Senate approves Wagoner bill to save property taxpayers from late-payment fees
Today the Senate unanimously approved legislation from Sen. Keith Wagoner aimed at saving taxpayers money by helping to eliminate erroneous late fees that result from automatic payments. “It is possible that two taxpayers in the same county, mailing their tax payments in at the same time, on the same day,...
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Wagoner voluntary land-stewardship bill moves to House
Senate unanimously approves bill to expand successful program to additional counties On Thursday, the Senate unanimously approved legislation from Sen. Keith Wagoner that would clear the way for all 39 Washington counties to participate in the state’s successful Voluntary Stewardship Program. “I am reminded of the movie Splash, where one...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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