IN THE NEWS: Emergency powers reform During the pandemic, former Gov. Jay Inslee held emergency gubernatorial powers for more than 900 days and only he could determine when those powers would end. While it's important for the governor to have the power...
kimberlywirtz
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State government committee passes a bill that would sabotage the citizen-initiative process
HELP STOP SENATE BILL 5382 "This bill is completely absurd and un-American." - 14th LD constituent The current Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (Democrat) and former Secretary of State Sam Reed (Republican) BOTH oppose SB 5382 and say it would not be good for...
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Senate Republicans introduce 18 bills to address housing crisis
OLYMPIA… Washington State Senate Republicans today unveiled a bold new housing strategy aimed at tackling the growing housing affordability crisis, partly by making it easier to build homes. The details of the package of legislation called Housing Solutions Washington...
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UPDATE: An even worse version of the wood stove bill passed out of committee today
CHAIR OF THE COMMITTE MAKES SENATE BILL 5174 WORSE The bill that would more tightly regulate wood-burning stoves not only passed out of the Senate's Environment, Energy and Technology Committee today. It did so with an amendment that makes the bill worse. The...
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NEWSFLASH: The week ahead in the Legislature Feb. 17-21
TESTIFY FOR EMERGENCY POWERS REFORM TOMORROW State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections 10:30 a.m. in Senate Hearing Room 2 John A. Cherberg Building Capitol Campus, Olympia HOW TO TESTIFY A bill to reform gubernatorial emergency powers will receive a hearing...
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A bill to overregulate wood stoves due to be voted out of committee tomorrow
HELP STOP SENATE BILL 5174 "This is ridiculous overreach!" - 4th LD Constituent Wood-burning stoves are a critical home-heating source for many homeowners across Washington. Rural families depend on them more than those who live in bigger cities. Lower-income...
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NEWSFLASH: K-12 learning loss leaving our kids behind
Recent test scores for Washington's fourth and eighth graders show that learning loss in K-12 education continues to be a serious problem. This is due to a lasting impact from the pandemic, but it's also a result of the Legislature forcing ideological content into the...
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BILL ALERT: SB 5181 coming to the Senate floor for a vote today
SB 5181 undermines parents' rights Senate Democrats are bringing a bill that all parents should be concerned about to the floor TODAY for debate and a vote. Since the floor leader will not bring a bill up for a vote unless they are sure it will pass, we expect...
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Senate Republicans announce committee leadership for 2025 legislative session
OLYMPIA…The Washington State Senate Republican Caucus today announced which of its members will serve as the lead Republicans on Senate policy and budget committees for the 2025-26 legislative term. The full slate of committee assignments will be finalized through a...
Senate Republicans announce 2025 caucus leaders
OLYMPIA…Washington Senate Republicans today elected their leadership team for the 2024-25 legislative term. Leader: Sen. John Braun, Centralia Caucus Chair: Sen. Judy Warnick, Ellensburg Floor Leader: Sen. Shelly Short, Addy Whip: Sen. Keith Wagoner, Sedro Woolley...
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Braun: Retiring Sen. Mike Padden Legislature’s strongest advocate of public safety
OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, shared the following sentiments after an announcement by Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, saying he will not seek reelection to the 4th District Senate seat he has held since 2011. Sen. Padden is currently...
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Legislative Republicans support ban to prohibit a personal income tax
Click here for a timeline of the 11 voter rejections of an income tax in Washington state. OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, and House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, released the following statement in response to the...