Tag Archives: WASPC

Honored to receive award from law-enforcement group

Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Padden’s subscribers May 30, 2024. To subscribe to Sen. Padden’s newsletter, click here.

Dear friends and neighbors,

Throughout my combined 28 years as a state legislator (15 sessions in the House from 1981 to 1995 and the past 13 sessions in the Senate), my time and energy have been focused on crime and public safety issues. For people in our communities to feel safer, we need to do all we can to make and enforce good strong laws and put criminals behind bars. It is why I always sought to serve on the House or Senate committee that addressed law and justice issues.

During these years, I have prime-sponsored or co-sponsored many bills that aimed to fight crime or protect crime victims better.

Public safety has always been my passion and my mission as a legislator, so it was a great honor to receive the highest honor from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs last week. WASPC officials presented me with the association’s Gene Cotton Award during its spring conference at the Spokane Convention Center. WASPC’s news release about the award is here. The photo above shows me standing between Douglas County Sheriff Kevin Morris (left), who is the WASPC Board president, and WASPC Executive Director Steve Strachan.

In the news release, Strachan said:

“Senator Padden has consistently and thoughtfully supported law enforcement and balanced public safety policies over more than forty years as a state legislator and judge. He has worked tirelessly to improve laws that help balance the need for public safety and ensure law enforcement is accountable to the community.”

According to the news release, the Gene Cotton Award, which is named for a former Clark County sheriff and WASPC executive director, “is given very infrequently and reserved only for extraordinary public officials who demonstrate their leadership to support law enforcement public policies.”

Special thanks to WASPC for this wonderful honor!

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

Attending Spokane Valley Veterans Memorial dedication

Senator Padden talks with 103-year-old Pat Tully, a World War II veteran, during last Friday’s dedication of Spokane Valley’s Veterans Memorial.

It was an honor to join about 100 other community members, veterans and elected officials at Balfour Park this past Friday morning for the dedication of Spokane Valley’s Veterans Memorial. It was special to talk with several of the veterans in attendance, especially World War II vet Pat Tully, who looks fit and strong at age 103.

Here is part of my speech during the ceremony: “One of the goals of this memorial is to celebrate the power of lifting each other up in times of need. It also will inform and teach our community about the historical grand contributions of our military, and recognize the military’s commitment to our nation.”

The Spokesman-Review published a very good story about Friday’s event. You can read it here.

Seattle Times runs Padden op-ed on rise in traffic deaths

You might remember that my previous e-newsletter focused on the troubling increase in traffic deaths in Washington. Soon after the Washington Traffic Safety Commission issued its recent report revealing that our state had reached a 33-year high in road fatalities, I submitted a guest editorial piece to The Seattle Times about this problem and suggestions on how to fix it. The Times published it over the weekend. You may read it here.

The WTSC report showed that about half of all of the traffic fatalities in Washington involved impaired driving. That’s why it is so important to have enough law-enforcement officers patrolling our roads and highways to watch out for impaired drivers and arrest them before they cause an accident.

KHQ-TV recently published a story about Barry Marcus, a Spokane-based State Patrol trooper who made his 4,000^th DUI arrest on April 30. Trooper Marcus has served in the State Patrol for 32 years. The efforts and dedication displayed by Trooper Marcus and other WSP troopers, as well as officers with our local police departments and Spokane County Sheriff’s Department, are vital to keeping drivers and passengers safe.

Speaking to Spokane County realtors

Yesterday I reported on the recently ended legislative session to about 20 people at the Spokane County Realtors’ governmental affairs meeting in Spokane. Our discussion included my condominium bill (SB 5792) that was approved by the Legislature this year and how the Senate stopped a Democrat-sponsored bill, passed by the House, that would have established rent control in our state.

Local students to compete in national cybersecurity contest

Cybercrime is a growing problem in our state and across America. It is an issue that the Legislature has focused on more and more in recent years. If cybercrime is to be curtailed, we need skilled and talented people who can help improve and enhance cybersecurity and prevent cybercrimes.

Two potential cybersecurity experts live here in the 4^th District. The Spokesman-Review ran a story last week about two Central Valley High School seniors, Lilian Miller and Quan Do, who will travel to Atlanta next month to compete in the SkillsUSA National Cybersecurity Championship. Lilian and Quan placed eighth in last year’s competition. Good luck to them!

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.

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, 45^th 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

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 passes Padden bill to keep repeat property offenders behind bars longer

A bill from 4^th District Sen. Mike Padden that could keep repeat property offenders behind bars longer was approved today by the Senate on a 38-10 vote.

“We have a real crisis in the explosion of property crimes, including auto thefts, catalytic converter thefts and electric-charging equipment,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley. “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. In talking with law-enforcement officers, I’ve learned that relatively few people commit most of the crimes in this area.”

