Search Results for: town hall
Washington state goes for broke!
Forecast for Olympia: Major storm coming in January. Dear Friends and Neighbors, Big new taxes kicked in Wednesday across Washington state, and guess what? We're already broke. Olympia learned last week that the $77.9 billion budget approved in April already is in deficit. That's in spite of the biggest tax increase in the history of the state, a staggering $14.1 billion in new taxes. Despite this new money, the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council projects that Washington will run $421 million short ...
25th District lawmakers to host in-person town hall meeting Oct. 11
Sen. Gildon, Rep. Jacobsen and Rep. Keaton PIERCE COUNTY -- The state lawmakers serving parts of Pierce County, including Puyallup, South Hill, Summit, and Waller are holding an in-person town hall meeting from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11. Sen. Chris Gildon and Reps. Cyndy Jacobsen and Michael Keaton will take questions and comments from their constituents regarding decisions made during this year’s legislative session and issues to address when lawmakers reconvene in mid-January 2026. The town hall will be at ...
25th District lawmakers to host in-person town hall meeting Oct. 11
Rep. Michael Keaton, Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen and Senator Chris Gildon PIERCE COUNTY -- The state lawmakers serving parts of Pierce County, including Puyallup, South Hill, Summit, and Waller are holding an in-person town hall meeting from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11. Sen. Chris Gildon and Reps. Cyndy Jacobsen and Michael Keaton will take questions and comments from their constituents regarding decisions made during this year’s legislative session and issues to address when lawmakers reconvene in mid-January 2026. The town hall ...
12th Legislative District Town Hall
Sen. Goehner, R-Dryden, Rep. Steele, R-Chelan, and Rep. Brian Burnett, R-Wenatchee, will hold a town hall on Oct. 11. My colleagues and I, Rep. Mike Steele and Rep. Brian Burnett, will hold a community town hall on Saturday, October 11, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Miller's, located at 4597 Tolt Ave. in Carnation. If you are able to attend, we would love to see you. The event, supported by the City of Carnation, is open to the public and provides residents with ...
12th District residents take the lead in shaping state policy
Sen. Goehner, R-Dryden, at Beef Day on the Hill at the Washington State Capitol, April 9, 2025. This past legislative session, citizens across Washington demonstrated the power of public engagement like never before. With remote testimony now a permanent option, residents can weigh in on bills that affect their families, farms, and businesses, without ever having to travel to Olympia. In the House, over 11,700 people signed up to testify, while more than half a million registered their opinions online. The Senate ...
Fortunato Thanks Governor for Emergency Declaration, Renews Call for Second Bridge, Tax Relief for Rural Communities
Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, issued the following statement after Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency in response to the White River Bridge closure on State Route 410: “I appreciate the governor’s swift action in declaring an emergency so the state can move quickly to stabilize the White River Bridge. That step is critical, but it is not enough. Rural communities like Wilkeson and Carbonado are being hit hardest by these bridge failures, and they cannot be left to shoulder ...
Town halls give the people a chance to speak
Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Wilson's subscribers Aug. 18, 2025. To subscribe to Sen. Wilson's e-newsletters, click here. Seventy people turned out in Long Beach July 19 as Reps. Jim Walsh, Joel McEntire and I held town hall meetings across the 19th Legislative District. Dear Friends and Neighbors, Summer is a time for vacations, backyard barbecues and long afternoons on the beach. For those of us who serve in the Legislature, it’s also a time for town hall meetings. In ...
Hospitals Are Being Set Up to Fail And Patients Will Pay the Price
Let me paint you a picture. Imagine you’ve opened the only restaurant in your small town. It’s not easy. Finding help is tough, margins are tight, but with a lot of heart and hard work, you make it work. Folks love the place, and you’re proud to serve your community. Then one day, the local government steps in with good intentions. They want to help folks who are struggling, so they partner with you to provide subsidized meals for lower-income families. It ...
Washington reparations program faces a much-deserved legal attack
Note: The following e-newsletter was distributed to Sen. Christian's subscribers on August 1, 2025. To subscribe to Sen. Christian's e-newsletters, click here. This 1964 Seattle protest illustrates the agitation that led Congress in 1968 to ban redlining, restrictive real estate covenants and other forms of racial discrimination in housing. Six decades later, a state reparations program purports to offer compensation by discriminating on the basis of race. Credit: CC-by-2.0/ Wikipedia Dear Friends and Neighbors, I think most of us would agree that racial ...
Want to feel inspired?
Joining me at the recent graduation ceremony at the state prison in Connell were, from left: Denise Kammers, the Dean of Corrections Education for Walla Walla Community College; Dante Leon, WWCC Vice President of Instruction; Dr. Chad Hickox, WWCC President; Ricardo Chavez, WWCC Director of Adult Basic Education for Corrections Education; Hanan Al-Zubaidy, Associate Director for Corrections Education from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (front); Dr. Allen Sutton, WWCC Director of Connection and Belonging (back); Lauren Reed, ...
