Search Results for: town hall
Rep. Keith Goehner | Status on initiatives, backcountry search and rescue funding, tax exemption for ADUs and seniors, Virtual Town Hall
We are in week four of the 60-day 2024 legislative session. Six initiatives are now certified by the Secretary of State's Office and officially before the Legislature for consideration. Initiative 2113 would restore the ability of law enforcement officers to engage in vehicular pursuit. Initiative 2117 would repeal the Climate Commitment Act, or the state’s new carbon tax program. Initiative 2081 would establish a parental bill of rights, so parents would have authority over their child’s school and medical records. Initiative 2109 would ...
Washington Bill Aims To Tackle Cannabis Store Robbery Spree
BY BENJAMIN M. ADAMS | HIGH TIMES | FEBRUARY 1, 2024 In a string of robberies, several cannabis retail shops have reported various tactics criminals have been using to get into their businesses in recent months. As these get worse, lawmakers are cranking up the punishments for people involved in such violent crimes. A bill proposal in Washington would tack on an extra year of jail time for people convicted of robbing a cannabis store under certain conditions. Senate Bill 6133 would allow prosecutors in the ...
Initiative 2117
Repeal the "Climate Commitment Act" and its "cap-and-tax" programAll updates to this webpage will cease at midnight on March 7. No further updates will occur until after the election in November.Initiative 2117 Initiative 2117 would repeal "cap and trade" – known officially in the Legislature as the Climate Commitment Act (CCA). Senate Republicans have given it a more accurate moniker -- cap-and-tax. Senate Republicans also call it a “hidden gas tax” because so much of it rides on the backs of anyone ...
Initiative 2113
Restore "Reasonable Suspicion" for Police PursuitAll updates to this webpage will cease at midnight on March 7. No further updates will occur until after the election in November. INITIATIVE 2113 During the 2021 session, Democratic majorities changed a state law to limit the ability of officers to do vehicle pursuits of suspects. Before this change in the law, officers only needed “reasonable suspicion” to initiate a vehicle pursuit of a suspect. Under the 2021 law, most vehicle pursuits are only allowed based ...
Initiatives to the Legislature
Initiatives to the Legislature: Three passed, three go to the ballot in NovemberFed up with the destructive and burdensome policies passed by the Democrat majority in the Washington State Legislature, citizens collected more than 2.3 million signatures to put six initiatives before the Legislature. All six received more than 400,000 signatures each and were certified by the Washington State Secretary of State in January and February of 2024. Only three of the initiatives received a hearing and a vote. In three ...
As six initiatives advance to Legislature, senators call for lawmakers to act
OLYMPIA – As six initiatives advance to the Legislature during the current 2024 Legislative session, senators say they hope the Legislature will do its duty by taking a public vote – rather than taking no action and quietly sending them to the ballot in November. The lawmakers say a public vote would demonstrate the Legislature’s respect for the people of Washington, who provided a total 2.6 million signatures to place the measures before the Washington House and Senate. The measures take ...
As six initiatives advance to Legislature, senators call for lawmakers to act
OLYMPIA – As six initiatives advance to the Legislature during the current 2024 Legislative session, senators say they hope the Legislature will do its duty by taking a public vote – rather than taking no action and quietly sending them to the ballot in November. The lawmakers say a public vote would demonstrate the Legislature’s respect for the people of Washington, who provided a total 2.6 million signatures to place the measures before the Washington House and Senate. The measures take ...
Six initiatives advance to Legislature
As six initiatives advance to the Legislature during the current 2024 Legislative session, senators say they hope the Legislature will do its duty by taking a public vote – rather than taking no action and quietly sending them to the ballot in November. The lawmakers say a public vote would demonstrate the Legislature’s respect for the people of Washington, who provided a total 2.6 million signatures to place the measures before the Washington House and Senate. The measures take on signature ...
Five initiatives certified | An update from Rep. Leonard Christian
Dear Friends and Neighbors, Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of over 200,000 Washington citizens who took their time to sign and gather the required signatures, we now have five initiatives certified by the Secretary of State and before the Legislature: Initiative 2113 would fully restore the ability of law enforcement officers to engage in vehicular pursuit. Initiative 2117 would repeal the Climate Commitment Act, the state’s new carbon tax program. Initiative 2081 would establish a parental bill of rights, so that parents would have ...
Legislative Republicans support ban to prohibit a personal income tax
Click here for a timeline of the 11 voter rejections of an income tax in Washington state. OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, and House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, released the following statement in response to the certification of I-2111, which would enact a ban that would prohibit any level of government from imposing an income tax on the people. Voters have overwhelmingly rejected an income tax 11 times, including once in an advisory vote. “Our state has an affordability crisis. ...
