Senate Republicans’ plan addresses affordable-housing problem in Washington

Published on November 13, 2018
Legislation focuses on increasing supply of housing to help reduce homelessness Senate Republicans announced today they will introduce a package of bills in 2019 to address one of the main causes of Washington’s homelessness problem: the lack of affordable and available housing. At a news conference held at Quixote Village, an Olympia-based community of 30... Read More

Schoesler: We must redouble our efforts to keep Amazon jobs in Washington

Published on November 13, 2018
Senate Republican leader concerned for retail leviathan’s future investment in local job growth OLYMPIA…Amazon’s announcement today of two locations – New York City and Arlington, Virginia – as the homes for new headquarters ends the long and closely watched search for its next wave of investment and employment. The decision also begins a new conversation... Read More

Students are now missing school, statewide officials absent

Published on August 30, 2018
For one week and counting top state officials have been unresponsive to a request from Sen. John Braun to help prevent school closures. On Aug. 24 the Senate Republican budget leader sent a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal requesting they take an active... Read More

Padden: Supreme Court’s 1-940 ruling protects initiative process, ensures public vote

Published on August 28, 2018
No monkey business with initiatives, court tells Legislature A state Supreme Court ruling Tuesday sends a police-deadly-force initiative to the November ballot, protects the initiative process, and establishes the supremacy of the state constitution over the whims of some legislators who find it inconvenient, says Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley. Padden was one of the... Read More

Senate Republican leader concerned over ‘representation fees’ in third inquiry to Governor over changes in union dues

Published on July 13, 2018
OLYMPIA… After receiving no direct response from the Governor, Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler sent a third letter July 12, requesting clarification from Gov. Jay Inslee on how Washington plans to address changes to union dues collections. “I’m concerned that there are conversations happening behind closed doors to circumvent the Supreme Court decision, including discussions... Read More

Schoesler letter to governor sheds light on troubling union practices in wake of Janus decision

Published on July 10, 2018
OLYMPIA…In a letter delivered Monday to Gov. Jay Inslee, Sen. Mark Schoesler called attention to guilt and scare tactics used by a state-worker union toward a member wanting to end salary deductions for unwanted union membership. Such deductions are now illegal under last month’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Janus v. American Federation of State,... Read More