April 30, 2025

Legislature adjourns; here’s a snapshot of what happened

It’s normal for the new state budgets to be adopted on the final day of our regular legislative session, and this year was no different. This is how the operating budget looked as it sat on the “bar” at the front of the Senate chamber on Sunday. The stack contains...
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April 29, 2025

Legislature approves two-year capital budget ‘for the entire state’

On the final day of its 2025 session, the Legislature approved the 2025-27 state capital budget, with the two Senate Republicans who helped develop this budget praising it for addressing needs throughout Washington. “I’m pleased that the capital budget passed by the Legislature addresses many needs throughout the state,” said...
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April 22, 2025

Majority is determined to raise your taxes, one way or another

Dear Neighbor, This year’s regular legislative session will end no later than midnight this coming Sunday. Our state constitution says so, because the regular sessions in odd-numbered years are limited to 105 days — and Sunday is day 105. If the Legislature still has work to do, it can go...
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April 19, 2025

Dozier opposes first wave of Democrat tax hikes

OLYMPIA… Today Sen. Perry Dozier and his fellow Republican senators opposed the first round of major tax increases brought to the full Senate: a sales-tax increase that will hit lower- and middle-income families harder, a tax increase that will drive capital out of Washington, and a collection of unrelated tax...
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April 12, 2025

The attack on parental rights continues in Olympia

Dear Neighbor, Late in a legislative session, the priorities of the majority come into focus. Judging from the two major policy bills that were passed Thursday and Friday by the Senate’s majority Democrats, the priorities can be summed up in a word: control. Let’s go in reverse order. On Friday...
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April 05, 2025

Senate unanimously approves capital budget ‘for the entire state’

The Senate today unanimously approved its version of the 2025-27 state capital budget, with the Republicans who helped develop the spending plan praising it for addressing needs throughout Washington. “What we have is a capital budget for the entire state,” said 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, the lead Republican for...
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April 04, 2025

Watch out! Majority wants to raise your property taxes

Dear Neighbor, A year ago, the only tax increase Democrats were pushing would have tripled the limit on the growth of property-tax rates. Because that bill stood alone, the news media focused on it — which helped to fuel the public outrage that eventually forced Democrats to drop the idea....
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March 29, 2025

‘No’ on Senate budgets that would raise your taxes

Click here to view my remarks in support of the no-new-taxes, no-cuts budget proposal offered today in the Senate chamber. Dear Neighbor, I don’t know why the Senate majority chose today to have us vote on the operating and transportation budgets, but I’d guess it is because both contain tax...
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March 22, 2025

Majority’s proposed tax hikes include one that would be terrible for tourism

Dear Neighbor, The Senate’s majority Democrats will release their proposed operating budget Monday. The operating budget is the largest by far of the three budgets that will come out of this legislative session, and many of the things it funds are day-to-day priorities like K-12 education and services for our...
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