Search Results for: town hall
E-Newsletter: Halfway point of session is around the corner, and...
Feb. 24, 2023 Hello Friends and Neighbors, I’m glad to be the Republican leader on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, but also glad this week is over. Please keep reading for why. A quick update on the police-pursuit issue from a week ago: it was good to see The Columbian editorial today that sides with those of us – both Republicans and Democrats – who have called for a real fix of the 2021 law that pretty much prohibits law-enforcement officers from ...
SRC On Air: Sen. Jeff Wilson on Town Hall on KEDO Radio in Longview
Sen. Wilson talks to KEDO Radio’s Mike Wallin about blue lights on tow trucks, making it easier to build kit homes, combating catalytic converter thefts, and funding for the Wahkiakum County Ferry. ...
E-News: It's deadline time... which bills have survived?
Feb. 17, 2023 Hello Friends and Neighbors, Today brought the first deadline or “cutoff” of the 2023 legislative session. We’ll hit six more deadlines during the 65 days remaining in the session, with the final one being the day we adjourn. That should be April 23. The cutoffs force policy committees, then the fiscal committees, and eventually the Senate as a whole, to decide which Senate bills will move over to the House of Representatives for further consideration. Then we’ll go through the ...
Senate unanimously passes Padden bill to remove red tape from construction of smaller condominiums
The Senate today unanimously approved a bill from 4th District Sen. Mike Padden that would help encourage home ownership in Washington by making it easier for smaller condominium buildings to be constructed. Senate Bill 5058 would exempt buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than two stories high from the definition of “multiunit residential building.” The Senate passed it 48-0. “Washington has one of the lower homeownership rates in the nation, and this bill would help our state address this ...
Join us for a town hall!
Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Chris Gildon's subscribers Feb. 15, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Gildon's e-newsletters, click here. See your 25th District lawmakers Saturday morning at the Puyallup fairgrounds In-person town hall meeting starts at 10 a.m. With my fellow 25th District lawmakers, Reps. Cyndy Jacobsen and Kelly Chambers. Dear Neighbor, On Saturday, I’ll be hosting an in-person town hall meeting in Puyallup with my seatmates, Reps. Kelly Chambers and Cyndy Jacobsen. I hope you will be able to join ...
E-News: We don't need forced voting or an 'extremism' commission
Feb. 11, 2023 Hello Friends and Neighbors, You may not have heard the term “silver tsunami.” It refers to the growing number of people in our state and nation who are reaching the age where they need specialized care at home – so many people that the caregiving industry could be swamped, as if it had been hit by a tsunami. We know from a performance audit conducted last year that many who want to become certified as home-care aides lose interest and ...
SRC On Air: Sen. John Braun on Town Hall on KEDO Radio in Longview
Sen. John Braun talks to KEDO Radio’s Mike Wallin about the Democrats’ unwillingness to fix their flawed police pursuit law, progress on bills to address the Supreme Court ruling that basically made hard drug possession legal, and bipartisan action on housing. ...
What's happening in Olympia? Talk to your legislators Monday
The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Shelly Short's subscribers Feb. 7, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Short's e-newsletters, click here. Telephone town hall set for Feb. 13 -- dial in and ask questions of your 7th District lawmakers Did you know you live in the largest legislative district of the state? Redistricting last year greatly expanded the boundaries of the 7th Legislative District, which now encompasses all or part of seven counties from North Central to Northeastern Washington. Dear friends and neighbors, Hello ...
Addressing our state's housing crisis
Dear Neighbor, Hello from Olympia, where today is day 26 of our 105-day Legislative Session! This week, I have been busy attending committee hearings, visiting with constituents and testifying on my parental rights bill. As you may remember from my last newsletter, I reintroduced Senate Bill 5024 which would seek to increase transparency and parental participation in our K-12 school system. I want to thank everyone who submitted testimony on this key piece of legislation. The support for this policy has been overwhelming. If you ...
SRC On Air: Sen. John Braun on Town Hall on KEDO Radio in Longview
Sen. John Braun talks to KEDO Radio’s Mike Wallin about redistricting and police pursuits. ...
