March 4, 2023 Hello Friends and Neighbors, We spent all this week on the “floor” of the Senate chamber, working until very late last night on legislation that not only came through the policy and fiscal committees. It was a good week for the bills I’ve prime-sponsored: four made it...

Feb. 24, 2023 Hello Friends and Neighbors, I’m glad to be the Republican leader on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, but also glad this week is over. Please keep reading for why. A quick update on the police-pursuit issue from a week ago: it was good to see The...

Feb. 17, 2023 Hello Friends and Neighbors, Today brought the first deadline or “cutoff” of the 2023 legislative session. We’ll hit six more deadlines during the 65 days remaining in the session, with the final one being the day we adjourn. That should be April 23. The cutoffs force policy...

Feb. 11, 2023 Hello Friends and Neighbors, You may not have heard the term “silver tsunami.” It refers to the growing number of people in our state and nation who are reaching the age where they need specialized care at home – so many people that the caregiving industry could...

After Clark County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jeremy Brown was murdered while on duty in July 2021, there was reason to connect his killing with what were then the new state restrictions on police pursuits. The people arrested for Sgt. Brown’s killing reportedly were suspects in a burglary the day before, but...

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...

July 2022 Hello Friends and Neighbors, By now you should have received your primary ballot. Don’t forget to fill it out and turn it in on time! There are many important elections to consider, from local (Clark County sheriff) and legislative (all House positions, including our 17th District) to statewide...

June 2022 Hello Friends and Neighbors, I hope this report finds you and your loved ones doing OK. I wish I had good news about the affordability issues facing families here and across our state, but none of the 303 laws created by the Legislature this year will provide significant...

April 14, 2022 Hello Friends and Neighbors, My previous report mentioned how most of the legislation passed during our 2022 session takes effect 90 days from the end of the session. The 90-day standard is in Article II, Section 1 of our state constitution. There are two exceptions: new laws...

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...