Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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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...
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...
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...
