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

Jan. 30, 2015

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The third week of the 2015 session is almost over and things are beginning to move quickly in Olympia. We have been busy this week, hearing bills in various committees, meeting with visitors to the Legislature and promoting good legislation to improve the lives and safety of Washingtonians. We’ve also been doing television, radio and print interviews to raise awareness of my bill to get tougher on repeat DUI offenders. You’ll find more on that issue and others in this week’s e-newsletter.

As always, if there is any way we can be of help, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the state Senate.

 

Best Regards,

Senator Mike Padden
4th Legislative District

 

Helping small businesses grow and thrive

This week, the Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee held a hearing on my bill to help our new businesses survive and thrive. Under Senate Bill 5339, a new business would be exempt from Washington’s business and occupation (B&O) tax for the first 12 months of operations. New small businesses (with fewer than 25 employees) would be exempt for the first 24 months.

Small businesses are critical to the economic health of our local communities. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses have generated 64 percent of new jobs, and paid 44 percent of the total United States private payroll.

Unfortunately, many new businesses never get the opportunity to grow and create jobs. The Gates Commission identified the B&O tax as one of the greatest burdens a new business must overcome. It is imposed on the gross receipts of business activities conducted in the state. The tax does not permit deductions for the costs of doing business, such as payments for raw materials and wages of employees.

SB 5339 is about increasing the odds that a new business will be successful and have an opportunity to create the jobs we need to get Washingtonians back to work.

 

Media covers our effort to get tough on repeat DUI offenders

Senate Bill 5105 would make a fourth DUI conviction in 10 years a felony. Of the 45 states that have felony-DUI laws Washington is the only state requiring five convictions within a 10-year period. Over the past two weeks, I have worked with the media to bring attention to the need for this bill. Below is just some of the news coverage we have received so far.

KIMA-TV: Yakima man's family works to tighten DUI laws

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

• Editorial: Tougher DUI laws needed in Washington, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin - ‎1/28/15
• Tougher DUI law needed, Yakima Herald-Republic - ‎1/28/15
• Washington bill: 4th-offense DUI a felony, KOIN – TV Portland - ‎1/22/15‎
• Washington bill would make fourth-offense DUI a felony, Yakima Herald-Republic- 1/21/15
• Washington state lawmaker seeks to toughen drunken driving laws, KFGO – 1/22/15
• Sound Off for January 26th: Should a fourth DUI be a felony in ..., KXLY Spokane 1/26/15
• Washington state lawmaker seeks to toughen drunken driving laws,GlobalPost - ‎1/22/15
• Washington State Lawmaker Seeks Tougher Drunken Driving Laws, Newsmax.com - ‎1/22/15
• Bill Would Make Fourth-Offense DUI a Felony, Nisqually Valley News - ‎1/22/15
• State bill would make fourth DUI a felony,Walla Walla Union-Bulletin - ‎1/22/15‎
• Washington bill would make fourth-offense DUI a felony,KGMI - ‎1/22/15
• Washington lawmaker proposes bill to lower felony DUI threshold to fourth offense, Greenfield Daily Reporter - ‎1/21/15‎
• Bill would make fourth DUI a felony, The Seattle Times - ‎1/21/15
• Proposed bill would make fourth-offense DUI a felony, Q13 FOX - ‎1/21/15‎

 

From the district… Spokane County Library District

John Craig, Gwendolyn Haley, Sen. Mike Padden and Doug Stumbough 

Today I received a visit from representatives of the Spokane County Library District. There are 10 libraries in the library district, which covers 1,700 square miles and serves more than 255,000 residents in unincorporated Spokane County and the cities of Cheney, Deer Park, Fairfield, Latah, Liberty Lake, Medical Lake, Millwood, Rockford, Spangle, Spokane Valley, Waverly, and Airway Heights.

Parental-notification bill to receive public hearing Monday

On Monday, the Senate Law and Justice Committee will hold a public hearing on Senate Bill 5289, also known as the parental-notification bill. This legislation would require that an underage girl’s parent or guardian be notified before she may have an abortion.

It would not require notice if the attending physician certifies that there is a time-sensitive medical emergency, if the parent or guardian waives their right to notice or if the need for notice is waived by a court.

This common-sense measure is about recognizing the right, responsibility and need for parents to be involved with their children’s lives. In a state where parental approval is needed to have a minor’s ears pierced or to give her an aspirin, parents should at least be informed of a medical procedure being performed on their child.

A 2013 poll conducted by Portland-based Moore Information found that 65 percent of those responding statewide were in favor of parental notification, and 77 percent in eastern Washington supported the policy.

A recent national Marist poll found that 80 percent of Americans support notification of the parents for underage children considering an abortion.