Report from Olympia | April 13, 2021
 A victory for the culture of life!
 Dear Friends and Neighbors,
One of the ways the Legislature limits the number of new bills that eventually become law is by setting up a series of “cut-off” deadlines. These make sure legislation is gaining enough support, quickly enough, to make it to the next step in the legislative process.
One of the more important of these cutoffs arrived this past Sunday at 5 p.m. It was the deadline for each chamber to advance legislation that was originally introduced and passed in the opposite chamber. Several measures I introduced survived this deadline and are now hopefully on their way to becoming law. You may read more about them below.
Sometimes, the bills that survive the deadlines are not the best indicator of our state’s values – instead, you look at what fails to gain enough support to move forward. An example is the life-affirming defeat of legislation that would have expanded access to assisted suicide in our state. Due to the hard work of several individuals and organizations, the bill, which would have made it easier for someone to take his or her own life, was not brought up for a Senate vote prior to Sunday’s deadline. It was a clear victory for the culture of life in our state!
Unfortunately, the House refused to advance our legislation to increase the lookback period on felony DUI cases. Even during the pandemic, with fewer people than normal needing to drive to work and with bars closed, we have seen an increase in DUI fatalities. Our legislation would help save lives, and it is quite disappointing that the House Appropriations Committee has stood in the way of this bill for yet another year.
There are less two weeks until the 2021 legislative session ends, on April 25.
Best Regards,
Senator
Mike Padden
Focus on Life:
Physician-assisted suicide law rewrite deserves a death without dignity
by Dr. Sharon Quick, WA state director for the American Academy of Medical Ethics
The News Tribune | April 9, 2021
Washington state lawmakers are considering altering current law to allow non-physicians to determine eligibility for and write lethal prescriptions for terminally ill patients with a six-month prognosis.
House Bill 1141 would shorten the waiting period to receive lethal drugs from 15 days to 72 hours and eliminate it when life expectancy is less than 72 hours.
A physician’s role is to value patients’ inherent dignity, regardless of their condition. This benevolent responsibility turns malevolent when physicians offer lethal drugs to terminally ill patients — who may be in reversible, temporary despair —within a short time frame of 72 hours.
This fails to allow time for palliative care and mental health interventions, after which many patients change their minds and choose not to hasten death.
Click here to read the full article.
NOTE: In the middle of a pandemic when several people – from teens to the elderly – are struggling with isolation, anxiety and depression, the last thing the Legislature should do is make it easier for people to take their own lives. HB 1141 failed to fully advance this year. It was passed by the House majority and two Senate committees but didn’t come to a vote by the full Senate!
Fortunately, several individuals (including a number of doctors and members of medical organizations) came together to fight this ill-conceived legislation, along with many members of the disability community and their advocates, the Washington Medical Association, the Family Policy Institute of Washington, the Washington State Catholic Conference and Human Life of Washington.
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Majority pushes regressive new energy taxes
 A pair of bills that would quickly raise the cost of gas by a minimum of 55 cents per gallon were narrowly passed by the Senate majority Thursday night, after an eight-hour battle from Republicans. These bills would impose very regressive and extremely large fuel-tax increases!
Under the mantra of carbon reduction, the majority passed legislation that would devastate the poor, minorities, farmers and families by diving up the cost of fuel by as much as 75 cents a gallon at full implementation. The cost would come in addition to state and federal gas taxes totaling 67.8 cents a gallon, already fourth-highest in the country. There is also a proposal under consideration this year for a 9.8 cent increase in transportation-related gas taxes. (You can see the roll-call vote on these bills in the images below.)
Vote on final passage of the Cap-and-Tax Carbon Scheme
 Vote on final passage of the High-Cost Fuel Standard
 House Bill 1091, a measure imposing a so-called “low-carbon fuel standards” program, passed the Senate 27-20. Senate Bill 5126, imposing a cap-and-tax scheme, passed 25-24. Both measures go to the House for further consideration.
Together, the bills would have a far-reaching effect on the Washington economy, stifling business and job creation, and forcing low-income Washington residents to suffer a big financial hit.
Legislation Update:
Several bills clear House by key ‘cut-off’ deadline
 Condo-construction bill unanimously approved by House
On April 8, the House of Representatives unanimously passed our measure to help increase the supply of affordable housing by removing barriers to condominium construction. This is tremendous news for both homebuilders and those looking for more affordable homeownership. This bill will not only reduce the cost of inspections by allowing them to be conducted by any qualified architect, but it will also make some additional financing options available for construction of these units.
The benefits of homeownership are very important – improving health, public safety and even personal happiness. Click here to read more.
House passes Anti-SLAPP legislation
The House of Representatives voted 97-1 on Friday to approve our measure to help protect citizens, whistleblowers and members of the news media from frivolous lawsuits aimed at stifling freedom of speech and the discussion of legitimate public issues. Click here to read more.
Legislature unanimously approves bill to expand voting options for cooperative associations
Last week, the House of Representatives unanimously passed our measure to let members of cooperative associations cast votes electronically and through other methods needed due to the restrictions of the pandemic. The bill also passed the Senate unanimously in February. These new options will help cooperative associations function legally and safely. It’s a simple solution to give these non-profits the same tools many other organizations already utilize. Click here to read more.
Bill will help those with hearing impairments access important emergency news
Senate Bill 5027 is a critical bill for those who are hearing-impaired. It makes sure that they have access to critical information from televisions in public places. The Senate voted 48-1 in February to approve the measure, with the House voting 97-0 iin support of the bill on April 5. SB 5027 will help people with hearing impairments by increasing the availability of closed captioning on televisions in public places. Click here to read more.
In the News:
Clock ticking as Washington lawmakers consider new drug-possession law
By Joseph O'Sullivan, The Seattle Times | April 4, 2021
The state Supreme Court's decision in February striking down Washington's drug possession statute — essentially invalidating decades of felony convictions — changed the discussion overnight.
…Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, has sponsored Senate Bill 5471, which would bring back a felony possession statute for people who knowingly possess illegal drugs. Similar legislation was also filed by a pair of moderate Democrats and other Republicans after the Blake decision.
"If a guy has a $1,000 dollar a month drug habit and isn't working, they're going to be committing robberies and burglaries ...to feed that habit," said Padden. "And now, with this case, we don't have the leverage" to hold them accountable or compel them to get treatment."
Click here to read the full story.
Back-to-School News:
Mead School District students to move to full in-person learning April 23
The board also approved the decision to reduce the social distancing measurement from 6 feet to 3 feet.
 By Kaitlin Riordan, KREM 2 News | April 12, 2021
The Mead School Board voted unanimously Monday evening to return all students to in-person learning starting Friday, April 23.
The board also approved the decision to reduce the social distancing measurement from 6 feet to 3 feet, as recommended by the CDC. Students will remain 6 feet apart while eating.
Starting next week, students will have their regular A/B schedule Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday will be remote and then all students will return Friday.
Students who want to remain virtual the rest of the year can.
Click here to read more.
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 Olympia office, which will be open starting Jan. 6, 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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