State should support local school districts, not dictate to them, Short legislation declares
7th District senator urges hearing on bill that would clarify role of state school superintendent OLYMPIA – State Sen. Shelly Short, responding to new decrees from Olympia’s education bureaucracy on everything from mask mandates to curriculum, says local school boards need some breathing room, and should be allowed to make decisions for themselves. Short has introduced Senate Bill 5029, a bill clarifying the role of the superintendent of public instruction – support for local school districts, not control. “What’s been happening the last ...
Virtual Town Hall
Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, and Reps. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, and Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, are inviting citizens from the 13th District to join them for a one-hour Virtual Town Hall meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. to discuss issues related to the 2023 legislative session. The remote town hall meeting will be conducted using the Zoom platform. Those who would like to participate must pre-register in advance. ...
Senate panel passes Holy bill to help communities hire more officers
A bipartisan bill sponsored by 6th District Sen. Jeff Holy that aims to reestablish public safety across Washington by halting an exodus of law-enforcement officers has been passed by the Senate Law and Justice Committee. Senate Bill 5361 would provide cities and counties with more funding to hire more officers. “Washington now has fewer law-enforcement officers per capita than any state. This decrease in officers, combined with the sharp increase in crime, is making communities less safe,” said Holy, R-Cheney. “Restoring public ...
Bipartisan tax reform proposal to replace the B&O tax gets a hearing
On Thursday, Jan. 26, the Senate Business, Financial Services, Gaming & Trade Committee will hold a hearing on SB 5482, a bipartisan bill to reform Washington state’s business tax system recommended by the state Tax Structure Work Group. The bill, sponsored by work group co-chairs Sen. Noel Frame (D-Seattle) and Sen. Keith Wagoner (R-Sedro Woolley), would replace Washington’s current business and occupation (B&O) tax with a margin tax, modeled after Texas’ franchise tax. “This tax reform proposal is the culmination of years of ...
Back in person for 2023!
Dear Neighbor, As we finish the second week of this year’s 105-day legislative session, I wanted to share a session overview, update you on my committee assignments and outline what needs to be done to address our state’s housing crisis. I am excited to be back at the Capitol in Olympia after two years of mostly remote legislative work. Our state government is more efficient when lawmakers collaborate face-to-face instead of behind computer screens. It is also a more transparent, open government, ...
SRC On Air: Sen. Jeff Wilson on Town Hall on KEDO Radio in Longview
Sen. Jeff Wilson talks to KEDO Radio’s Shawn Green about penalties and treatment for hard drugs, accountability for homeless services providers, and more. ...
STATEMENT: Senators for southern Thurston County stand with residents outraged by planned sex-predator home near Tenino
OLYMPIA… The state senators who represent southern Thurston County reacted today to an effort to convert a residence near Tenino into “less restrictive” housing for convicted sex predators – thought to be Level 3 sex offenders now in custody in a Department of Social and Health Services facility on McNeil Island. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, represents the 20th Legislative District, which includes the town of Tenino: “The people of this area have every right to be outraged by what they ...
Senate panel advances Wagoner bill to recognize history, contributions of Americans of Chinese descent
Click here to watch the full hearing on SB 5000. Today the Senate State Government and Elections Committee voted unanimously to advance Sen. Keith Wagoner’s measure designating January as Americans of Chinese Descent Month. “Recognizing the history and contributions of Americans of Chinese descent has been and will continue to be very important to me,” said Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, who has been working on the issue since 2020. “While I am sponsoring this measure, this bill is not my bill; it was brought to ...
SRC On Air: Sen. John Braun on KONA Radio in the Tri Cities and KEDO Radio in Longview
Sen. John Braun on KONA Radio’s The Bottom Line and KEDO Radio’s Town Hall talking about education, housing, emergency powers, public safety, and more. KONA Radio's The Bottom Line KEDO Radio's Town Hall ...
18th Legislative District town halls coming Saturday in Battle Ground, Vancouver
Residents of the 18th Legislative District are invited to town hall meetings this coming Saturday, just ahead of the 2023 legislative session. Locations and times are: Battle Ground: 10-11:30 a.m., City Hall, 109 SW 1st St. Vancouver: 12:30-2 p.m., Three Creeks Community Library, 800-C NE Tenney Road Sen. Ann Rivers will be joined by Rep.-elect Stephanie McClintock and Rep.-elect Greg Cheney. The Jan. 7 meetings will be the first town halls held in the 18th District since new district boundaries took effect ...