News from the Caucus

    LISTEN: Reaction to Gov. Ferguson’s budget plan Democrats want to raise taxes. We want to implement savings and efficiencies. What does Gov. Ferguson want? The new governor held a press conference Thursday to share “savings and efficiencies” he’d like to see incorporated into the budget. Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, is the Senate Republican...

OLYMPIA… As Sen. Matt Boehnke suspected, there is strong public support for legislation he has proposed to realign Washington’s vehicle-emissions rules with federal standards instead of California’s. Today the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee held a public hearing on the Kennewick Republican’s measure, which also aims to bring more accountability to state emissions standards....

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 amendment to Senate Bill 5174, which was offered by the chair of the...

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 families, seniors on a fixed income, and anyone else trying to make ends meet while energy...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, has filed legislation encouraging federal lawmakers to protect the four lower Snake River dams from removal. Senate Joint Memorial 8010 formally requests approval of the Northwest Energy Security Act, introduced late last month by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse and an Idaho senator. That...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, came into the 2025 legislative session to find common ground with the Senate majority – and it’s working. Two full weeks into this year’s session, 14 of the 17 bills filed by Boehnke, the ranking Republican on the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick OLYMPIA… The state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) held a special meeting on September 13 to approve the revised site certification agreement for the controversial Horse Heaven Wind Project. Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, believes the EFSEC’s process to approve the revised site certification agreement (SCA) did not properly account for...

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, today responded to public comments recently made by Gov. Jay Inslee that attempt to divert attention from evidence in a Washington Policy Center blog showing the governor knew it was false to claim his “cap-and-trade” tax on carbon-dioxide emissions would not increase gas prices, or would do so only...

WSDOT actions latest example of executive mismanagement, lack of accountability OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, offered the following comments in reaction to a KING-TV story about a lawsuit that reportedly will be filed soon on behalf of a former employee of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The employee, an economist and formerly...

State Sen. Mark Schoesler issued this statement following this morning’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy that it will provide $1 billion to Washington, Oregon and Montana to establish eight hydrogen production sites across the three states: “This would not happen without hydropower. Our state has a strong and reliable hydropower system that provides...

OLYMPIA… While raking in more than $1 billion from the carbon-pricing program that is behind Washington’s crushingly high fuel prices, the state Department of Ecology isn’t being fully open about who is buying and holding the carbon credits. A state senator says that has to change. The state’s Climate Commitment Act requires Ecology to post...

OUR VOICE: INSLEE’S CAP AND TRADE A BAD PLAN FOR WASHINGTON If the cap-and-trade were successful, the revenues would decrease and schools and transportation would be left underfunded, again. At best, if successful, the plan is a stopgap. (March 13, 2015) Read the full editorial here.   INSLEE’S BUDGET GOALS ARE GOOD; APPROACH IS RISKY...