The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus released a two-year operating budget proposal Tuesday that puts its emphasis on education and services for the state’s most vulnerable, while avoiding general tax increases. The Senate proposal boosts K-12 education funding by $3.7 billion, raising its share of the state budget to more than...

I recently had the opportunity to appear on TVW’s “Inside Olympia” program to discuss the Education Equality Act alongside a member of the House of Representatives and host Austin Jenkins. TVW is Washington’s version of C-SPAN, and the 30-minute segment provided us with a chance to discuss the important details...

Hunting is a major part of our state’s heritage and a generations-old activity for many families in the Pacific Northwest. However, sportsmen constantly see more government regulations affecting where and how they can hunt or fish. As demand for public lands increases, they want to know their rights are respected...

You’re invited to participate in a 20th District telephone town-hall meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28th, when we’ll answer your questions about issues currently before the Legislature. The forum will allow participants to listen and ask questions from anywhere with a phone, enabling more people to engage without...

While work on a new state budget has been underway for months, one of the next steps in crafting a spending plan takes place this week when budget writers will receive an updated revenue forecast from the state’s chief economist. On Thursday, we’ll find out the amount of tax dollars anticipated...

The Washington State Senate today approved legislation extending a temporary increase in the maximum amount school districts can raise through property taxes for public schools and implementing reforms to provide accountability for how local levies are collected and accounted. “Washington students deserve a comprehensive solution that provides a world-class education...

The Senate Ways and Means Committee today set the stage for legislators to stand up and be counted on legislation proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee to increase taxes on Washington residents and employers by more than $8 billion per two-year budget cycle. Sen. John Braun, chair of the Senate budget...

Washington voters would decide in this year’s general election whether or not to enshrine the right to hunt and fish in the state constitution under a proposal sponsored by Sen. John Braun. If approved, the state would become the 22nd to constitutionally protect both activities. “Hunting is a major part...

Jaden Dean, an eighth-grade student from Rochester Middle School, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Jaden was one of 15 students who served as Senate pages for the second week of the 2017 legislative session. He was sponsored by...