Leadership Blog

In the News

AUDIO: Despite signing of anti-parents’ rights bill, ‘this isn’t over,’ says Dozier

Published on May 21, 2025
A state Senator is frustrated after the governor signed a new law that overrides Washington’s 2024 parental-rights protections. Tracy Ellis reports.
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AUDIO: Senate Republicans react to Ferguson signing largest tax increase in state history

Published on May 20, 2025
Governor Bob Ferguson made big promises about fiscal responsibility, but today, Senate Republicans say he threw those promises out the window. Tracy Ellis reports.
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AUDIO/PHOTOS: Sens. Mark Schoesler, Nikki Torres, and Perry Dozier on KONA Radio

Published on May 16, 2025
Senators Mark Schoesler, Nikki Torres, and Perry Dozier discuss the latest budget decisions, tax policies, and housing challenges impacting Eastern Washington. They highlight bipartisan efforts, concerns over rising costs, and the potential for a special legislative session. LISTEN  
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AUDIO: Braun: Tragic fentanyl-related death of Puyallup child shows continued need for stronger child-endangerment laws

Published on May 13, 2025
A five-year-old Puyallup boy died from fentanyl exposure in his own home—a tragedy the State Senate Republican Leader says should never happen. Tracy Ellis reports.
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AUDIO: Sen. John Braun Talks Budget, Campus Protests & Leadership with KVI’s Ari Hoffman

Published on May 08, 2025
On KVI, Sen. John Braun joins Ari Hoffman to discuss Washington’s budget concerns, campus protests at UW, and Democratic silence on antisemitism. He critiques overspending, calls for accountability, and urges leadership to address rising tensions. A candid conversation on pressing state issues.
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News from the Caucus

April 06, 2015
Mark Schoesler

A no-new-tax Senate budget proposal points the way – again

This post originally appeared on the leadership blog of the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus, Exit 105. For the last year our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have been saying we can’t avoid a tax increase — a head-bobbing consensus that seems to have been taken by many as conventional wisdom. Then we came...
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April 06, 2015
Senate Republican Caucus

Majority Leader: We have the votes to pass a no-new-taxes budget

OLYMPIA… Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, released this statement in advance of passage of a 2015-17 operating budget by members of the state Senate: “We have the votes to pass a no-new-taxes budget that fully funds K-12 education and offers college students and their families the first tuition cut in at least a generation. “It’s...
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March 31, 2015
Mark Schoesler

Senate delivers a ‘no-new-taxes’ budget proposal, cuts college tuition 25 percent

OLYMPIA…”This is a bold budget proposal that delivers on the promise to make education the top priority and to live within our means. The Senate budget delivers tax relief for families, fully funds K-12 education and protects the most vulnerable – all without raising taxes. “This budget sends the message to families across Washington that,...
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March 31, 2015
Senate Republican Caucus

Senate Budget Priorities

Senate budget fully funds education, cuts tuition without raising taxes Students, teachers and parents would see significant funding increases for the state’s public schools while in-state tuition would be reduced for the first time since at least the 1970’s without raising taxes under Senator Andy Hill’s budget proposal released Tuesday. “We crafted this budget  to...
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March 26, 2015
Senate Republican Caucus

Statewide editorials on Gov. Inslee’s risky climate plan

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...
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March 25, 2015
John Braun

Home care union contract poses big issues

This post originally appeared on the leadership blog of the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus, Exit 105. Fifteen years ago, home care workers and others like them were the last great frontier for public-employee-union organizing efforts nationwide. They didn’t look like state employees, they didn’t work like state employees, but they collected state paychecks and there were...
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March 24, 2015
Mark Schoesler

Auditor needs to come clean

This post originally appeared on the leadership blog of the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus, Exit 105. What do you do when the state’s top investigator finds himself under investigation? That’s the uncomfortable question before us this week as state Auditor Troy Kelley hunkers down in his office and addresses enormous public doubt by saying nothing at...
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March 18, 2015
Mark Schoesler

Will House budget play by the rules?

This post originally appeared on the leadership blog of the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus, Exit 105. Some things go without saying. It’s a good idea to obey traffic signals, you ought to pay your taxes, and you should always eat your vegetables. Some things here in the Legislature are just as basic. When our Democratic...
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March 11, 2015
Mark Schoesler

Senate delivers on college-tuition cap, jobs and critical transportation reforms

OLYMPIA…Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, offered this statement following today’s cutoff for voting on Senate bills, except for measures specifically tied to a new state operating budget: “The Senate continues to lead the way on this session’s most important and anticipated policy initiatives. We said we would deliver on job creation, college affordability and...
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March 11, 2015
Mark Schoesler

Distaste for debate is ominous message from House

This post originally appeared in the Majority Coalition Caucus leadership blog, Exit 105. Maybe this is the sort of thought that occurs when you’ve been at the statehouse for the last 23 sessions, like I have, and you’ve seen just about everything. But over the last week the state House and Senate have been rolling...
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March 05, 2015
Judy Warnick

Community economic revitalization bill adopted by Senate

Sen. Judy Warnick has been working for two years to boost rural economic development with changes to the Community Economic Revitalization Board. Today the Senate passed Senate Bill 5442 which makes needed changes to the Board’s requirements to improve competitiveness and spur economic growth. The Board offers financing and grants to local jurisdictions but requires...
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March 03, 2015
Mark Schoesler

Senate delivers on transportation – can we avoid a political detour in the House?

It took three long years, but after bipartisan negotiations, public meetings in 10 cities, extensive study and much debate in Olympia, the state Senate delivered on its promise to reform Washington’s broken transportation system. With a bipartisan vote Monday we passed a statewide transportation package that creates 200,000 jobs, gets our economy moving, fixes our...
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