Report from Olympia | March 5, 2020
  Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Hold on to your seats… and your wallets! The legislative session is rounding the curve into the final stretch.
We have exactly one week to go in the 2020 regular legislative session. Tomorrow is the final cut-off deadline for the Senate to approve bills that originated in the House of Representatives. Exceptions are made for bills necessary to implement the budget; those votes will be coming next week.
This week has had us working all day and late into the evening, passing bills out of the chamber. The quick pace is a key indicator that the end of the session is near. But there is still much work left to be done as Senate and House budget leaders reconcile differences in their proposals to produce a single set of supplemental budgets for approval by both chambers and the governor.
I’ll keep you updated, but in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your voice in the state Senate.
Best Regards,
Senator
Mike Padden
Video:
 Click here to watch video of debate on SHB 2567, banning ICE from making arrests near courthouses.
Criminals who are in the country illegally couldn’t be arrested within one mile of a courthouse under a bill passed by the state Legislature. Democrats pushed the legislation through the House and Senate, despite strong objections from Republicans, who argued that hampering law enforcement in such a large zone doesn’t make sense. You can click here to watch the TVW video coverage of the debate on this issue.
Legislative Update:
Bills await action by the full House
 As we work towards tomorrow’s cut-off deadline, several of my bills are in the House of Representatives. Here is a brief summary of where these bills stand:
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SB 6501, Concerning the unlawful disposition of human remains. In House Rules Committee, awaiting action.
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SB 6500, Addressing foster care licensing following a foster-family home licensee's move to a new location. PASSED the House 96-0! (See story below)
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SB 6297, Recognizing the experience of existing early learning providers to meet educational requirements. DIED in House Appropriations Committee.
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SB 6182, Concerning closed captioning on televisions in places of public accommodation. In House Rules Committee, awaiting action.
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SB 6181, Concerning compensation for parents of minor victims of crime. In House Rules Committee, awaiting action.
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SB 5299, Concerning impaired driving. In House Rules Committee, awaiting action.
In the News:
By Erin Robinson, KXLY | March 4, 2020
 Robyn Nance testifies in support of Senate Bill 6500.
Change is coming for foster families in Washington.
As it stands, foster families must notify their licensor before moving to a new location, even if they do not have a child in their care. If they don’t notify before the move, the state closes their license.
The rule lost the state of Washington more than 45 foster families in the last two years, including Robyn Nance and her family. Nance, who has long supported foster families and foster children, testified to lawmakers about her experience.
A new bill, introduced by Sen. Mike Padden (R-Spokane Valley), seeks to change the law and would allow foster families without children in their care more time to notify their licensors and make the appropriate changes after their move.
The bill has passed the House and the Senate and now waits for Governor Inslee’s signature.
Click here to read the full article.
Commentary:
Legislation would result in higher gas prices and wouldn’t significantly lower emissions.
 PADDEN NOTE: On Monday, hundreds of hardworking truck drivers and their rigs traveled from across the state to meet at the Capitol to protest House Bill 1110, ahead of an afternoon public hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee. The so-called “low-carbon fuel standard” is a controversial scheme that could result in price increases of up to 57 cents per gallon for gasoline and up to 63 cents per gallon for diesel.
By Kris Johnson, President of AWB | The Herald | March 2, 2020
Whether part of a transportation package, or passed on its own, a Low Carbon Fuel Standard should be rejected.
An LCFS would be costly, provide negligible reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and it would do nothing to improve our state’s crumbling transportation infrastructure. In fact, an LCFS would actually threaten transportation funding by adding to fuel costs without directing any funds toward road improvements or highway maintenance.
If enacted, an LCFS would require fuel suppliers to reduce the carbon “intensity” of gasoline and diesel fuels by either blending them with increasing amounts of biofuels or by purchasing compliance credits from suppliers of lower carbon fuels such as electricity or natural gas. Only two states have this fuel policy: California and more recently Oregon.
The California experience provides evidence that an LCFS would be costly and ineffective. The California Energy Commission reports the LCFS in California is currently adding about 19 cents per gallon to the cost of gasoline, not 9 cents as reported by the Herald. That was the added cost two years ago.
Click here to read the full commentary.
Constituent Question:
Washington's presidential primary will be held Tuesday (March 10), and we have received a number of questions about the process.
Two of the biggest questions/concerns we’ve received are “Do I have to choose a party,” and “Who all will know what party I choose?” For the presidential primary only, the major political parties require voters to mark a party box on the return envelope. You must mark and sign the political party declaration (box) on your envelope for it to count, according to RCW 29A.56.050. The party declarations are printed in accordance with WAC 434-219-155.
Both parties' primaries are listed on the same ballot in Washington, and you MUST sign a statement on the envelope promising you didn't vote in both. This becomes a matter of public record for 60 days, meaning in theory anyone could find out which party box you marked.
Additionally, refusing to select a choice will result in your ballot being rejected. As of Friday, more than 55,000 ballots in Spokane County have been returned.
While this may be upsetting to some, it is important to remember that this is not the same thing as a party registration, and you are free to vote differently this time than you did in the past or how you may choose to vote in the future.
If you have additional questions, you can learn more at the Secretary of State’s Election Information page.
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Meet this week’s Pages:
 Page Janaya Elkins at the Senate rostrum with her sponsor Sen. Mike Padden.
This week, I was happy to sponsor Janaya Elkins, a 16-year old University High School sophomore, to serve as our Senate Page. Janaya is the daughter of Jeff and Julie Elkins of Spokane Valley. She enjoys traveling, learning about biology and other issue related to a potential career in the medical field, and Christian studies.
Officially, I could only sponsor Janaya this week, so we secured page positions for two of her University High School classmates with my Senate colleague Jeff Holy of the 6th Legislative District.
 Karissa Broderson and Sarah Weaver paged this week, officially sponsored by Sen. Jeff Holy, R-Cheney.
Sarah Weaver is a 14-year-old freshman who enjoys reading, listening to music and singing. She plays tennis and the clarinet and is involved in an advanced leadership class. She is the daughter of Spokane Valley resident Ashley Brewer.
Fellow-freshman Karissa Broderson also paged this week. She is the 15-year old daughter of Erik and Julia Broderson of Spokane Valley. Karissa has been a peer tutor and participated in cross country, softball, volleyball, track and debate.
Helping to bring so many young people to Olympia this year to learn about the legislative process through our Legislative Page program has been an honor.
The 2020 Census counts every person living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. The count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. Each home will receive an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire—online, by phone, or by mail.
The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, some of the money you send to Washington, D.C. comes back to our community -- to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data.
The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
The direct link to the official online form is http://My2020Census.gov. It's set to be officially open to the public March 12 - July 31.
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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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