Report from Olympia | Jan. 23, 2020
Thousands brave rain to March for Life
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Despite the rain, thousands of Washingtonians from across the state gathered in Olympia on Monday for the 42nd Annual March for Life.
While the march is timed to coincide with the dark anniversary of the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, it also happens early in each year’s legislative session. The current majorities in the state House and Senate are committed to promoting a pro-abortion agenda, so those of us who support and defend life must pray, educate ourselves and remain vigilant in countering the culture of death.
As I told those gathered at the March this year, there is no doubt that a real, live person is in the womb. And that person needs protection, for he or she is vulnerable and defenseless. That’s our job – to speak for the unborn who cannot speak for themselves.
The second week of the legislative session continues to move at a fast pace, and abortion is not the only deeply contested issue in the spotlight. The Senate majority party approved a sex-education bill that reaches into kindergarten classes – a bill parents have said they don’t want forced on them. We’ve also seen a bill to curb voters’ initiative power and an effort to force landlords to rent to, and employers to hire, people who have entered the country illegally.
In this Report from Olympia, you can read about some of the issues the Legislature addressed this week.
These debates are crucial to your life, liberty and prosperity. It is my job to be your voice in Olympia. The best way for me to do that is to hear directly from you. Please take a moment to email me or call if you have any questions, ideas or concerns. If someone forwarded you this e-newsletter, and you would like to start receiving it directly, you can sign up by clicking here.
Thank you for the honor of serving as your state senator.
Sincerely,
Senator
Mike Padden
Your right to keep and bear arms was itself under attack in the Legislature this week. With hearings in both the House and the Senate on a number of gun-control proposals, citizens from across the state flocked to Olympia on Monday to voice their opposition to new laws that target law-abiding citizens and make it harder for them to exercise their fundamental right to self-defense.
Our gun rights are guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment, but in Washington, our state constitution does so as well. Article I, Section 24 states: “[t]he right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired....”
But that won’t stop some liberal lawmakers from trying.
You can click here to watch video of the Senate Law and Justice Committee hearing on this year’s gun bills.
Your child’s school would be required to teach “comprehensive” sex-ed to students as young as kindergarteners under a bill approved by the Senate on Wednesday.
ESSB 5395 would require every public school to provide comprehensive sexual health education, which must be phased in beginning with students in grades 6-12 by September 1, 2020, and then for students in grades K-5 by September 1, 2021.
The “comprehensive” program would include graphic material to teach students how to have sex and could include transgender promotion and other controversial topics that would be best handled by parents at home.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction ran a poll of 10,000 Washingtonians, asking about the legislation, and found that 58% of respondents didn’t want it. The people I am hearing from are more than 10-1 against this, and don’t want a controversial statewide program forced down the throats of local school districts.
The bill passed along party lines without a single Republican vote. It now moves to the House of Representatives.
Click here to view my comments on the bill.
On Tuesday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 6317, which would fix a problem caused by the state Department of Revenue that affects how concrete pumpers are taxed.
The bill, which I co-sponsored with Senators Shelly Short of Addy and Jeff Holy of Cheney, would define concrete pumping services for the purposes of the retailing business and occupation and retail sales taxes.
Concrete pumping is a construction service needed to safely move concrete to places where a concrete mixer cannot access.
As you may recall, it was last October when DOR changed its guidance on Rule 211, so that contractors could no longer use a reseller permit for stand-alone concrete-pumping services but could still use it for concrete-pumping services sold with other goods or services. Without legislative or stakeholder input, the DOR rule change resulted in chaos and confusion, and if implemented would have essentially resulted in double taxation.
What the agency wanted to do would be a huge problem for the concrete pumpers, and that impacted everyone else. For example, it would have added $50,000 to the cost of the Amazon project in Spokane for the cost of the concrete alone. SB 6317 addresses what would be a serious problem for concrete pumpers and many others.
Fortunately, a bipartisan group of us lawmakers working with the building industry was able to get DOR Director Vikki Smith to agree to delay implementation of the rule long enough for lawmakers to find a legislative solution.
This bill now has until Feb. 11 to be advanced by the fiscal committee.
Click here to read our full release on this topic.
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- On Tuesday the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Business held a public hearing on the House companion legislation to my human trafficking awareness and prevention measure. Under the bills (SB 6536 and HB 2320), hotels would have to provide annual training to their employees and post signage to help identify and report suspected human trafficking. The committee is scheduled to hold a vote on advancing the bill tomorrow.
- Later today, the Senate Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to hear testimony on SB 6296 – my bill to allow school employees in job-sharing positions to receive a prorated portion of the employer contribution towards benefits under the School Employees' Benefits Board. Essentially, this bill will allow districts to come up with job-sharing plans that are helpful in filling teacher and other school employee shortages.
- This morning, the Senate Law and Justice Committee voted to advance SB 6182, my bill concerning closed captioning on televisions in public accommodations. For those who are hearing-impaired, it is important that televisions in public places have their closed captioning feature activated. Otherwise, those with disabilities may be denied equal access to important safety information and news, as well as entertainment.
Page Sofia Vigil follows in footsteps of her mother, who paged for then-Rep. Padden
 This week’s page was Sofia Vigil, a tenth grader at Saint Michael's Academy in Spokane.
Like most pages, she spent the week learning the ins and outs of the legislative process, while getting firsthand experience observing floor debates and assisting with delivering messages to members in between votes.
Unlike other pages, however, Sofia had come to Olympia with some advance knowledge of what the paging process would be like. Equipped with photographic evidence in hand, Sofia shared that her mother was a legislative page approximately 30 years ago. In fact, Sofia’s mom, Jeanmarie Waco Vigil, served as a page for me when I was in the House. (I haven’t checked if her father, Mario Vigil, was also a page!)
Sofia is a bright and hardworking young lady, who enjoys music (she sings, as well as plays guitar and piano), reading, writing and playing volleyball.
It was a pleasure having her page for our office this week, and we were honored to have her represent our community as one of the flag bearers at the opening of our work in the Senate chamber on Monday.
 Learn more about Census 2020: why it matters, how to respond and ways to get involved in outreach. Live stream video available thanks to KSPS. Click here for more information.
If you have a question or concern about state government, please do not hesitate to contact our office. We are here to serve you!
Phone: (360) 786-7606
Street address: 106 Irv Newhouse Building, Capitol Campus, Olympia, WA 98504
Postal address: PO Box 40404, Olympia, WA 98504
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 office at (360) 786-7606.
To request public records from Sen. Padden, please contact Randi Stratton who is the designated public records officer for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate members.
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