News
Despite welcome repeal of Seattle’s ‘head tax,’ Senate Republicans will continue fight on behalf of working families
OLYMPIA…Today the Seattle City Council repealed the “head tax” it unanimously enacted less than a month ago despite widespread and deafening opposition. Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, and Sen. Steve O’Ban, R-University Place, responded to the repeal by reinforcing their determination to continue with legislation that would clearly make such a tax illegal statewide...
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Schoesler says Republican senators will work to ensure Washington remains best place for aerospace
OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, today offered this response to the governor’s announcement Wednesday that highlighted a study characterizing Washington as the best place in the world to build airplanes: “I’m pleased but not surprised that the study unveiled today supports my belief that our state offers many advantages for the aerospace industry,...
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Schoesler: Seattle City Council voted ‘yes’ on a tax it isn’t authorized to impose
OLYMPIA…Sen. Mark Schoesler issued the following statement in response to the Seattle City Council passing the notorious “jobs tax” Monday despite the city having no constitutional authority to levy the tax. Schoesler, R-Ritzville, has drafted a bill that will make this clear to Seattle and any other Washington cities considering a similar move. “The Seattle...
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Senate leader says poll results should be ‘nail in the coffin’ for Seattle jobs tax
KING-TV survey shows landslide of opposition to controversial proposal OLYMPIA…In a poll conducted during its Wednesday-evening broadcast, Seattle’s KING-TV asked viewers to weigh in on the controversial jobs tax proposed by the Seattle City Council. Did they side with supporters of the council’s proposal or with its biggest target – Amazon.com? The sentiment...
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Schoesler: Recklessly taxing large employers threatens family jobs
Seattle City Council’s “Amazon Tax” another example of its narrow-minded agenda OLYMPIA…In the wake of this week’s political rally in Seattle in support of a new tax on large employers, Sen. Mark Schoesler, Senate Republican Leader, offered the following statement: “Jobs that large employers such as Amazon and Boeing create are critical to...
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Schoesler: Inslee’s signature on sweetheart deal for union is an affront to rights of home health-care workers
New law robs home health-care workers, circumvents U.S. Supreme Court ruling OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, offered the following comments Tuesday after Gov. Jay Inslee signed controversial legislation that essentially gives home health-care workers no choice but to sacrifice part of their modest income to pay dues to one of the state’s most...
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Schoesler: Democrat budget wastes opportunity of $2.3 billion surplus
Olympia…Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, offered this comment about the 2018 supplemental operating budget, which was developed without bipartisan input and was presented to the Legislature for a vote this afternoon – on the last day of the legislative session: “I’ve been in the Legislature for 26 years and in that time, I’ve seen...
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Families across Washington win with deal on water-rights, capital budget
OLYMPIA…Marking the end of long and arduous negotiations, the Legislature today passed a bipartisan, bicameral solution to the Hirst water-rights decision, clearing the way for families to get permits to dig household wells and gain access to water. It also passed a capital budget worth more than $4 billion, including the bonds necessary to pay...
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Republican leader: Amazon’s HQ2 list should be a wake-up call
OLYMPIA…In response to today’s announcement by Amazon.com that it has narrowed its search for a second-headquarters location to a short-list of 20 cities, Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued the following statement. “The fact that Amazon’s finalists for HQ2 only include one West Coast city and none from Washington should be a wake-up...
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Sen. John Braun statement on Gov. Inslee’s 2018 supplemental budget plan
Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia and the ranking Republican on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, gave this statement after Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled his 2018 supplemental budget proposal Thursday morning. “I’m encouraged by a few components of the governor’s budget plan. I’m glad he is finally adhering to the four-year balanced budget law in...
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Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler cautious about governor’s budget
Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, offered this comment about Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget released today: “While it’s promising that the governor finally proposed a budget that balances over four years, I call on him to publicly commit to veto any budget that doesn’t. “I’m glad that undoing the levy reform enacted in the...
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Schoesler: Here’s what to look for in tomorrow’s budget proposal from Gov. Jay Inslee
Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, offered this comment about Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget proposal, expected to be released Thursday: “In a year when a single political party will control the House, the Senate and the governor’s mansion, the governor’s budget proposal will set the tone for everything that follows. The first thing to look...
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