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

Report from Olympia |  October 30, 2015

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

With Veterans Day approaching on November 11, I wanted to begin this Report from Olympia with a brief mention of some of the actions taken by the Legislature this year to honor and serve those to whom we owe our freedom: the brave men and women who have served our country in the armed forces.

One achievement this year is a new law aimed at helping veterans and their dependents who are enrolled in the Civilian Health and Medical Program acquire supplemental health insurance. Washington is one of only nine states where supplemental insurance is not available to offset some or all of the out-of-pocket costs that burden veterans and their families. This year we passed Senate Bill 5974, which directs the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to review barriers to attracting supplemental plans into the state and report on steps the state and the Department of Veterans Affairs can take to promote access to supplemental policies. The review and report must be submitted to the appropriate committees of the Legislature, the governor, and to DVA by Veterans Day.

More veteran-related successes: Senate Bill 5633, which creates a coordinator position for the “helmets to hardhats” program in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Senate Bill 5958, which requires the Governor’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee to appoint liaisons to the state veterans’ homes; this should result in more healthy and productive conversations between those facilities and the VAAC.

This year the Legislature also passed a bill to help our veterans use their G.I. Bill benefits at Washington’s state-run colleges and universities. This culminates several years of hard work to make sure veterans continue to have access to higher education in our state.

Veterans Day is an opportunity for all of us to voice our appreciation for the dedication, service and sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. I am glad that this year, we were able to put that appreciation into action for our vets.

If there is anything I can do for you, or if you have questions about anything in this e-newsletter, please give me a call, send me an e-mail or stop by our district office.

Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving as your state senator.

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden

Celebrate Veterans Awareness Month

In Washington, we have a special appreciation for veterans, in part, because so many veterans choose to make Washington their home. For us, setting aside a day to recognize the sacrifice and service of our veterans is not enough. Last week, Governor Inslee issued a proclamation, declaring November 2015 Veterans' History Awareness Month. We have also enacted legislation, declaring November as a time to celebrate and commemorate the contributions of veterans.

In the proclamation, the Governor urges all people in our state to join in this special observance. I will be heeding that call -- attending a community-wide Veterans Day observance at historic Felts Field. There, we will pay tribute to all veterans, veterans’ organizations and their families.

I encourage you to come learn about veterans' history and honor our local vets at one of the many great events taking place across our state this Veterans Day and throughout the month of November.

Washington State Association of County Clerks recognizes our efforts

On Oct. 19 I was honored to receive the "Legislative Luminary Award" from the Washington State Association of County Clerks. The award was presented by Spokane County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald and Benton County Clerk Josie Delvin, who happens to be the wife of former state Senator Jerome Delvin.

WSACC membership includes the elected and appointed county clerks in Washington’s 39 counties, whose duties include serving as ex-officio clerks of Superior Court. WSACC coordinates the policies of county clerks’ offices, provides a forum for the study and discussion of subjects vital to the procedural practices and conduct of county clerks, and promotes beneficial legislation and court rules.

As chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, I often work with our state’s county clerks and other members of the judiciary to make sure that our courts are functioning smoothly. Among those functions is the collection of legal financial obligations owed to the state and local governments and crime victims. The state budget provides grants to the clerks to handle that task, but until now the money has been routed through the state administrator for the courts. This year, as a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, I streamlined the process so grants from the new budget are dispersed directly to counties from the state treasury. Cutting out the middleman saves on costs and means more money reaches the clerks.

Work session tackles marijuana-impaired driving

On Oct. 22 the Senate Law and Justice Committee conducted a work session at Walla Walla University on several topics we will address during the 2016 legislative session, which convenes in January.

Among the issues discussed was progress toward a breath test for THC (the “active ingredient” in marijuana), being developed by researchers at Washington State University. WSU chemistry professor Dr. Herbert Hill, along with others from the university, are working on a way to use existing technologies – like those used by airport security agents to detect drugs and explosives – to more easily determine if a driver is under the influence of marijuana.

Currently, law-enforcement officers must use blood tests to determine if THC is present in a driver's blood. A breath-based test would allow officers to narrow the list of those who are given a blood test – potentially saving money, while still helping to get impaired drivers off the road.

In addition to the THC breath-test project, we heard testimony from staff at the state Traffic Safety Commission regarding its recent study on marijuana-impaired driving.

According to the WTSC, an exponential increase in the number of traffic deaths involving marijuana-impaired drivers occurred between 2013 and 2014.

Recreational-marijuana use was legalized in our state in 2014; between 2010 and 2013 the number of marijuana-impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes ranged from 32 to 38 per year. But in 2014, after pot became legal, that number skyrocketed to 75. In half of the 2014 cases, the drug-addled drivers tested above the state’s legal limit for being under the influence of the drug while driving.

Clearly, technology like that being developed at WSU stands to become a critical tool for our law-enforcement community as officers attempt to deal with this increasing danger on our streets.

Latest Law and Justice Committee meeting makes headlines statewide

Even though we are in the interim period between legislative sessions, our Senate Law and Justice Committee has continued to keep a packed schedule, working on issues important to Washingtonians.

WSU Develops Prototype of THC Breathalyzer

Students may apply now to participate in Senate Page Program

Each year, I have the opportunity to sponsor local students for the Senate Page Program. Pages assist senators with our legislative duties and spend time in “page school” learning about state government.

The page program is for students who will be between the ages of 14 and 16 during the 2016 legislative session (Jan. 11 through March 10). Space in the program is limited so if you know of a student who is interested in participating, please call my office at (360) 786-7606 and we’ll help walk you through the application process. You can also learn more about the Senate Page Program by visiting its website.

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