News from the Caucus

Schoesler maintains confidence that budget deal will be reached in time to avoid partial shutdown OLYMPIA…Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement of a third special legislative session to finalize negotiations on a budget for the 2017-19 biennium. “I fully expect the budget teams to submit a...

For the third time since lawmakers convened at the state Capitol in January, the Washington state Senate has unanimously passed Sen. Mike Padden’s bill to make a fourth DUI conviction in 10 years a felony. “We have only a few more days to act before the end of the current legislative session, and it is...

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...

Watch a video featuring comments from Sen. Padden and some of the Down syndrome self-advocates who attended today’s reading of Senate Resolution 8657, honoring those with Down syndrome and recognizing those individuals and organizations who advocate on their behalf.

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...

When Vancouver resident Tina Toth phoned state Sen. Ann Rivers’ office over three years ago, she had hit the bureaucratic equivalent of a brick wall and didn’t know where to turn. Toth had just lost custody of her two boys through a stunning decision to place them with her physically abusive ex-husband. A family-court commissioner...

Saying that there is still work to be done, today Sen. Mike Padden oversaw the Senate Law and Justice Committee’s review of several bills aimed at addressing human trafficking. “The Washington State Legislature has an excellent history of dealing with the issue of human trafficking,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley and chairman of the committee. “Shared...

On Wednesday, a bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden that would provide tax relief for Washington’s new small businesses was approved by the Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee. “We know that the first three years are the most critical to a small business being able to survive,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley. “Reforming the business-and-occupation...

Momentum and support continue to grow for Sen. Mike Padden’s bill to make a fourth DUI conviction in 10 years a felony. Today the state Senate Law and Justice Committee voted unanimously to approve Senate Bill 5105, which now moves one step closer to a vote of the full Senate. “These repeat-DUI offenders are the...

Law and Justice Committee hears testimony on Padden measure to make fourth DUI a felony When a father, mother, grandfather, husband or friend is ripped away by the actions of a drunk driver, the pain and impact caused by that can reverberate through a family and a community. The demand for justice and the desire...

Bill supporters to gather tomorrow at 37th annual March for Life in Olympia Calling it a common-sense measure to respect the rights of parents, Sen. Mike Padden today announced legislation to require that an underage girl’s parent or guardian be notified before she may have an abortion. Padden, R-Spokane Valley, plans to discuss Senate Bill...