Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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Each year, for a session lasting either 105 days (in odd-numbered years) or 60 days (in even-numbered years), legislators gather in Olympia to introduce, debate and vote on bills. While many people focus their attention on what the Legislature does each year, there is one final and crucial step in the legislative process that happens – the governor decides whether to veto part or all of a bill, or let it become law. Since this year’s legislative session ended March 7, Gov. Inslee has been sig...
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 disappointments. We fought hard for public hearings on all six citizens' initiatives to the Legislature. Closer to the end of the session, Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate reluctantly agreed to hear three of the measures but sent the other three initiatives to the November ballot. Public hearings...
It seems like every year the Democrats, who have voting majorities in the Senate and House, in Olympia introduce legislation to raise or create taxes, no matter how much revenue the state is already collecting from you and other hard-working taxpayers. The Ds are at again this session. The latest proposal from the other side of the aisle that should cause all of us to hide our wallets is Senate Bill 5770, the Senate Democrats’ very costly and long-term property tax increase proposal. The v...
Monday featured opening-day ceremonies in the Senate and House chambers, followed by a joint legislative session in the House chamber on Tuesday for Gov. (Jay) Inslee’s final state of the state address. Because this is considered a “short session,” fewer bills will be introduced and considered than in last year’s 105-day session. The main objectives for legislators this year will be to create and pass supplemental operating, capital and transportation budgets. For me and my 9th District seatmat...
Over the past few years, our state has witnessed a steady rise in several types of crime. This has caused serious harm in many communities on both sides of the state, and many Washingtonians continue to live in fear that their families and homes and businesses will be touched by crime at some point. One key reason for the crime hike is the state’s low number of law-enforcement officers per capita. Washington ranks dead last among all 50 states and the District of Columbia. But another likely r...
Apparently, the Pac-12 wasn’t the only thing that University of Washington left behind for more money. As the state senator for a legislative district that includes two four-year universities (Washington State University and Eastern Washington University), I take great interest in our state’s higher-education system. I make it a point to stay in contact with the presidents at Washington State and Eastern and keep up on key developments at these campuses in Pullman and Cheney. So, I was sur...
It’s been a tough week around the farm with equipment failures that have delayed harvest a few days. I’ll get back on track. But while repairs are underway, I can’t help but think about others who won’t recover so easily from hits to their budgets – setting them back further and further every time they fill up at the gas station or get a paycheck. Many of our friends on the West Side of the state disregard rural folks in communities like ours. We see this every session that the Legislatu...
There’s no question the governor misled the people last year when claiming his cap-and-tax scheme would add “pennies” to the cost of gas once it took full effect in 2023. Gov. Jay Inslee has a degree in economics, as he reminded everyone at a news conference last week. And, yet, he assumed oil companies would simply absorb the added cost of complying with cap-and-tax? Inslee came up with a new lie at that news conference, as part of a feeble effort to claim his scheme has nothing to do with...
Ever since legislative Democrats passed a law (Senate Bill 5096) two years ago creating a capital gains state income tax in Washington, observers on both sides of the political aisle have been waiting for the controversial law to make its way to the state Supreme Court, where the court’s nine justices would decide whether the law was constitutional. Following a hearing in late January, the Supreme Court on March 24 issued its ruling, one that has opponents of this tax shaking their heads in d...
Why are WA gas prices rising while prices in other states remain same? I'll tell you why: Gov. Jay Inslee's environmental laws, approved by legislative Democrats two years ago. You'll recall that earlier I wrote about how wholesale gasoline and diesel prices had risen sharply in early January due to the "cap-and-tax" law that went into effect Jan. 1. During his weekly meeting with reporters last week, Inslee was asked about reports that his cap-and-tax legislation had already raised the price...
For the fifth straight year, I’ve introduced a bill that aims to help school districts in Washington address their building-maintenance needs. Senate Bill 5403 would allow school districts to create a “depreciation subfund” that can receive a transfer of up to 2% of a school district’s general fund each fiscal year. This bill would provide another path for school districts to handle building- or facility-maintenance needs. Sometimes it can be better for a school district to pay cash for a build...
I’ll soon be hopping into the pickup for the long drive from Olympia back home to Ritzville. These past few days were spent in our state capital for Senate Assembly Days, which has included several committee, caucus and individual meetings. Things got busy even before I reached Olympia. On my way west last Tuesday, I stopped in Ellensburg to meet with the new president of Central Washington University, Jim Wohlpart, over a cup of coffee. We had a good chat about a number of topics, including C...
It’s no secret that crime has worsened throughout Washington in recent years, thanks to laws passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature and a decrease in the number of law-enforcement officers in many communities. While we’ve seen a spike in many areas of crime, retail theft and other retail crimes are especially a problem. Retail crimes hurt not only stores and shops, but also consumers because these crimes force retailers to raise prices. The Legislature, the governor and the attorney gen...
