Search Results for: town hall
Help us fight a bill would send property taxes soaring
Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Shelly Short's subscribers March 29, 2025. To subscribe to Sen. Short's e-newsletters, click here. Dear Friends and Neighbors, One of the worst tax bills of the year gets a hearing Monday in the state Senate – a bill that would unleash enormous property taxes across the state. If you want a say in it, this is your chance. Senate Bill 5798 would remove the state’s limit for property taxes that can be enacted without voter approval. ...
House committee backs Goehner bill to expand local housing options
Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Legislation sponsored by Sen. Keith Goehner to expand “middle housing” options in urban growth areas took a key step forward this week, earning strong bipartisan support in the House Housing Committee. Senate Bill 5471 now moves closer to consideration by the full House of Representatives. The proposal would help to address Washington’s ongoing housing shortage by allowing counties to authorize the construction of at least one middle housing unit – such as a duplex, triplex, ...
You’re invited! Telephone town hall meeting set for Thursday
Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Shelly Short’s subscribers March 25, 2025. To subscribe to Sen. Short’s e-newsletters, click here. With my House seatmates Andrew Engell, left, and Hunter Abell, right. Dear Friends and Neighbors, You’re invited to a telephone town hall meeting Thursday with your 7th District lawmakers. I’ll be joining my seatmates, Reps. Hunter Abell and Andrew Engell, for a public conversation about the 2025 legislative session, now in progress in Olympia. This telephone town hall format allows you to ask ...
Majority's proposed tax hikes include one that would be terrible for tourism
Dear Neighbor, The Senate's majority Democrats will release their proposed operating budget Monday. The operating budget is the largest by far of the three budgets that will come out of this legislative session, and many of the things it funds are day-to-day priorities like K-12 education and services for our most vulnerable residents. While we wait a little longer to see the spending choices in that budget, I'm already concerned about some of the moves the majority is making on the tax/revenue ...
Get ready for the biggest tax increase in state history
Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Leonard Christian's subscribers March 21, 2025. To subscribe to Sen. Christian's e-newsletters, click here. Thanks to everyone who attended our town hall meeting in Spokane Valley last Saturday! We had a great turnout and we heard many good questions about the progress of our 2025 legislative session. Let me express a special thanks to Pastor Gary Hebden, who led the invocation, and Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels, who offered an introduction. An hour seemed ...
Join Me for a Town Hall in Bonney Lake – March 25
Dear Friends, I want to personally invite you to a town hall meeting on Tuesday, March 25, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Bonney Lake Senior Center. This is a great opportunity for us to connect, discuss the issues that matter most to you, and update you on what’s happening in Olympia. We keep hearing about the $12-15 Billion budget deficit and the need to raise taxes. I can go over the Senate Republican budget proposal with you that prioritizes public safety, tax relief, and real solutions for ...
Legislators from 15th District to Host Virtual Town Hall
Register Here Residents of Washington’s 15th Legislative District are invited to join their state legislators, Sen. Nikki Torres and Reps. Jeremie Dufault and Chris Corry, for a virtual town hall on Tuesday, April 1, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. The online forum will provide constituents with an opportunity to hear updates on the 2025 legislative session, ask questions, and share their thoughts on key issues impacting the district. Topics expected to be discussed include public safety, economic development, agriculture, education, and transportation. “Our ...
6th District legislators to host telephone town hall on Tuesday, April 1
Residents of the 6th Legislative District are invited to take part in a “telephone town hall meeting” with their state legislators on Tuesday, April 1. The community conversation, which is similar to a call-in radio format, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last one hour. The 6th District’s legislative team – Sen. Jeff Holy, R-Cheney; Rep. Mike Volz, R-Spokane; and Rep. Jenny Graham, R-Spokane – will take listeners’ questions and provide information and perspectives on the 2025 legislative session in Olympia. Phone calls ...
7th District lawmakers to host telephone town hall meeting March 27
Rep. Andrew Engell, Sen. Shelly Short, and Rep. Hunter Abell. / Credit: Washington State Legislature OLYMPIA – Lawmakers from the 7th Legislative District will host a telephone town hall meeting March 27, giving residents of North-Central and Northeastern Washington a convenient way to speak to their elected officials about the 2025 legislative session. Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, Rep. Hunter Abell, R-Inchelium and Andrew Engell, R-Colville, will host the hour-long meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. The telephone town hall format offers people across ...
Seen and Heard 9
Sen. Braun VIDEO: Sen John Braun recaps week 9 of the Legislative Session AUDIO: State Senate Republican Leadership Update with Senator John Braun… AUDIO: Senate unanimously passes Braun bill to improve safety, reduce overcrowding in juvenile facilities The Elephant in the Dome Podcast: Senators Braun and Gildon Discuss the $ave Washington Budget Media Avail: Republican Perspective: Legislative Gains, Challenges, and Priorities Sen. John Braun SB 5278 Juvenile Rehabilitation Sen. Boehnke VIDEO: $ave WA Budget Sen. Christian Sen. Leonard Christian SB 5758 Sen. Fortunato VIDEO: Fortunato Joins Debate: Clergy Bill Sparks Confession and ...
