In January, the Legislature must make a fourth DUI a felony. By Mike Padden Special to The Times AFTER 176 days of work, state lawmakers passed a historic budget that lowers tuition for the first time, puts record amounts of funding into basic education and makes significant investments in mental health — all with no […]
Read MoreKING5: State lawmakers investigating Snohomish County clean energy contracts
EVERETT, Wash. — A series of contracts awarded by the Snohomish County Public Utilities District through a state clean energy grant program are under investigation by state lawmakers, some of whom are concerned about potential conflicts of interest between public and private entities. Central to questions being raised, mostly by Senate Republicans, are dealings between […]
Read MoreSeattle Times: Don’t play politics with drought relief funding
Sen. Judy Warnick, chair of the Agriculture, Water & Rural Economic Development Committee says ensuring farmers get the water they need to get their crops to market is not a partisan issue. Read more http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/dont-play-politics-with-drought-relief-funding/
Read MoreBurned, beaten and locked away: State fails disabled woman
Seattle Times: Reducing class size starts with building more classrooms
AT a time when the Legislature is debating the best way to pay for basic education in K-12 schools, it makes sense to start with the most basic element of all: classrooms. No matter what we do this legislative session, we’re going to need more of them. That means tackling an outdated school-construction model that […]
Read MoreAfter OIC scandal Spokesman-Review endorses Sen. Padden’s efforts to ensure judicial independence
After the scandal at the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, Sen. Mike Padden’s bill is vital reform to bring greater safeguards and independence to the state’s administrative judicial system. So says the editorial board of the Spokesman-Review “Administrative law courts are an important venue for resolving all manner of complaints against the state, and they […]
Read More