News

7th District lawmakers Sen. Shelly Short and Rep. Andrew Engell talk about major bills on income tax, farmworker overtime, housing regulations, and wildfire funding. Discussions highlight rural-urban divides, affordability concerns, and budget challenges, with the two Republicans stressing constitutional issues, fiscal responsibility, and bipartisan cooperation to address emergency services, housing shortages, and economic impacts statewide.

Washington may soon have an income tax. Democrats pushed a bill through the state Senate to create one. Tracy Ellis reports.

OLYMPIA… Leaders in the state Legislature’s Senate Republican caucus offered these comments following the majority Democrats’ passage of legislation to create a state income tax. Senate Bill 6346 was passed with a 27-22 vote: From Senate Republican Leader John Braun of Centralia: “This income-tax bill clearly goes against our state constitution as well as 90-plus...

Senator Shelly Short strongly criticized a bill allowing an unelected commission to determine if elected sheriffs are qualified. She argued this undermines constitutional principles and local representation, warning against bureaucratic overreach that could erode community trust and voter rights in law enforcement leadership.

Senator Jeff Wilson condemned Senate Bill 5974, which shifts authority over sheriffs from voters to an unelected board. He highlighted Pacific County as the first likely impacted, calling the measure an “ugly bill” that disregards the will of voters and threatens democratic accountability in policing.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun opposes legislation enabling a governor-appointed commission to remove elected sheriffs. He emphasizes existing recall and election processes already safeguard accountability, arguing the proposal oversteps constitutional protections and undermines voters’ rights to choose their law enforcement leaders every four years.

On KPQ, Senator Keith Goehner says an income tax proposal has no guarantee that funds will go to education. He’s concerned over a bill that would let an unelected board remove elected sheriffs. He says expanded powers for the Attorney General raises questions about overreach and impacts on small businesses. He continues to work to...

Senator Mark Schoesler speaks out from Olympia as the proposed state income tax moves forward. He reaffirms his long-standing promise to oppose an income tax, explaining why he believes it misleads the public and fails to guarantee funding for health care, K-12 education, or higher education.

Imagine electing a sheriff—only to have the state remove them. Tracy Ellis tells us it could happen in the future.

Senators John Braun and Ron Muzzall discuss why Washington’s food prices keep climbing. From labor and fuel costs to taxes and regulations, they reveal how policies impact farmers, grocery stores, and families—and why affordability should be a legislative priority. An illuminating look at the state’s food affordability and agricultural crisis. [TRANSCRIPT]

OLYMPIA — Residents of the 8th Legislative District are invited to attend an in-person community town hall hosted by Sen. Matt Boehnke at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Columbia Basin College, 2600 N. 20th Ave., Room SWL 121, in Pasco. The senator will provide an update on the 2026 legislative session, discuss key...