19th District lawmakers to host Virtual Town Hall meeting Wednesday, Jan. 31
Sen. Jeff Wilson, Rep. Jim Walsh, and Rep. Joel McEntire are inviting residents of the 19th District to join them for a one-hour Virtual Town Hall meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 31, starting at 6 p.m. Those who wish to participate must register in advance for the meeting. The virtual town hall format allows the public to interact with their lawmakers via their computers, tablets or smartphones. The event will be conducted using the Zoom platform. Lawmakers will discuss major issues of the 2024 legislative session and provide constituents an ...
Rep. Leonard Christian honors members of the Washington National Guard
Today, Rep. Leonard Christian, R-Spokane Valley, spoke in favor of House Resolution 4661 honoring members of the Washington National Guard for their service and sacrifice to Washington state and the nation. Transcript: On July 3rd, 1984, I joined the United States Air Force. After 20 years and 8 months, I retired from the Air Force as a Master Sergeant, and it is an honor to be able to stand here today and speak in favor of this House Joint Resolution. Today, ...
Wagoner: No need to raise property taxes and rents; there is a better way to get needed funds to local governments
Legislative Democrats recently held a hearing on Senate Bill 5770, which would triple the allowable growth rate of property taxes and almost certainly drive record-high rents up even more. While proponents point to the tax proposal as a way to get much-needed funds to local governments, Sen. Keith Wagoner has introduced two bills to accomplish that goal without punishing already-struggling property owners and renters. “I’ve seen a lot of bad ideas in Olympia but raising property taxes and rents during a housing-affordability ...
Dozier asks for committee hearing on parental-rights initiative
OLYMPIA… Under Washington’s constitution, initiatives to the Legislature are to have precedence over all other measures before lawmakers except spending bills. Sen. Perry Dozier today added an exclamation mark to that requirement by formally asking the chair of the Senate’s K-12 education committee to hold a hearing on Initiative 2081 “as soon as possible.” I-2081, certified to the Legislature this past week by the secretary of state, would establish a wide-ranging parents’ bill of rights. Dozier, R-Waitsburg, is prime sponsor of ...
Goehner legislation to create back country search and rescue grant program receives public hearing
Legislation that would support back country search and rescue organizations and volunteers through the creation of a grant program had a public hearing in the House Innovation, Community and Economic Development, and Veterans Committee on Friday. House Bill 2257, sponsored by Rep. Keith Goehner, would create the Back Country Search and Rescue Grant Account. "More and more people are taking advantage of the great recreational opportunities we have in Washington state, particularly the Twelfth District with its well-known mountains, trail ...
Update from Olympia
Greetings Friends and Neighbors, Things are moving quickly here in Olympia with over 1,000 new bills introduced in the state Legislature. I’d like to think that many of these proposals are needed to address problems our citizens are facing, but a cursory look reveals some troubling themes that I’ve discussed before, particularly when it comes to public safety. I won’t rehash the debates of last session, but suffice it to say that reforms around police pursuits and drug possession were needed and perhaps ...
Standing up against radical proposals in Olympia | An update from Rep. Leonard Christian
Dear Friends and Neighbors, We just wrapped up week two of the 2024 legislative session. Only seven weeks remain before we gavel out, sine die, and so stay tuned and get involved! Standing up against radical proposals This week in the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee, we heard a bill that, shockingly, would allow convicted murderers and rapists to serve as jurors, vote, and run for elected office while in prison. In Washington, those convicted of an “infamous crime” are not allowed to ...
Republican leaders support Initiative 2117 to repeal carbon tax, call for public hearings on the measure
Senate Republican Leader John Braun and House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary released a joint statement today following the certification of Initiative 2117 (Concerning carbon tax credit trading) by the Secretary of State on Tuesday. "Governor Inslee and Democrats misled the public about the costs of the carbon tax on working families, farmers and small businesses. Now that Washingtonians know the truth, they are pushing back and saying 'no' to this regressive tax. "Every House and Senate Republican opposed this policy from day ...
Sen. MacEwen calls on committee chair to hear I-2117
OLYMPIA, Wash – On January 16, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs certified I-2117, an initiative to repeal provisions of the Climate Commitment Act by prohibiting any carbon tax credit trading. The initiative received about 420,000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot. As ranking member and lead Republican on the Environment, Energy and Technology Committee, Washington State Senator Drew MacEwen requested the Committee Chair, hold a public hearing. Article II, section 1(a) of the Washington State Constitution states, “The first power ...
8th District lawmakers to host virtual town hall Feb. 17
– In a combined effort to support open communication and more community engagement, three 8th District lawmakers are hosting a virtual town hall on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 2 p.m. Washington State Senator Matt Boehnke (R), State Representative Stephanie Barnard (R), and State Rep. April Connors (R), all three representing the 8th Legislative District, invite the public to attend the virtual event. Virtual Town Halls are a great way for local residents in the Tri-Cities area to connect and engage with ...