Report from Olympia | January 26, 2022
  Dear Friends and Neighbors,
In a short legislative session, there is no time to waste. Bills are receiving hearings and being voted out of committee – some have even made it over to the other chamber already. The deadline for policy bills to be voted out of their committee is February 3, a week from tomorrow.
Several of the bills I have introduced have or will receive hearings this week. A few may receive committee approval before the week ends. You can read more about those in the legislative update below.
One of the big topics this year is the right to life, which is under steady assault from the majority party. They have bills aimed at locking in place policies like medically assisted suicide and abortion on demand. Pro-life policies are also before the Legislature. You can read about those bills below as well.
If you have questions about how to participate in state government this year or thoughts to share on anything in this e-newsletter, please give me a call, send me an e-mail or contact our district office.
Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving as your state senator!
Best Regards,
 Senator Mike Padden
Video Update:
‘Spokane Talks Media’ talks police reform and public safety with Sen. Padden
 Click here or on the image above to watch Sen. Padden discuss public safety legislation in the inaugural episode of Legislative Update with Sue Lani Madsen.
In the News:
Showing or selling a fake COVID vaccine card could become a crime in Washington
By Austin Jenkins, Northwest News Network | Jan. 24, 2022
 On Monday, the Senate Law and Justice Committee will take public testimony on a bill introduced by Democratic state Sen. Jesse Salomon of Shoreline that would make it a misdemeanor to use a forged or falsified COVID-19 vaccination document.
The proposal, which has five other Senate Democratic co-sponsors, would also make it a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine to sell or transfer false COVID-19 vaccine cards.
…State Sen. Mike Padden, the ranking Republican on the Law and Justice Committee, said Friday there are more important public safety issues facing the state and he doesn’t think fake vaccine cards are “that big of a problem” in Washington.
“I think there’s bigger fish to fry than that, but we’ll see what the public hearing brings out,” Padden said.
Padden said there are other laws dealing with forged documents. This year, Padden has introduced bills to address organized retail theft, drug possession and rollback several of the police accountability reforms passed last year.
Click here to read the full story.
Legislative Update:
Padden bills receive hearings; committee votes scheduled for later this week
As I mentioned earlier, the pace of legislative action moves more quickly during a short 60-day session. Several of the measures I’m prime-sponsoring have received hearings already. A few are scheduled to receive committee votes later this week.
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Senate Bill 5710 is aimed at reducing contamination in the state toxicology laboratory. An investigation revealed that between October 2018 and June 2019, at least 8 cases of cross contamination were found to have taken place at the state toxicology lab in Seattle. It’s important, especially for the criminal-justice system and other public agencies, that toxicology reports be accurate and credible. This bill would require testing for contamination at the lab, as well as require that the lab produce an annual report on its findings and submit it to the Washington State Forensic Investigations Council, the Senate Law and Justice Committee and the House Public Safety Committee.
The bill received a hearing on Monday in our Law and Justice Committee and is scheduled for a vote tomorrow.
- The committee also held a hearing on Senate Bill 5733, which deals with the issue of civil-asset forfeiture. The bipartisan bill would require government agencies that seize personal property during a criminal investigation, prior to a conviction, to keep certain records about the property seized and forfeited under state law and any agreement with any federal agency for each forfeiture. People have a constitutional right to be secure in their property and have full due process under the law. The measure is expected to clear the committee tomorrow.
- Also on Monday, the Transportation Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 5332, which would clarify equipment requirements for wheeled all-terrain vehicles. The bill is technical in nature and would add a definition of required equipment to the law that covers ORV and WATVs. It got a late start last session and didn’t have time for a final House vote. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get it across the finish line this year.
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The week ahead: Tomorrow the Law and Justice Committee will hold a hearing on Senate Bill 5781, a measure to deal with organized retail theft – a crime you may have seen featured in recent news reports. It is one of the bills included in our Republican “Safe Washington” package.
You can watch live video of the hearing on www.TVW.org starting at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.
You can find all of my bills at the Washington Legislature website.
In the News:
GOP Lawmakers Announce Bills Targeting Washington's 'Anti-Policing' Laws
By Shari Phiel, The Columbian | Jan. 6, 2022
 Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza addresses a crowd at the Adna Grange Hall last August on the topic of police reform.
JARED WENZELBURGER / JARED@CHRONLINE.COM
State House and Senate Republicans on Wednesday announced a set of "Safe Washington" legislative proposals, a package of bills aimed at reforming what lawmakers call "anti-policing" laws that went into effect in July.
"During the last legislative session, the majority dropped the ball on public safety," said state Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, at a press conference. "They systematically removed some critical tools for law enforcement, reduced punishment for criminals and missed opportunities to protect the public."
Padden, the ranking member of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, said rising crime rates across the state are the result of those new laws.
The package of 22 House bills and 21 Senate bills primarily takes aim at House Bill 1310 and House Bill 1054, passed during the 2021 legislative session. HB 1310 requires police officers to use the least amount of force necessary and limits when police can pursue a suspect. HB 1054 bans law enforcement from using "military equipment" such as .50-caliber ammunition or greater.
Click here to read the full article.
In the News:
Spokane County wants to change state law to prevent utility tax from Spokane
By Samantha Wohlfeil, Inlander | Jan. 20, 2022
 Spokane taxes its own wastewater treatment facility (pictured) 20 percent and could collect that tax on the county's plant in city limits. (Photo credit: Young Kwak)
As Spokane considers collecting millions per year in wastewater taxes from residents who live outside the city, regional leaders are trying to stop the "taxation without representation" by taking the argument to the state level.
Spokane County Commissioner Al French said the tax — which the county has estimated would raise affected residents' utility bills by about $12.50 per month — will only benefit city residents.
"Quite frankly, this is like forcing your neighbor to pay for your new car," French told lawmakers last week.
…A new bill in the Legislature has been proposed to prevent the tax. State Sen. Mike Padden, a Republican representing the 4th district (including eastern Spokane County, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and Millwood), introduced Senate Bill 5621, which would prevent cities from levying taxes on a county-owned "sewerage facility or water facility." Under the bill, cities could charge facilities only to mitigate the actual impacts they have.
People on either side testified to the Senate Housing and Local Government Committee on Jan. 12.
Click here to read the full article.
Spokane Walk for Life marks sixth straight year
 This past weekend, I had the pleasure of participating in the Spokane Walk for Life. The 6th annual event, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s horrific Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, was a wonderful testament to the strength of the Spokane and Inland NW pro-life movement.
The goal of the walk is to be a vocal and visual message that people of the Northwest stand for life; to reach out to women harmed by abortion and to inform society of the damage done to women by abortion; and to make it clear that all life matters.
Thank you, Dr. Bill Lile, who spoke out eloquently about the medical needs of his tiniest patients – babies in the womb. He informed us about blood transfusions, spina bifida and open-heart surgeries all done in the womb. A person is a person no matter how small.
The issue of life is at the forefront of legislative action this year. With the U.S. Supreme Court set to reconsider the issue soon, lawmakers on both sides of the issue have introduced legislation. I have two bills up for consideration this session. Senate Bill 5053 would require parental notification for abortions performed on a minor. Senate Bill 5614 would prohibit abortion based on Down syndrome.
My colleague Sen. Phil Fortunato of Auburn also has proposed important pro-life bills. SB 5516 would require informed consent before an abortion could be performed. SB 5625 would mandate that abortionists send data to the state Department of Health regarding the number of failed abortions resulting in a live birth, the number of patients who become unintentionally sterile during an abortion, and the average length of stay in the hospital due to abortion-related complications. These are important facts that any woman considering abortion should know.
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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