News from the Caucus
Braun, Rivers, Short, Wagoner tapped as top Senate Republican leadership
OLYMPIA…Washington Senate Republicans today elected their leadership team for the 2021-22 legislative term. The caucus elected Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, as its new leader and Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, as the new caucus chair. Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, was reelected as Republican floor leader and Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, is the new Republican whip....
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Relief package is a start, but no substitute for full Legislative response
Senate Republicans insist Legislature call itself in for special session without further delay OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, released the following statement in response to Gov. Inslee’s announcement of $135 million in relief for job providers and families: “Today’s announcement shows the governor realizes small businesses and job providers can’t survive much longer under...
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State’s newspapers agree: Refusal to call a special session is a big mistake
EVERY DAILY NEWSPAPER in Washington state with an editorial board has endorsed a special session, with the exceptions of the Wenatchee World, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Olympian. (Wenatchee has run several pro-session editorials that appeared in other papers, while the Olympian has carried editorials from its fellow McClatchy paper, the News Tribune.) ...
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Schoesler: Safety measures and restrictions more likely to be widely supported if not dictated by governor alone
Senate Republicans call for emergency special session, ready for legislative action to address COVID-19 crisis OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, released the following statement in response to Gov. Inslee’s ban on social gatherings and further restrictions on businesses: “The recent increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths is very concerning. I feel for those...
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“Washington has lost a giant” says Senate Republican Leader of former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton’s passing
Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, offered these thoughts on the passing of former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton. Gorton, 92, died Wednesday at his daughter’s Clyde Hill home, following a long and storied career in Washington politics as a state representative, House Republican Leader, state attorney general, U.S. senator from Washington state and elder statesman...
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Calling special session now most responsible path forward
Proposed across-the-board cuts are ‘blunt and crude,’ Legislature can show more care OLYMPIA…..Sen. Shelly Short, Senate Republican floor leader, R-Addy, issued the following statement in response to the announcement by the Office of Financial Management that it has proposed a 15-percent across-the-board budget cut for state agencies, as directed by the governor. “The...
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“Let the people weigh in”: Senate Republicans again call for special session
OLYMPIA…Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, Senate Republican caucus , issued the following statement in response to the governor’s announcement today that the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order will end at midnight on May 31 and focus will be directed toward opening Washington’s economy county by county. “The governor’s announcement today underscores the need for a June...
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Inslee four-phase plan forces many businesses to stay on path to failure
OLYMPIA…Senate Republican leader Mark Schoesler released the following statement in response to Gov. Inslee’s announcement today that he is extending the order to stay home during the COVID-19 public health crisis until May 31 and will allow a 4-phase approach toward reopening Washington’s economy. Phase one of the plan, which would begin May 4, would...
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Republican lawmakers step up with plan for safe restart of economy
OLYMPIA… Republicans in the state Senate and House of Representatives today shared the first plan for safely restarting Washington’s economy while state government’s response to the COVID-19 emergency continues. “Employers across our state are looking to government for a strategy that starts to take the brake off the economy. Republicans have come through with a...
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Schoesler statement on announcement of West Coast governors’ pact
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...
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Senate Republicans call for compassionate economic policies under “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” extension
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...
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Schoesler: Army Corps’ rejection of Snake River dam-breaching ought to end the argument
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...
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