106 Newhouse Building ● P.O. Box 40404 ● Olympia WA 98504-0404

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Report from Olympia |  September 23, 2015

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

During this year’s legislative session we pushed repeatedly for a measure to make a fourth DUI a felony under Washington law and also introduced bills aimed at improving drug and alcohol monitoring.

Last week elected officials and members of law enforcement from across the country attended the National 24/7 Summit in Montana. The goal of the summit, which was hosted by Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, was to educate people about the 24/7 Sobriety Program – a system aimed at better monitoring drug and alcohol offenders. Under the program, those accused of a second or subsequent DUI can be ordered by a judge to test twice daily for drugs or alcohol as a condition of their release from jail while their case is pending. Offenders pay for the cost of their monitoring.

In 2011 the Montana Legislature passed the 24/7 Sobriety Program Act as a way to keep Montana roads safe from repeat DUI offenders. As of February about 5,000 Montanans have used twice-daily breath testing, with the program resulting in a 45- to 70-percent reduction in the re-arrest rate of second-offense DUI offenders.

This information will prove very helpful in continuing our fight to strengthen Washington’s DUI laws when the Legislature convenes in January. Use of the 24/7 program in our state should be expanded. Currently, the program is only utilized in three counties in our state, but clearly all Washingtonians could benefit from better monitoring of drug and alcohol related offenders.

In addition to working with other policymakers, I will also meet one-on-one with many of you as part of our district coffee chats on Sept. 30. I look forward to updating you on these meetings in a future Report from Olympia.

Even though lawmakers do not return to Olympia full-time until January, our office is here to work for you year round. If you have questions about anything in this e-newsletter or an issue affecting you or your family, please give me a call, send me an e-mail or stop by our district office.

It’s my privilege to serve you in our state Senate.

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

'Cultural Hero Award' an unexpected honor, but still more work to do

On Saturday, Healing the Culture, a non-profit pro-life educational group based in the Seattle area, held its annual gala and awards dinner. I was honored to be named the 2015 recipient of the group’s “Cultural Hero Award.”

Camille Pauley, president of Healing the Culture, said the award was based, in part, on several bills we filed this year, including our efforts to require parental notification before abortions can be performed on minors and our bill to ban so-called “wrongful birth” lawsuits, where doctors are sued because babies are born with certain disabilities instead of being aborted.

“These bills Senator Padden sponsored in 2015 are just the most recent in a long history of policy initiatives that he has taken over decades in elected office to help create a more decent, just, and humane society,” Pauley said. “Mahatma Gandhi once said that ‘a nation's greatness will be measured by how it treats its weakest members.’ Senator Padden is one lawmaker who takes this ethic seriously.  He has been a true statesman, and a tireless advocate for those on the margins of society – especially the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly.  We are honored to recognize him with our 2015 Cultural Hero Award.”

Receiving this award is a tremendous honor (and one that is very much appreciated), but we know that there is still much work to be done. Protecting innocent life is one of the key functions of government, and we will continue our efforts to live up to that responsibility during the upcoming 2016 legislative session.

Work session to examine issues of free speech on campus and eminent domain

At 10 a.m. tomorrow the Senate Law and Justice Committee will hold a work session at the University of Washington on a number of important issues. Well-known Seattle attorney Margaret Dore is slated to be among the experts testifying on Senate Bill 5635, which deals with issues related to the power of attorney.   We will also be examining eminent domain. As you know, this power of the state to take property, against the owner’s will, for public purposes is an intrusive use of state authority. It is important that eminent-domain power be used only when absolutely necessary and only when there is a clear public – not private – interest. Also scheduled to speak before the committee is Joe Cohn, legislative and policy director for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. He, and others, will be discussing the importance of freedom of speech on college campuses. If you happen to be in Seattle, you can join us in person at: W.H. Gates Hall, Rm 133 4293 Memorial Way NE, Seattle You may also watch the work session online at www.tvw.org.

In the News: State Supreme Court wrong on charter schools

There has been quite a reaction to the state Supreme Court’s recent decision denying Washington’s children access to charter schools. Former Supreme Court Justice and state Senator Phil Talmadge recently penned a must-read opinion-editorial in the Tacoma News Tribune, urging the court to reconsider its decision.

“I disagree with the court’s majority opinion,” he writes. “It relies on an antiquated 1909 definition of public education and ignores recent, binding legal precedent that allows for flexibility in our public education system.”

For more information on this issue, you can also watch this KING-TV (Seattle) report, featuring former Governor Chris Gregoire discussing the charter-school ruling. She calls the majority opinion “surprising,” the minority dissent “spot-on” and questions the poor timing of the decision, which came right as students were beginning school.

Senate now accepting applications for 2016 Session Page Program

Our Legislature has one of the finest page programs in the country. Each year it gives hundreds of students throughout Washington an opportunity to take part in the legislative process and observe the Legislature and other branches of state government in action.

The Senate Page program is open to Washington students between the ages of 14 and 16. Pages spend a week at the Capitol attending classes and assisting with legislative duties. If you know of any students who are interested in applying, please have them contact my office.

To learn more, watch the video below:

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