Emergency Powers
E-News: 2023 session concludes with major public-safety issue unresolved
Part of the job of Senate Republican budget leader is standing in the Senate chamber to speak about whether to vote for or against the budget being debated. That’s what is happening in this photo from Sunday afternoon, hours before this year’s regular legislative session ended. April 27, 2023...
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Bipartisan bill to reform antiquated emergency-powers law is likely dead already, days into new session
OLYMPIA… It appears Democrats in the state Senate have already decided to keep protecting the ability of Washington’s governor to unilaterally take control of residents’ lives for an indefinite period. Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, said she was informed yesterday – day two of Washington’s 2023 legislative session – that bipartisan...
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STATEMENT: Lawmakers should say ‘no more’ to being shut out during state of emergency
VANCOUVER… With Gov. Jay Inslee’s 975-day COVID state of emergency ending today, state Sen. Lynda Wilson says legislators should commit to completing the reform of Washington’s 1969 emergency-powers law when they meet in 2023. Wilson, R-Vancouver, had introduced bills during each of the past two legislative sessions to address flaws...
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E-Newsletter: Still no tax relief???!!!
Hello Friends and Neighbors, I hope the arrival of fall finds you and your loved ones doing alright – or at least getting by. The pandemic and soaring price inflation have been a real one-two punch to families everywhere, especially here in Washington. While other states are providing tax relief...
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STATEMENT: End to state of emergency is welcome but long overdue, say Republican leaders
OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun and Sen. Lynda Wilson, author of legislation to reform Washington’s emergency-powers law, offered these reactions to today’s announcement by Gov. Jay Inslee that his COVID state of emergency will end Oct. 31, after 976 days. From Senator Braun, R-Centralia: “The state of emergency could...
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E-Newsletter: Time is getting short…
March 5, 2022 Hello Friends and Neighbors, The end of the 2022 legislative session is less than a week away, and yesterday brought the last of the major deadlines for acting on bills. With the exception of budget-related legislation, the Senate is officially done voting on House bills for the...
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E-Newsletter: Why more taxes when it’s raining money?
[[VIEW_THIS]] Feb.18, 2022 Hello Friends and Neighbors, In the same week that state government’s budget surplus hit the $15 BILLION mark, the state Senate rushed a bill through that would mean triple-digit increases in certain costs for Washington drivers and has our neighboring states accusing ours of trying to tax...
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Senate passes emergency-powers bill without Republican improvements
OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun and Sen. Lynda Wilson, prime sponsor of two bipartisan bills to reform Washington’s emergency-powers law, offered this statement today following the passage of Senate Bill 5909. The measure received a 29-20 vote, after amendments offered by Wilson, R-Vancouver, and Braun, R-Centralia, were turned down...
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E-Newsletter: Your response to my survey
Feb. 4, 2022 Hello Friends and Neighbors, We’re at a point in the 2022 session when bills begin to stall – or “die,” as some put it – because there isn’t enough support to move them forward. This can happen for several reasons. For instance, a bill may need more...
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E-Newsletter: It’s a new record!
Jan. 28, 2022 Hello Friends and Neighbors, If you had asked me Monday morning, I would have said the 11 bills I’d filed during the first two weeks of our session – the latest being an updated version of my emergency-powers reform – would be it. But after seeing the...
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