Bridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for February 15, 2013
Thank you for reading my e-newsletter! I’ll be sending out new editions weekly as the 2013 legislative session progresses. Please feel free to forward this to any of your friends who might want to...
View ArticleBridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for February 24, 2013
Friday was what’s known as “committee cutoff” in the Washington State Legislature, and there were a lot of good bills that made it through to the next phase. Although policy committees are now...
View ArticleBridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for March 2, 2013
Yesterday was the final day fiscal bills could be considered by the Senate Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Transportation Committee. From this point forward, only bills deemed “necessary to...
View ArticleBridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for March 8, 2013
We’ve spent the past week in the Senate discussing, debating and passing bills from our chamber and sending them to the House of Representatives. The House has been doing the same, and we’ll all...
View ArticleCutoff deadline reached, many bills survive
Wednesday was the last day that bills could be considered in their body of origin. It’s a legislatively self-imposed deadline called “floor cutoff” that is designed to keep the process moving as we...
View ArticleThe status of my bills in the House of Representatives
Since mid-March, the Senate has been holding hearings on House bills and the House has been considering Senate bills. Many of my bills have received public hearings in House committees, while some are...
View ArticleGovernor releases budget that relies on higher taxes
This week, Governor Jay Inslee finally unveiled his long-awaited budget proposal. Unfortunately, though he promised to avoid tax increases on the campaign trail, his budget relies on new taxes totaling...
View ArticleParticipating in the Legislative Shoot-Out
I also got to participate in what has become an annual event here in Olympia. The Legislative Shoot-Out took place at the Evergreen Sportsman’s Club near Littlerock, and we all got a chance to shoot...
View ArticleStatus update on my bills
While many of my job-creation bills passed the Senate unanimously, it appears that some members of the House of Representatives are playing political games by holding certain bills hostage. And it’s...
View ArticleSenate passes historic bipartisan budget
Last Friday, the Senate adopted a bipartisan operating budget that would spend more on basic and higher education while addressing the needs of Washington’s most vulnerable citizens, all without...
View ArticleBridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for April 23, 2013
In odd years, the Washington State Legislature meets for 105 days. In even years, we’re only in session for 60 days. This Sunday marks the 105th day of the 2013 legislative session, and therefore it is...
View ArticleBridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for May 1, 2013
As the eleventh hour approached Sunday afternoon, it became glaringly obvious that no budget agreement would suddenly materialize and allow us to adjourn the 2013 legislative session on time. After 105...
View ArticleBridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for May 20, 2013
One week into the first “special session” of the Legislature and I’m working hard to make sure that the 2013-15 state budget doesn’t include any new or increased taxes. Last week mostly consisted of...
View ArticleBridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for May 29, 2013
I remain focused on adopting a budget that makes substantial investments in education and balances without general tax increases on our state’s families and employers. Residents in our district are...
View ArticleBridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for June 8, 2013
The special session has kicked into a higher gear as we approach June 11, the last day of the 30-day special session allowed under Washington’s constitution. Earlier this week, the governor said he...
View ArticleBridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for June 14, 2013
The Washington State Legislature concluded its first special session Tuesday without reaching agreement on a state budget or a number of government reforms. The budget proposal passed by the Senate...
View ArticleBridges to a Better Government E-Newsletter for June 30, 2013
I fought hard to represent our district and as a result, Delta High School will receive $5.4 million in new funding. Delta is a shining example of a leader in statewide education. Their focus on the...
View Article2014 Legislative Session underway
As we enter the second week of the 2014 legislative session I can’t help but notice how different this session looks compared to last year. At the beginning of last year’s session the talk in Olympia...
View ArticlePutting Washingtonians back to work!
This week, the Senate focused on advancing a pro-jobs, pro-growth and pro-workers agenda to help improve Washington’s business climate and put Washingtonians back to work again.On Wednesday, several of...
View ArticleSome love for the Tri-Cities in Olympia
Greetings Tri-Cities and Happy V-Day! Boy did the Tri-Cities get a lot of love this week in Olympia. On Thursday, together with Sen. Mike Hewitt from the 16th District and Sen. Mark Schoesler from the...
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