Legislature must find water-well solution - Spokesman Editorial The Impact "Hirst decision debated between House and Senate" - KOZI "Legislature gearing up for Hirst bill negotiations" - The Columbian "State Senate passes bill (again) aimed at solving controversy over...
In late 2016, the state Supreme Court issued a ruling resulting from a challenge to rules in Whatcom County relating to the Growth Management Act. The ruling turned decades of water law on its head by requiring local jurisdictions, such as counties, to make...
Published opinion pieces from members of the Majority Coalition Caucus draw the connections between McCleary and the long-running effort to impose an income tax. Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, in The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review, Jan. 8, 2017: Income tax...
Whether a capital gains income tax is constitutional is one issue; whether it would end with that is another. Capital gains income tax revenue is highly volatile, as are other taxes aimed at the wealthy. When the economy goes into a downturn, lawmakers will be left to...
Advocates of an income tax last year managed to collect signatures to place one proposal on the ballot in the city of Olympia. When voters rejected the idea, they took their campaign to the city of Seattle -- where the council voted May 1 to direct staff to come up...
Proposals for an income tax -- even in the form of a narrowly based tax on capital gains income -- are prompting dismay among those who recognize Washington's unique economy is built around its unique tax structure. Consequences could be dramatic. Matt...
Senate passes the Small Business Bonding Relief bill
It obviously has not been easy for lawmakers to come up with legislation that fixes the constitutional issue about school levies raised in the McCleary ruling, treats students and taxpayers in 295 diverse districts equitably and responds to long-standing compensation...
Education Equality Act would make student-centered, teacher-friendly reforms Senate Majority Coalition Caucus members today introduced landmark reforms that would return state government to the role of primary provider for Washington’s K-12 schools while finally...
"The Campaign for Student Success applauds the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus for introducing the Education Equality Act to address McCleary and focusing on student-focused solutions for all students, attracting and retaining great educators and accountability and...
The Senate Republican Caucus released details about its Education Equality Act. Below is a statement from State Superintendent Chris Reykdal on the proposal. Olympia - Jan. 27, 2017 - We’re at a crossroad on education funding. The state Supreme Court has said the...
This week Republican legislative leaders had their first meeting of the session with statehouse reporters. As expected the press corps asked first about education funding – including, when will they see a plan from Republicans to fully fund our K-12 schools? A...