What… a budget that doesn’t raise taxes or cut services?
This week Senate Republicans came out with a budget proposal that would effectively erase state government’s budget shortfall while saving the people of our state from the harm of either huge tax increases or devastating spending cuts. That’s why we’re calling our plan the “$ave Washington” budget. Dear Friends and Neighbors, This report is going out a little later than I had hoped, but it has been a busier week than usual. We spent most of Monday through Wednesday working on the ...
Reminder: Town Hall Meeting set for Saturday
The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Leonard Christian's subscribers March 14. To subscribe to Sen. Christian's e-newsletters, click here. Dear Friends and Neighbors, I’m looking forward to seeing you Saturday at my town hall meeting in Spokane Valley! We’ll have plenty to talk about. Our subject is the 2025 legislative session, now in progress in Olympia. We’ll be discussing the legislation likely to emerge from the state Legislature this year, and how it will affect you, your family and your pocketbook. I’m ...
Sen. John Braun, Rep. Peter Abbarno, Rep. Ed Orcutt to host virtual town hall for 20th District constituents
OLYMPIA…Republican legislators Sen. John Braun, Rep. Peter Abbarno, and Rep. Ed Orcutt, who represent the 20th Legislative District, will host a virtual town hall on Tuesday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom to connect with constituents and provide updates on the 2025 legislative session. During the live online event, Braun, Abbarno, and Orcutt will discuss key issues affecting Southwest Washington, including public safety, the state budget, taxes, transportation, and other legislation currently under consideration in Olympia. Constituents will have the ...
Reminder: Online town hall meeting is Thursday evening
Note: This e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Jeff Wilson's subscribers March 12, 2025. To subscribe to Sen. Wilson's e-newsletters, click here. With my House seatmates, Rep. Jim Walsh, center, and Rep. Joel McEntire, right. Dear Friends and Neighbors, We’re getting set for a town hall meeting Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m., and I hope you’ll be able to make it. You won’t have to drive far. This online forum is as close as your computer or smartphone. I’ll be joining my seatmates, Reps. Jim ...
Senate unanimously passes Goehner bill granting counties more time to update growth plans
Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… The state Senate has passed legislation from Sen. Keith Goehner that would give 10 counties, including Chelan and Douglas counties, an additional six months to review and revise their comprehensive plans. The extension proposed under Senate Bill 5558 would also apply to cities in those counties. “This is consistent with extensions granted to other counties in recent years, including King and Snohomish, which are partly in our legislative district along with most of Chelan,” said Goehner. The ...
Half-way through the session
Dear Friends, Last week, the Washington State Senate passed Senate Bill 5041, legislation that would allow striking workers to collect unemployment benefits. I strongly opposed this measure because it fundamentally alters the purpose of our state’s unemployment trust fund and represents a misuse of taxpayer dollars. The unemployment trust fund was created to support workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own and are actively seeking employment. It was never intended to subsidize workers who voluntarily choose to go on strike. ...
AUDIO: Senate honors Ichiro for Hall of Fame Career
Ichiro Suzuki is headed to the Hall of Fame, but first, he's honored in the state Senate. Tracy Ellis reports. ...
What's this about an increase in college tuition?
This past week I had the pleasure of spending a few minutes with a group from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. There were so many visitors that we brought them into the Senate Republican caucus room, which is where we meet to go over bills and amendments before the debates and voting in the Senate chamber. Dear Neighbor, There are three more days to go in one of the busier phases of our legislative session. The Senate and ...
Sen. Leonard Christian to hold town hall meeting March 15
Sen. Leonard Christian, R-Spokane Valley. Sen. Leonard Christian, R-Spokane Valley, will host a town hall meeting Saturday, March 15, in Spokane Valley. Senator Christian will discuss the 2025 legislative session, now in progress in Olympia, and will take questions from the audience. “I’m looking forward to hearing from the people of the 4th Legislative District and taking their concerns back to Olympia,” Christian said. Top issues for the people of the 4th Legislative District include affordable housing, proposals for tax increases, and making ...
VIDEO: Sen. Chris Gildon: Protecting Initiatives, Wood Stoves & Emergency Powers
Senator Chris Gildon provides a mid-session update on the most talked-about bills from the 25th District. He celebrates the defeat of Senate Bill 5382, the so-called "initiative killer," and a bill that would have overregulated wood-burning stoves. Gildon also discusses efforts to break Washington’s link to California’s vehicle emissions standards and the need to reform emergency powers. Plus, details on his upcoming town hall in Puyallup—don’t miss your chance to have your voice heard! https://youtu.be/-QFlBuhAujM?si=WB5Orgrto_aKOX79 ...