More than $31 million included for 39th District priorities The bipartisan $7.9 billion capital construction budget proposal released today in the Senate includes major investments requested by Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, for local agricultural, land sustainability, education and community projects. The capital budget outlines state infrastructure spending for the next...

Dear Neighbor, As we begin a new legislative session, I wanted to thank you for the honor of representing our district in the Washington State Senate. This has continued to be an extremely difficult year for all of us and I am honored to be your voice in Olympia to...

Dear Neighbor, Earlier this year, the state Office of Insurance Commissioner (OIC) issued an emergency rule prohibiting the use of credit scores in determining insurance premiums. I have heard from many of you who have or will soon be seeing significant increases in your insurance premiums because of this ruling....

Senate Republican leaders released the following remarks as the 2021 legislative session came to a close as it prepared for the traditional “Sine Die” adjournment.   Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia: “Throughout this session Republicans have consistently offered ideas and taken positions that come from listening to the people....

Dear Neighbor, As we enter the final month of the 2021 legislative session, our attention shifts to passing state budgets. In odd years, the legislature creates three separate two-year budgets: An operating, transportation and capital budget. Today I’m going to address the operating budget. 2021 Operating budget – you name...

Dear Neighbor, I send you this newsletter urgently on a Saturday, not because I want to, but because you need to know what your state government is doing outside of business hours. This session, I have shared details of the proposed income tax. Senate Bill 5096 was introduced which would impose a 7%...

Dear Neighbor, We are officially one-third of the way through the 2021 legislative session and have moved from mostly spending time in committee to spending a majority of the time on the floor voting on bills. Many of my colleagues continue to work remotely; as Republican whip, I am in...

Dear Neighbor, Week 2 of our virtual legislative session is in the books. We began the week by honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr with a Senate floor resolution. I spoke on the virtual Senate floor about what he means to this country. You can listen to...

Dear Neighbor, As we begin a new year and legislative session, I wanted to thank you for the honor of representing you in the Washington State Senate. 2020 was an extremely difficult year for all of us and the fact that you have entrusted me to be your voice in...