Search Results for: town hall
Want a truly representative Legislature? Get involved in redistricting
“It’s Seattle’s state now in politics, and everybody else is living in it,” read the headline of a newspaper column published soon after this year’s legislative session ended. “There’s no question that what just went down at the statehouse marked a political breakthrough of sorts — for the progressive left,” the columnist wrote. The column overlooks the fact that plenty of people living in Seattle don’t view themselves as being on the political left, much less the “progressive left.” You wonder: ...
Rep. Goehner's legislative update: Reminder: Virtual town hall on Thursday, May 27
I want to remind you that on Thursday, May 27 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Rep. Mike Steele and I will be holding a virtual town hall meeting. I hope you will join us. If you would like to participate you can pre-register here. You can also submit questions in advance when you register. The two of us will provide a session update and take questions from 12th District constituents. If you're unable to join us on Thursday, please know ...
12th District representatives to hold virtual town hall meeting Thursday, May 27 at 6 p.m.
Reps. Mike Steele, R-Chelan, and Keith Goehner, R-Dryden, are inviting 12th District citizens to join them for a virtual town hall meeting. The lawmakers will provide a review of the 2021 legislative session and answer questions from constituents. The remote town hall meeting will be conducted using the Zoom platform on Thursday, May 27 starting at 6 p.m. Those who would like to take part in the hour-long event must pre-register by clicking here or register at: https://tinyurl.com/6n6d3557 Constituents can also sign up at the following websites. RepresentativeMikeSteele.comRepresentativeKeithGoehner.com Constituents ...
End of Session Virtual Town Hall
Now that the dust has settled a bit, I want to reconnect with you one more time to review the 2021 legislative session. While we adjourned the 105-day slog on time, there was a flurry of activity in the final days that I think needs to be unpacked. So, I hope that you can join me and my House seatmates for a virtual town hall as we discuss the Legislature's work and answer your questions. Ours is one of only 4 ...
Governor signs Schoesler bill offering property-tax relief for residents rebuilding homes ruined by wildfires
Gov. Jay Inslee has signed bipartisan legislation sponsored by 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler that will provide temporary property-tax relief for Malden-area residents and other Washingtonians who are rebuilding homes damaged or destroyed by wildfires last September. Under Senate Bill 5454, Washington residents who lost a home to wildfire between Sept. 1 and Sept. 19, 2020, will be exempt from paying property taxes on the full value of the original structure for three years, if the home is being rebuilt or ...
Legislators from the 17th District to host virtual town hall May 13
Sen. Lynda Wilson, Rep. Vicki Kraft and Rep. Paul Harris, all R-Vancouver, are inviting 17th District citizens to join them for a virtual town hall meeting to recap and discuss the unprecedented 2021 legislative session, and to hear from constituents. “The pandemic is causing us to meet virtually once again, but it didn’t prevent the majority party from going ahead with some very controversial legislation that simply is not necessary,” said Wilson, who is the Senate Republican budget leader. “The people we serve ...
Difficult 2021 legislative session concludes with numerous controversial bills
The historic 2021 legislative session is over. This is my sixth term as a state representative, and I don’t think I’ve ever left a session feeling as concerned as I do now. As you know this session was done virtually, which was difficult to navigate, but by-in-large, our remote session did go well technically speaking. However, the majority passed some sweeping legislation that is sure to negatively affect our state for years to come. New Policies I always try to take a ...
Session recap: Majority rejects emergency powers reform, approves income tax on capital gains and bills that will increase gas prices
During the final two weeks of this year's legislative session, which adjourned this past Sunday, the majority party rejected emergency powers reform, approved an income tax on capital gains, and adopted two proposals that will significantly increase the price of gasoline. I'll be recapping all of that and more in this update, but first, I want to invite you to sign up for the virtual town hall meeting I'm hosting with Rep. Klippert and Sen. Brown on May 24. It ...
The end of the 2021 Legislative Session
Greetings Friends, The Legislature adjourned Sunday evening on time. It was a 105-day whirlwind of bad bills and misplaced spending priorities for working families in Washington. Leading up the start of 2021 there was expected to be a $6 billion shortfall because of the economic effects of COVID. Not only did the shortfall never materialize, there was a surplus, in addition to federal stimulus relief funds. Did we reduce taxes to give working families a break? No. The final budget that was ...
End of Session Town Hall
Please join me and our 31st District neighbors on Wednesday, May 12 for my end of session virtual town hall. I'll go over what happened and answer any questions you have about your state government. Register in advance for this webinar by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. ...
