Keith Wagoner

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...

Today the Senate unanimously approved legislation from Sen. Keith Wagoner that would expand the number of available long-term care beds for veterans, simultaneously helping to address Washington’s homelessness crisis while also alleviating the pressure on the medical foster home system. “So many of our nation’s men and women in uniform...

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...

Republicans in the Washington Senate are calling a property tax measure backed by Democrats “the single most destructive and far-reaching bill of the 2024 session.” At least that’s how Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro Woolley, and a member of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, described Senate Bill 5770 in a Wednesday news release. SB 5770 would allow...

BY AMANDA HERNÁNDEZ  | STATELINE In early March, Washington state lawmakers approved a measure that came to the legislature in the form of a citizen initiative. Under the policy, law enforcement officers again may give chase when there is reasonable suspicion a person has violated a law. The policy, which will go...

The bill would require firearm dealers to install onerous security features and superfluous alarm and surveillance systems, and adopt redundant storage and excessively burdensome record-keeping practices. It also would set minimum insurance-coverage requirements and require employees to undergo yearly background checks.

By the Associated press | The Washington state Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to make harassing election workers a felony, three months after four county election offices received envelopes containing suspicious powder — including three testing positive for fentanyl — and had to be evacuated. Some Republican lawmakers pushed for the...