Do you want higher taxes to feed Olympia’s insatiable spending? I don’t! Five new tax bills will be heard on Monday in the Ways and Means Committee and now is the time to make your voice heard. Right now you have an opportunity to sign in, speak up and be...

A critical part of the legislative session has arrived – when among the flurry of bills on a variety of topics, the focus quickly pivots to the budget. The Senate Republicans jump started the conversation by rolling out our budget proposal on Tuesday. It’s an honest budget that invests in...

One of the bills that is at the center of debate in Olympia this week is my measure addressing the governor’s emergency executive powers (SB 5434). I had worked hard on this measure, and the original version had bipartisan support, including from Governor Ferguson. However, the bill was gutted by...

We have now wrapped up 26 days of the legislative session, or almost exactly one-quarter of the 105 days allowed. The full Senate met on Wednesday to approve several (mostly) non-controversial bills, but the majority of our time was focused on working legislation at the committee level. The big news...

The 2025 Legislative Session is underway, and there is reason for cautious optimism. In contrast to outgoing Governor Inslee’s partisan farewell address, Governor Ferguson delivered a pragmatic, collaborative message.  Frankly, I was astonished as the Governor outlined reasonable proposals that align with my own values. Citing issues from affordability to...