February 24, 2023

Wagoner bill to promote voluntary land-stewardship clears Senate budget committee prior to fiscal deadline

Sudden demise of House riparian-buffer bill makes SB 5353 only riparian protection proposal of its kind left in 2023 session On its final day this legislative session to endorse Senate policy bills, the Senate Ways and Means Committee backed legislation from Sen. Keith Wagoner that would give up to 12...
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February 22, 2023

Senate unanimously passes Wagoner bill to help those seeking substance-abuse treatment

Today the Senate voted 49-0 to approve Sen. Keith Wagoner’s measure to assist Washingtonians who have difficulty accessing drug- or alcohol-treatment programs because they can’t obtain a complete copy of their driving records.   “When someone is trying to better themselves and get much-needed substance abuse treatment, we should do...
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February 10, 2023

Senate ag committee advances Wagoner bill to open up state’s land-stewardship program to more counties

On Thursday, the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Parks Committee voted to advance legislation from Sen. Keith Wagoner that would give counties another opportunity to participate in the state’s Voluntary Stewardship Program.   The program offers an alternative approach for protecting critical areas on lands where agricultural uses exist....
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February 08, 2023

In the News: State Republican Lawmakers Criticize Democrats Over Police Pursuit Bill

By The Chronicle staff Click here to read online. State Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, criticized his Democratic colleagues on the state Senate Law and Justice Committee on Friday for rejecting Republican attempts to reform what he called a “criminal-friendly flaw” in a police pursuit law. According to Padden, the...
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February 01, 2023

Wagoner bill to recognize history, contributions of Americans of Chinese descent heads to House

Today the Senate voted 48-0 to approve Sen. Keith Wagoner’s measure designating January as Americans of Chinese Descent Month.   “They say the third time’s a charm, and I hope in this case it’s true,” said Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, who has been working on the issue since 2020.   “I want...
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January 26, 2023

Senate honors retiring Veterans Affairs Director Alvarado-Ramos with passage of Wagoner resolution

On behalf of the people of Washington, and specifically the more than 520,000 veterans who call Washington home, the state Senate today honored retiring Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Director Lourdes E. “Alfie” Alvarado-Ramos. Sen. Keith Wagoner is prime sponsor of Senate Resolution 8607, which thanks Alvarado-Ramos for...
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January 24, 2023

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....
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January 13, 2023

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...
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January 10, 2023

On Air: Sen. Keith Wagoner on KTTH Radio’s Jason Rantz Show defending the 2nd Amendment

Governor Jay Inslee’s rhetoric on guns isn’t sitting well with some Republican state Senators. In his State of the State speech, Inslee said “One of the most meaningful measures we can take is requiring that people have safety training before they purchase a gun.” Senator Keith Wagoner supports training but...
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