Senator Padden deserving of award

You might recall that a few weeks ago, I wrote about my colleague, 4th District Senator Mike Padden of Spokane Valley, who announced he is retiring when his current term ends, rather than seeking reelection in November.

Although he cares about several legislative issues, Mike especially has been focused on crime and public safety, which is why he has served as either the chair or ranking Republican on the Senate Law and Justice Committee for many years.

During our years together in the Senate, we have co-sponsored several anti-crime bills, including those that impose tougher penalties on crimi...