. 11. Even then, I can only send these updates to those who have specifically requested them. If you have not done so yet, you can do so by clicking here and filling out a quick survey.

In this report, you will find an update on the work of the Senate Law and Justice Committee. On Nov. 20, we heard Congressman Dave Reichert and several family members of victims about the lack of transparency and concern by victims demonstrated by some at the Department of Corrections and the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board.

Click here to read the full Report from Olympia.

Senate Law & Justice Committee to discuss OIC whistleblower complaint at June 16 meeting

Sen. Mike Padden, Chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, announced today that the interim committee work session scheduled for June 16 will now include a discussion of the independence of hearings officers at state agencies. The topic was added in response to a recent whistleblower complaint filed by a hearings officer at the Office of Insurance Commissioner, based on her claims that she was improperly pressured by a senior official at the OIC to decide a high profile case in favor of the agency.

Padden, R-Spokane Valley, said that the claims made by Chief Presiding Officer Patricia Petersen raise serious concerns that should be investigated and resolved. Continue reading →