Legislature passes capital budget that provides strong broadband funding
The Senate yesterday voted 49-0 to approve a compromise two-year state capital budget. The $6.3 billion spending plan provides a record $413 million toward the expansion of broadband access in Washington. The House of Representatives voted 98-0 today to pass the capital budget, House Bill 1080. Sen. Mark Schoesler, who helped negotiate the 2021-23 capital budget agreement, said the emphasis on broadband needs is especially important for the 9th District and other rural parts of the state. “For many communities in our district ...
Join me for a 16th District virtual town hall May 3
Sen. Perry Dozier, R-Waitsburg and Reps. Skyler Rude and Mark Klicker, both R-Walla Walla, are inviting 16th Legislative District community members to their virtual town hall to hear a 2021 legislative session wrap-up and provide constituents the opportunity to share opinions and ideas. What: 16th Legislative District Town Hall When: Monday, May 3, 2021, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. Where: Virtual The event will be conducted using the Zoom platform. Those who would like to participate must pre-register in advance by clicking here. ...
Senate passes resolution honoring Gonzaga men’s basketball team
The Gonzaga men’s basketball team, which was ranked No. 1 nationally in The Associated Press poll for 17 straight weeks and opened its 2020-21 season by winning its first 31 games before losing to Baylor University in the NCAA championship game on April 5, was honored with a resolution approved by the state Senate today. The resolution was sponsored by three Spokane-area senators, 6th District Sen. Jeff Holy, 3rd District Sen. Andy Billig and 4th District Sen. Mike Padden. Click here ...
Rep. Goehner's legislative update: House budgets and a massive transportation plan
There are less than two weeks left in the 2021 legislative session. Last week, lawmakers spent long hours debating and voting on Senate bills. We also recently passed the House proposals of the state's three budgets - operating, transportation and capital. Below is a brief overview of the budgets passed by the House, as well as details on a possible massive transportation package that may come before us. Operating budget On April 3, House Democrats passed their proposed operating budget on a party-line vote ...
Legislature passes Schoesler bill offering property-tax relief for residents rebuilding homes ruined by wildfires
The Legislature has approved bipartisan legislation sponsored by 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler that would provide temporary property-tax relief for Malden-area residents and other Washingtonians who are rebuilding homes damaged or destroyed by wildfires last September. Under Senate Bill 5454, which was passed by the House of Representatives 97-1 today, Washington residents who lost a home to wildfire between Sept. 1 and Sept. 19, 2020, would be exempt from paying property taxes on the full value of the original structure for ...
Schoesler blasts Senate passage of ‘carbon cap and tax’ bill
A Democrat-sponsored “carbon cap and tax” bill passed 25-24 tonight by the Senate would punish Washington citizens and small businesses while letting big corporations off the hook, argues 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler. Senate Bill 5126 now goes to the House of Representatives for further consideration. The 2021 legislative session is scheduled to end April 25. “This is another bill that would punish people and companies by sharply raising gas and diesel prices, without a guarantee that our roads and highways will ...
Governor signs Schoesler’s rural-ambulance bill into law
A bill prime-sponsored by Sen. Mark Schoesler making it easier for two tiny Whitman County towns to continue providing joint ambulance service was signed today by Gov. Jay Inslee. A 2017 state law allows rural ambulance-service providers to overcome personnel shortages by allowing ambulance drivers who don’t have first aid or medical training. It inadvertently left out ambulance services shared by two or more municipalities. “This bill will allow the continued operations of shared ambulance services so communities like Farmington and Garfield don’t ...
VIDEO: Sen. Gildon comments on a bill to place a statue of Billy Frank Jr. in Washington, D.C.
The State Legislature approved legislation asking the Library of Congress to replace the Marcus Whitman statue at National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol with a statue of Billy Frank Jr. https://youtu.be/whpZwJ8oES0 ...
Good things happening in the state of Washington
The 2021 legislative session is entering its final weeks. We are currently busy in both the House and Senate considering bills from the opposite chamber in our various committees. In just over a week, we’ll return to full-time floor action and begin voting on dozens of bills. There are still several major issues that need to be addressed, including the following: The two-year operating budget.The income tax on capital gains.Transportation and capital budgets.The low-carbon fuel standard/carbon tax/gas tax.How to respond to state ...
Virtual Town Hall Tonight!
Please join me for a virtual town hall this evening starting at 7PM. It's not too late to register. I'm looking forward to giving 31st District residents an update on the 2021 legislative session and get your feedback on what I'm working on. Register in advance for this webinar: https://leg-wa-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tJNB_hQgQkO4_HTZxUmiyg After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. ...