News from the Caucus

Legislative Republicans Safe Economic Restart Plan — April 17, 2020

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...

OLYMPIA…Senate Republicans released the following statement after Gov. Inslee announced that he is extending the “Stay Home, Stay Health” self-quarantine policy another 30 days until May 4.         Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville: “It’s critical to focus on saving lives during the COVID-19 crisis, but we also need to focus on...

Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued the following statement Friday, after release of a long-awaited draft environmental impact statement on Snake River dam operations. The report, issued by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bonneville Power Administration rejected proposals to breach the four lower Snake River dams, saying benefits...

Three state senators from eastern Washington – 6th District Sen. Jeff Holy, 4th District Sen. Mike Padden and 7th District Sen. Shelly Short – are leading a legislative effort to fix a problem caused by the state Department of Revenue that affects how concrete pumpers are taxed. Senate Bill 6317, introduced by Holy and co-sponsored...

Forward-looking approach aims to head off problems before they occur Ongoing problems at the scandal-plagued state Department of Corrections are prompting a trio of Senate Republicans to introduce a package of sweeping reforms to address what they call a costly and fatal record of mismanagement. Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, said recent inmate deaths due...

Voter frustration with high-handed response to I-976 carries over to legislative agenda  Watch our video message. OLYMPIA – Senate Republicans say they share the frustrations of Washington voters with a political establishment that has done all it can to thwart their vote last November to reduce car-tab taxes, and they are responding with an agenda...

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, released the following statement welcoming Ron Muzzall, R- to the Senate as the new senator from the 10th Legislative District.   The 10th District includes all of Island County, as well as part of northwest Snohomish County and southwest Skagit County. The seat became available when Sen. Barbara Bailey,...

Governor has proposed $23 billion in new taxes since inaugural OLYMPIA – Republicans in the Washington Senate today are celebrating the 7th anniversary of Gov. Jay Inslee’s promise not to raise taxes – a campaign pledge that will live in Washington history as one of the clearest and firmest ever uttered by a political candidate....

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican leadership issued the following statement in response to the lawsuit announced by the Washington State Legislature against Gov. Jay Inslee for an illegal veto of six single-sentence provisions in the state’s 2019-21 transportation budget (House Bill 1160).   The Senate Facilities & Operations Committee, along with the House Executive Rules Committee, voted unanimously...

Padden will propose expanded package of reforms in 2020 session As yet another major scandal rocks the state Department of Corrections, Senate Republicans who have been urging sweeping reforms for the agency since 2016 say enough is enough, and it’s far past time that Gov. Jay Inslee show some leadership and address the mismanagement of...

Democratic legislators ask Court of Appeals to overrule Washington voters OLYMPIA – When majority Democrats in the state Legislature decided this wasn’t the year to push a new income tax, it didn’t mean the fight was over. The battleground just moved from the Legislature to the courts. The state Court of Appeals heard oral arguments...