News from the Caucus

‘Open Safe, Open Now: A Republican plan for Phase 3 and Beyond’ shows trust in the people   READ THE PLAN 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 school and...

I can’t tell you how many people contacted my Senate office during the past nine-plus months about the unprecedented actions Governor Inslee has taken since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of them, using words that made their frustration or desperation obvious, asked what legislators could do regarding the dozens of proclamations he’s made since...

OLYMPIA…After an historic day in the Washington State Legislature where changes to the rules were adopted to allow for the 2021 Legislative Session to continue remotely, Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released a statement. Braun said he’s disappointed that majority Democrats refused to bend on new Senate operating rules for the 2021 legislative session...

OLYMPIA…Washington State Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following statement regarding protests in Washington, D.C. that have resulted in breaches of security, a lockdown of the U.S. Capitol and the distribution of gas masks to legislators.   “What we are seeing at our nation’s Capitol today is unacceptable. I condemned the violent protests...

Dear Governor Inslee: As the letter yesterday documented, my caucus—as per the provisions of RCW 43.06.220(4)–did not approve of the extension of the statutory waivers and suspensions ordered in Proclamations 20-58 and 20-63. The immediate cause of our caucus’ disapproval is your continued shutdown of restaurants and gyms without a firm basis in data and...

“As Washingtonians are forced to comply with the detailed demands of the governor for marginal impacts on public health, he has demanded no accountability from important state agencies involved in the pandemic response. His Employment Security Department failed to prevent massive fraud and deliver timely unemployment benefits to those in desperate need. It continues to...

Announcing the 2021 committee assignments for the members of the Washington State Senate Republican Caucus: Committee assignments by committee Committee assignments by member

OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued this statement in response to Monday’s announcement by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and California Gov. Gavin Newsom that they have an agreement on a shared vision for reopening their states’ economies and controlling COVID-19 into the future. “If Washington shares a vision with...

Schoesler maintains confidence that budget deal will be reached in time to avoid partial shutdown OLYMPIA…Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement of a third special legislative session to finalize negotiations on a budget for the 2017-19 biennium. “I fully expect the budget teams to submit a...

EVERETT, Wash. — A series of contracts awarded by the Snohomish County Public Utilities District through a state clean energy grant program are under investigation by state lawmakers, some of whom are concerned about potential conflicts of interest between public and private entities. Central to questions being raised, mostly by Senate Republicans, are dealings between...

After the scandal at the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, Sen. Mike Padden’s bill is vital reform to bring greater safeguards and independence to the state’s administrative judicial system. So says the editorial board of the Spokesman-Review “Administrative law courts are an important venue for resolving all manner of complaints against the state, and they...