19th District lawmakers to hold town halls across SW Washington
Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, and Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet. OLYMPIA – Lawmakers from Southwest Washington’s 19th Legislative District will hold town hall meetings over the coming weeks in Long Beach, Longview and Aberdeen. Sen. Jeff Wilson and Reps. Jim Walsh and Joel McEntire will meet with constituents to discuss the just-finished 2025 legislative session, as well as emerging issues that will be considered next year. The meetings are open to the public and offer an opportunity for Southwest ...
Join me for Town Halls!
Dear Friends and Neighbors, I want to personally invite you to a series of in-person town halls happening across the 31st Legislative District. These events are your opportunity to ask questions, share concerns, and hear directly from me about the latest from Olympia, on public safety, affordability, education, and more. Here are the details: Orting Date: Monday, June 23 Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Location: Orting Multi-Purpose Center 202 Washington Ave S, Orting, WA 98360 Buckley Date: Tuesday, June 24 Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Location: Buckley Hall 127 N River Rd #117, Buckley, WA 98321 Sumner Date: Wednesday, June ...
Town Hall
Dear Friends, The 2025 legislative session has officially ended, and sadly, it ended just as it was conducted behind closed doors and at the expense of Washington's working families. The $77.9 billion budget was negotiated in secret by a handful of Democrats for most of the month, only being released to the public, and Republicans, yesterday. It relies on a staggering $9.6 billion in new taxes, including a sales tax hike that will hit lower- and middle-income families the hardest. It ...
Good news from D.C. for defenders of Snake River dams
Around 100 people gave up part of a recent Saturday afternoon to attend a post-session town hall with the delegations from the neighboring 8th Legislative District and our 16th Legislative District. Keep reading for more details! Dear Neighbor, In a guest column published during this year’s legislative session I speculated that the administration changes in both Olympia and the District of Columbia would start to take the bullseye off the four federal dams on the lower Snake River. I really didn’t have to ...
AUDIO: Governor signs Goehner bill, opening the door to duplexes, townhomes in rural growth areas
Washington counties will soon be able to allow duplexes, townhomes, and cottage-style homes in more rural areas. Tracy Ellis explains. ...
Governor signs Goehner bill, opening the door to duplexes, townhomes in rural growth areas
Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Last week, the governor signed landmark legislation sponsored by Sen. Keith Goehner, which gives counties the option to allow middle housing, such as duplexes and townhomes, in unincorporated growth areas and rural communities already poised for responsible development. Goehner’s bill passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support, reflecting a shared commitment to addressing Washington’s housing shortage while maintaining local control and respecting rural character. “This is about unlocking real housing solutions without heavy-handed mandates,” said Goehner, ...
Join us for a town hall meeting this Saturday!
Governor signs off on the largest tax increase in state history Dear Neighbor, Admittedly, the odds were not good that Governor Ferguson would buck his fellow Democrats in the state Legislature by vetoing any of the tax increases they approved in April, in support of the new state operating budget. Still, there was a chance Ferguson would stand by something he had said with little more than a week to go in our legislative session. In a television interview, he had declared that "the ...
12th district legislators to hold town hall in June
Rep. Brian Burnett, R-Wenatchee, Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden and Rep. Mike Steele, R-Chelan/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Senator Keith Goehner, Representative Mike Steele, and Representative Brian Burnett invite community members to a legislative wrap-up and town hall on Wednesday, June 4, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Cashmere Riverside Center, located at 201 Riverside Dr., Cashmere, WA 98815. The event will provide residents with a summary of the 2025 legislative session, updates on key issues affecting the 12th Legislative District, and an opportunity to ...
Lawmakers from the 8th and 16th legislative districts to host joint town hall in Pasco
Lawmakers representing the 8th and 16th legislative districts will hold a combined in-person town hall on Saturday, May 31, to hear from constituents, answer questions, and provide updates on the 2025 legislative session. WHAT: Joint Town Hall Meeting WHEN: Saturday, May 31 | 1-3 p.m. WHERE: Columbia Basin College Gjerde Center (H-Building, near the North H parking lot) 2600 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, WA 99301 WHO: Sen. Matt Boehnke, 8th District Rep. Stephanie Barnard, 8th District Rep. April Connors, 8th District Sen. Perry Dozier, 16th District ...
Brace yourself for the biggest tax increase in Washington history
Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Jeff Wilson's subscribers May 9, 2025. To subscribe to Sen. Wilson's e-newsletters, click here. We adjourned our session April 27, and maybe the best thing we can say about it is that it is done. Now let's hope the governor calls us back for a do-over. Dear Friends and Neighbors, Our 2025 legislative session is over, but Washington state will be living with the consequences for years to come. This year our majority colleagues passed ...