Articles written by Joe Schmick
Sorted by date Results 1 - 18 of 18
Session a mix of success, disappointment
The 2024 legislative session is now in the history books. After 60 days, in which 201 House bills and 180 Senate bills passed the Legislature, we can report a mix of great successes and...
Let Washingtonians be heard
It is with a mix of encouragement and disappointment that the Senate majority leader says four of the six citizen initiatives to the Legislature “might” have public hearings scheduled before the end...
Taking the 'Gotcha!' out of public records requests
When Washington’s voters adopted the state’s Public Records Act under Initiative 276 in 1972, they wanted to make sure that state, county, and city governments operate openly and are transparent to...
Payroll tax will hit hard this summer
House and Senate budget writers released their 2023-25 state operating budget proposals recently. It was a reminder that taxpayers have been very kind to the state’s coffers as revenue forecasts o...
Public safety is paramount
Various surveys conducted around the state over the last year continue to show that public safety is high on the list of concerns for the average Washingtonian. It doesn’t matter if it’s someone liv...
Looking back at the Legislative session
The 2022 legislative session has ended. Throughout the past 60 days, your voice has been heard as I try to represent our collective priorities as best I can. What follows is a quick recap of some of...
Budget record, but no tax cut
The majority party in the House passed their supplemental operating budget proposal. It represents the largest spending plan in state history. Their supplemental budget is almost 10 times more...
Riparian zone bill fails, more bad bills looming
The house of origin cutoff was this week, meaning all House bills not necessary to implement the budget must pass the House and be sent over to the Senate (and vice-versa) or else they are considered...
Legislative update from Olympia
We have been on the House floor all week with most legislators participating remotely. This is the time of session where long days and nights are spent briefing all House members on bills that have...
Legislature votes for delay on Long-Term Care Insurance
This House debated and voted on legislation impacting Washington state’s Long-Term Care Insurance and Payroll Tax, a plan created through House Bill 1087 during the 2019 legislative session. House Bil...
2022 starts with state issues to correct
The 2022 legislative session began this week much like the 2021 session. It will be a mostly-remote session with online committee meetings and floor votes and very few legislators or staff in...
Rep. Schmick writes of taxes, dams, and fuel prices
The 2022 legislative session is just over a month away. The 60-day session will once again be a mostly remote session with online committee hearings. However, unlike last session, legislators will be...
Rep. working to reverse unwanted tax
Many of you have contacted my office expressing frustrations with the long-term care tax going into effect Jan. 1. I understand and share your concerns. When the Democrat majority in the Legislature...
Voted against 'Defund the Police' bills
During the 2021 legislative session, I spoke out against – and voted against – a slew of bills brought forward by the activist “Defund the Police movement. It was obvious at the time that these bills...
New long-term care income tax begins in 2022
Washington citizens will soon see less money in their monthly paychecks unless they opt-out of mandatory long-term care insurance foisted upon them by Democrats in Olympia. No, this is not hyperbole....
Legislature session ends with concerns
In a previous update to you, I talked about the trifecta of proposals that could drastically increase the price we all pay at the pump. This could raise costs for those that can least afford it,...
Schmick discusses budget approval
The state House of Representatives passed a $58.2 billion 2021-23 operating budget that relies on an unnecessary, unpopular, and likely unconstitutional income tax on capital gains. As I've said...
Olympia Comment: How do CDL changes at the state and federal level impact you?
A few years ago, I wrote an article outlining recent changes to the state’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and how those changes would impact farmers, small businesses and local commerce. Whi...