Under the measure, prosecutors can seek the special allegation if the defendant meets certain criteria related to their criminal history and recent, repeat instances of property crime.

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

Committee passes Padden bill to keep repeat property offenders behind bars longer

A bill from 4^th District Sen. Mike Padden that could keep repeat property offenders behind bars longer was approved today by the Senate Law and Justice Committee.

Senate Bill 5056 would require that someone who is found to be a habitual property offender to be sentenced to an additional 24 months in total confinement for a Class B felony, and an additional 12 months for a Class C felony.

“We have a real crisis in the explosion of property crimes, including auto thefts, catalytic converter thefts and electric charging equipment,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley. “What this bill tries to do is keep habitual, repeat offenders behind bars for longer periods of time. If you remove repeat offenders, the property crime rate will decrease substantially. In talking with law enforcement, I’ve learned that relatively few people commit most of the crimes in this area.”

Under an amendment to the bill that was passed by the committee today, it is up to a judge’s discretion whether a defendant is a habitual offender and if the defendant should be in total confinement.

During the public hearing on SB 5056 on Tuesday, officials with the Washington Retail Association and Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs testified in favor of the proposal, as did Jessica Laughery of Hutton Settlement. TVW’s coverage of the public hearing can be viewed here.

SB 5056 is expected to go to the Senate Rules Committee for further consideration.

Despite Republican objections, committee passes incomplete ‘police pursuit’ bill

Democrats on the Senate Law and Justice Committee yesterday turned back new attempts by Republicans to fix a criminal-friendly flaw in Washington’s law regarding police pursuits of suspected criminals. They stuck instead to a partisan approach that would delay a solution for at least 18 months, and do nothing in the meantime to address the spike in crime seen since new pursuit restrictions took effect in July 2021.

As passed by the committee, Senate Bill 5533 would create a “model vehicle pursuit policy work group” within the state Criminal Justice Training Commission. The work group would comprise both community and law-enforcement stakeholders, including the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, the Washington Fraternal Order of Police, a community organization working on traffic-safety issues, and a statewide organization working on police accountability. The CJTC would be required to present the model vehicle pursuit policy to the Legislature by Oct. 31, 2024.

“This bill won’t fix the problems caused by not allowing law-enforcement officers to use ‘reasonable suspicion’ when they decide whether to engage in vehicle pursuits of suspects. Instead, it would basically kick this important issue down the road for 18 months, or maybe longer, by having the state Criminal Justice Training Commission start a work group on it,” said 4^th District Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley. “A key reason why Washington is seeing a spike in crime is because officers are not allowed to pursue suspects in most cases. We need to take action now on this matter, not study it for a year or longer.”

Before the committee passed Senate Bill 5533, Padden, who is the committee’s lead Republican, and another committee member, 39^th District Sen. Keith Wagoner, offered amendments to improve the proposal.

Wagoner’s amendment would have kept SB 5533, if passed into law, from taking effect unless the Legislature also passes a bill changing the threshold required for a law-enforcement officer to engage in a vehicular pursuit from probable cause to reasonable suspicion. Wagoner’s amendment was ruled “out of scope” by the Law and Justice Committee chair, 45^th District Sen. Manka Dhingra. After Padden challenged the ruling, the committee voted 5-5 on the amendment, which means it did not pass.

After his amendment was rejected, Wagoner spoke to the committee about SB 5533.

“We’ve been hearing from our communities, from our mayors, from our county commissioners, from our police departments, how important it is for us to fix this. I haven’t heard any calls to study it. I’ve heard many calls to fix it, and it is important that we get the fix right. That’s why I support the study and I support the idea of a model policy that protects everyone. But in the meantime, we are not keeping our communities as safe as we could. We can argue about cause and effect…but I know this for a fact: The switch went one way and things got worse. It might be prudent to switch the switch the other way and see if we can at least maintain the status quo or get things better while we study a model policy,” said Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley.

“Sometimes, when the Legislature doesn’t want to move on something, we kick it to a joint task force or a study. I don’t want to see that happen with something that is so critically important to the safety of our communities,” added Wagoner.

This video captures Wagoner’s remarks to the committee after his amendment was rejected.

Padden’s amendment would have added required members to the work group and also added additional factors the work group must consider in drafting a model policy for the training and use of vehicular pursuits for officers. The amendment was defeated along party lines. This video shows Padden explaining his amendment.

When James McMahan with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs testified before the Law and Justice Committee on the bill Monday, he said the Washington State Patrol reports more than 3,100 people have fled from police stops since the 2021 pursuit statute went into play, and about 500 fewer people total have been pursued.