Budget Priorities

E-News: 2023 session ends on schedule, but a big problem remains No one would have seen this in 2021 and 2022, because pandemic restrictions kept the public from being heard when legislators were in session. I’m glad that’s over! The people of Washington have the right to come to their Capitol and assemble peacefully, the way we saw last week from... Read More...
E-News: Tax alert! Property-tax hike proposed as session nears end At the edge of the Senate chamber with Sen. Nikki Torres of Pasco, foreground, and Sen. Lynda Wilson of Vancouver. Dear Neighbor, Greetings from Olympia! As if there weren’t enough important decisions left for legislators to make, with just eight days remaining in our time at the Capitol, there is... Read More...
New mandated payroll tax coming in 2021! Dear Neighbor, I have received many calls and emails regarding the upcoming payroll tax that will be implemented next year to fund long-term care. I know many of you have questions and concerns regarding this new tax. I wanted to provide you with background information on this topic and what’s coming... Read More...
In Olympia, an over-the-top budget proposal targets the middle class The following op-ed appeared in the Prosser Record-Bulletin, Dayton Chronicle and other newspapers during the week of April 5, 2021. I want to give my Democratic colleagues in the state Legislature credit. In a year when state coffers are overflowing and there is no financial emergency – still they have... Read More...