A taste of the Tri-Cities in Olympia The 2018 legislative session is approaching an important deadline. Next Friday, Feb. 2, is the last day for Senate committees to take action on their own bills, except for bills with a cost attached that will impact state budgets (those bills have until Feb. 6 to see committee action). With... Read More...

2018 Session underway! The 2018 legislative session is underway, and things are already moving along quickly at the Capitol. This is a “supplemental” budget year, meaning the Legislature is tasked with making mid-course corrections to the 2017-19 budget. We will also be working on a variety of other topics, including access to well... Read More...

Is $8 billion in new taxes just a fantasy for House leaders? Today is the 101st day of the 2017 legislative session — just four days away from what should be the end of our work this year. Instead, the Legislature will likely be called back next Tuesday into a “special session,” because the Senate and House of Representatives have not approved... Read More...

Finishing strong… House approves Brown bills We’re one week closer to the end of the 2017 regular legislative session, but at this point it’s tough to tell whether we’re closer to coming to agreement on a budget and associated policy bills. There’s still quite a bit up in the air. That will be the case even... Read More...

It’s budget season in Olympia It’s officially “budget season” in Olympia. In recent weeks the Senate approved its operating- and capital-budget plans while the majority party in the House of Representatives passed its $44.9 billion spending plan. There are some key differences between the two approaches – most notably that the Senate balances without new taxes,... Read More...

House Democrats propose $8 billion in new taxes! We are now less than one month away from the end of the 2017 legislative session. Today was the date for Senate policy committees to pass House bills – measures that must be considered by the Ways and Means and Transportation committees have another week to get through the committee... Read More...

Week 10 of the 2017 Legislative Session There are just five-and-a-half weeks to go in the 2017 regular legislative session. Several of my bills have already received hearings in the House of Representatives, and other bills related to budget are receiving hearings in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. …This week the House Committee on Commerce and Gaming endorsed my... Read More...

Getting things done! With this week’s Bridges to a Better Government, I am highlighting a few of my bills that moved through the Senate in advance of today’s cutoff deadline. I had several bills make it, including a couple that focus on promoting emerging technology in the energy field. My bills to encourage... Read More...