News from the Caucus

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...

Statement from Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, on passage of the Senate transportation package. “We said we would deliver and we did. Today’s bipartisan vote on a statewide transportation package creates 200,000 jobs, gets our economy moving, fixes our crumbling highways and provides more accountability in the way we manage our transportation dollars. That’s a...

In Washington, public employees who commit a crime don’t lose their taxpayer guaranteed retirements, and teachers can earn the right to a lifetime retirement after working for as little as five years. In Washington, public employees who commit a crime don’t lose their taxpayer guaranteed retirements, and teachers can earn the right to a lifetime...

Much of the public discussion and advocacy surrounding the budget writing process often tends to focus on inputs, or the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on a particular program. The Legislature has an equally important duty to study the outputs, or the actual results of the way they spend taxpayer dollars. Accountability and transparency are...

“We continue to offer better solutions and ideas to move Washington forward. The cutoff for policy bills shows that we’re serious about job growth, funding education as a first priority, and making sure the state lives within its means. We’re making great progress on transportation reforms, student achievement and helping families realize the dream of...

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...

OLYMPIA… Students will join chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, Sen. Barbara Bailey and Deputy Majority Leader, Sen. John Braun to unveil a new plan for higher education affordability in a news conference Thursday, Feb. 12.   Date:               Thursday, Feb. 12 at 12:45 p.m. Locations:      Senate Hearing Room 2, John A. Cherberg Bldg.

By Ruby de Luna This week a state senate committee will hear a proposal that would make it illegal to sell e-cigarettes and vapes to minors. Last fall Sen. Judy Warnick got a tip from a police officer from her district in Moses Lake. He noted that students were buying e-cigarettes easily. “They were modifying...

During a meeting of Senate majority lawmakers Monday, Sen. Curtis King was chosen to chair the Senate Transportation Committee. As head of the committee, King will steer the transportation agenda and bill proposals, as well as write the biennial transportation budget. It is anticipated that the agenda will focus on passage of a reform and transportation-revenue package....

More than 50 members of the 20th Legislative District’s Latino community joined Sen. John Braun on Sunday afternoon in Chehalis for a discussion about priorities for the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 12. “I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout,” said Braun, R-Centralia, who had invited members of the area’s faith community and leaders...

Announces committee leadership for 2015 legislative session The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus announced today Senate committee leadership for the 2015 legislative session including the addition of a new committee that will focus on government accountability and reform issues. Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler said, “The committee leadership reflects the exceptional talent in this caucus who...