News from the Caucus
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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Senators welcome House Democrats’ reengagement on Hirst
Senators Judy Warnick and Jim Honeyford welcomed news that House Democrats have planned a work session Dec. 12 to discuss the Hirst water rights court decision. “I have remained hopeful since the Legislature adjourned that we can deliver a Hirst fix for rural Washington,” said Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who sponsored Senate Bill 5239, the only...
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Senate Republican Caucus announces 2018 committee appointments
The Senate Republican Caucus today announced its appointments to the 2018 Senate committees. “Our members are anxious to get the session started and will continue to serve everyone in Washington with dedication and integrity,” said Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “I’m always proud and impressed by their level of commitment when tackling...
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Court recognizes Legislature’s historic education investments
A ruling today by the Washington State Supreme Court largely endorses the bipartisan school-funding reforms recently adopted by the Legislature in line with the 2012 McCleary ruling, according to Sen. John Braun. “Providing students with the support they need and deserve required us to solve a generational problem with a generational solution, which resulted in...
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Bipartisan coalition returns to roots as ‘Senate Republican Caucus’
The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus today returned to being the Senate Republican Caucus, although it remains bipartisan. Five years ago the 23-member Senate Republican Caucus and two Democrat senators joined to take the majority in the Senate. They took the Majority Coalition Caucus name to reflect the new bipartisan collaboration. Sen. Tim Sheldon,...
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Schoesler confident Legislature satisfied McCleary with bipartisan plan to fully fund basic education
OLYMPIA…Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued the following statement in response to today’s Washington State Supreme Court hearing regarding the Legislature’s plan to fully fund basic education. At question is whether or not the plan satisfies the order of the court in the McCleary decision. “This past year, the Legislature made...
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Sound Transit deceived lawmakers, public on ST3, violated constitution, Senate investigation finds
Read executive summary here: ST-ExecSumLtrPaddenOBan OLYMPIA – Sound Transit misled lawmakers and voters in its effort to pass a $54 billion bond issue last year, concealing truth from decision-makers and violating the state constitution in the process, a Senate investigation has concluded. The Seattle-area rail transit agency won voter approval last November for a mammoth...
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Crucial rural water-rights issue holds up adjournment of 2017 legislative session
Washington’s 2017 legislative session enters its seventh record-breaking month as a water-rights issue critical to rural property owners becomes the central issue at the statehouse. Lawmakers passed a budget June 30, averting a partial shutdown of state government – normally one of the final votes of any legislative session. But adjournment was delayed when the...
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‘No government shutdown’ assures Senate majority leader
Schoesler maintains confidence that budget deal will be reached in time to avoid partial shutdown OLYMPIA…Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement of a third special legislative session to finalize negotiations on a budget for the 2017-19 biennium. “I fully expect the budget teams to submit a...
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