Republican lawmakers: Move schools, employers to next phase now
March 04, 2021
  ‘Open Safe, Open Now: A Republican plan for Phase 3 and Beyond’ shows trust in the people OLYMPIA…In response to sharply declining COVID-19 case rates and hospitalization rates statewide, legislative Republicans today announced a simple, practical and consistent plan to get all communities in Washington fully open for both... Read More...
E-Newsletter: Let’s get schools open… and where is Phase 3?
February 26, 2021
Hello Friends and Neighbors, As the halfway point of our scheduled 105-day session approaches, we’re spending our days on the “floor” of the Senate chamber debating and voting on legislation that cleared the necessary committee hurdles. The bills we’ve passed this week have been sent over to the House of... Read More...
E-Newsletter: A state income tax is not an emergency… I promise.
February 19, 2021
Hello Friends and Neighbors, I receive many emails, but one stood out this past week. It was in response to my February 12 report. “Your divisiveness is really frustrating,” the constituent wrote. The email also referred to a “continual need to divide and conquer rather than to work in a... Read More...
E-Newsletter: Washington… WE HAVE A BUDGET!
February 12, 2021
Hello Friends and Neighbors, In odd-numbered years like this, one of the Legislature’s highest priorities is to adopt three new state budgets. The operating budget covers the cost of running most state agencies, along with the services and programs they offer, and is by far the largest of the three.... Read More...
Senate Republicans unveil budget to help state restart and recover
February 11, 2021
Plan to get schools open and people back to work also doesn’t need more taxes OLYMPIA… Less than one-third of the way through the 2021 legislative session, Senate Republicans have stepped forward with a 2021-23 budget proposal aimed at restarting schools and bringing jobs back, while saving money for lower-income... Read More...
E-Newsletter: Fairness for Clark County!
February 05, 2021
Hello Friends and Neighbors, My office recently received a voice mail from a constituent asking that I schedule a particular bill for a public hearing. It was a friendly and heartfelt message, but I couldn’t honor the request – because only the chairs of committees get to make that decision,... Read More...
E-Newsletter: Where’s the pandemic relief?
January 29, 2021
Hello Friends and Neighbors, Week three of our very unusual legislative session is over. I’ll start this report by thanking everyone who has already phoned, emailed, or written to me about issues or specific bills. As I figured, becoming the budget leader for our Senate Republican Caucus has placed many... Read More...
E-Newsletter: When is ‘quiet’ not a good thing?
January 22, 2021
It was quiet at the Capitol this week, including on Inauguration Day. That was the same day as the Senate committee hearing on Senate Bill 5114, the bipartisan “safely reopen Washington” bill I’m co-sponsoring. The calm was not necessarily a good thing, however, and here’s why. One day in 2019,... Read More...
E-Newsletter: 2021 session begins… and it looks very different
January 15, 2021
January 15, 2021 Hello Friends and Neighbors, I’m glad to be able to report to you again about actions taking place at the state Capitol. Let’s catch up on a couple of important changes that happened ahead of the 2021 legislative session, which started Monday, then I’ll touch on some... Read More...