I recently commented on negotiations between Gov. Jay Inslee and unions on the upcoming contracts for state employees. As I said before, while I don’t fault the proposed salary increases for state workers under the reported deal during this time of high inflation – or even the $1,000 retention bonuses that some state workers will receive – I am very unhappy with one type of bonus that will be given to state workers, as well as how negotiations were done in secret. In case you missed it, each...
A draft of the “Lower Snake River Dams Benefit Replacement Report,” requested by Washington’s U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee last fall, recently was released to the public. While intended to make the case for breaching the four dams between Clarkston and the Tri-Cities, the report ironically makes a good case for keeping the dams. The report estimates it will cost between $10-$27 billion to replace the benefits provided by the four dams. Knowing how government projects usually go ov...
Many of you are aware that public safety in our state took a major hit last year when Democrats in the Legislature passed a “police reform” law that prevented law enforcement officers from pursuing criminal suspects in most situations. Since this bad law went into effect, police and other law enforcement officers typically have had to watch suspects drive off, sometimes in vehicles that they had stolen, instead of giving chase in hopes of apprehending and arresting them. One of the Senate Dem...
In recent years, environmentalists have targeted natural gas, even though it is an affordable energy source for so many. Their efforts have failed in the Legislature. But, apparently, Gov. Inslee and his environmental allies found another way to restrict natural gas use. Last Friday, the State Building Code Council, whose members are appointed by the governor, voted 11-3 to change state energy rules by requiring new businesses and apartments to mostly use heat pumps to warm air and water...
Last week, I wrote that two bills addressing the state’s flawed and controversial long-term care program (LTC) (nicknamed the “short-term care program”) and the costly payroll tax (dubbed the “long-term tax”) funding it had come over to the Senate after being passed by the House. The Senate fast-tracked these two measures this week, as the Ways and Means Committee held public hearings on them Monday and then approved them Tuesday. The full Senate yesterday passed the two bills, sending them to G...
My first session was way back in 1993, and as a freshman state representative, I was very humbled and excited about being elected to serve the people of the 9th District in the House. Now, almost 30 years later, I’m still humbled and excited to serve you and other 9th District residents, even if I’m now considered to be a Senate veteran. This year’s legislative session started Monday and is scheduled (by our state constitution) to last 60 days, finishing on March 10. This will be what we call...
With Christmas coming up, I’ve been out shopping for gifts for family members. During these busy times, I’m sure all of you have noticed (like I have) that many items in stores – especially groceries – have increased quite a bit in recent months due to inflation. Now, you’d think Gov. Jay Inslee would be well aware of the financial hardship that this historic inflation — we’re talking the worst inflation since the early 1970s — is causing families and individuals statewide. Judging by the...
Mr. Ed Schweitzer, who founded and leads Pullman-based Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, recently pointed out how the new long-term care tax will have an extra-bitter taste for people who call Idaho home but work in our state, in border cities like Clarkston or Pullman. Those include a significant number of SEL's employee-owners, he wrote in a letter to Gov. Inslee, who will be forced to pay the tax but can never benefit from it if they don't reside in Washington. His letter also details...
The Senate operating budget for 2021-23 was approved on April 1 by a 27-22 vote, with two Democrats joining all Republicans in opposition. It is fitting this plan (Senate Bill 5092) was passed on April Fools’ Day. The sharp spending increase found in this budget can be viewed as a bad joke on Washington taxpayers. Total spending in the Senate budget is $59.5 billion. It’s $7 billion more than the current budget, or equal to a 13% increase in spending. If the Senate plan is enacted, the ope...
Democrats in Washington’s Legislature traditionally haven’t been shy about raising taxes. This legislative session is no different. In fact, there are several Democrat-sponsored proposals that would increase existing taxes or create new ones. State income tax: The Senate Ways and Means Committee recently passed Senate Bill 5096, a proposal requested by Gov. Jay Inslee creating a state income tax on capital gains. Voters have rejected a state income tax proposal 10 times over the past 85 years. A recent statewide Elway Poll revealed that onl...
More than 230,000 small businesses across our state have been shut down since March 25 by order of Gov. Inslee. While the executive branch does not view these employers as being essential, I and my Senate Republican colleagues recognize the value of these businesses to the families they support, the communities they serve and the economic activity they generate. We recognize how these employers have already suffered from being forcibly closed and how offers of government assistance are no...
Some years back, in the biggest town in a small county outside our 9th District, there was a clothing store. Upstairs was the office of the area's weekly newspaper. Week after week, year after year, the clothing store published the same advertisement in the newspaper, displaying its name, address and a drawing of a coat rack, to signal what people could buy there. No brand names, no sale prices, nothing else. The message this ad sent was clear and reassuring: "We're still here." It's a complete...