Dear Friends and Neighbors, This is the last Report from Olympia you will receive in 2015. Due to election-year restrictions, I am not permitted to send out my e-newsletter until the 2016 regular legislative session begins on Jan. 11. Even then, I can only send these updates to those who...

As we approach Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas, we are reminded of the importance of family, faith and thankfulness for all the blessings in our lives. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity you have given me to be your voice in the Senate. In even-numbered years, like 2016, the legislative...

With Veterans Day approaching on November 11, I wanted to begin this Report from Olympia with a brief mention of some of the actions taken by the Legislature this year to honor and serve those to whom we owe our freedom: the brave men and women who have served our...

Dear Friends and Neighbors, To continue receiving these Reports from Olympia without interruption, you must contact me before election-year restrictions take effect December 1. You can do so by clicking here (or the image above) to fill out a quick survey. If you have already emailed me your request, then...

Greetings to everyone across the 4th Legislative District. It’s been a pleasure seeing so many of you at meetings and events around our district over the past few months. Special thanks go to those who made time in their busy schedules to meet at our recent coffee one-on-one to discuss...

During this year’s legislative session we pushed repeatedly for a measure to make a fourth DUI a felony under Washington law and also introduced bills aimed at improving drug and alcohol monitoring. Last week elected officials and members of law enforcement from across the country attended the National 24/7 Summit...

The only debate between then-challenger Ronald Reagan and incumbent President Jimmy Carter prior to the 1980 presidential election produced one of the lines for which President Reagan is still remembered. “There you go again,” he said to Carter (before explaining that Carter’s promotion of national health insurance misrepresented Reagan’s position...

The word “showdown” conjures up images of the Old West, when one person would challenge another person to step out into the street to settle a disagreement. Recently the state Supreme Court set the stage for a constitutional showdown by doing something we’ve never seen: imposing a $100,000-per-day fine on...

Late last week I received the sad news that a longtime friend and colleague, former Senator Bob Morton (pictured above, in the Senate chamber), had passed away at age 81.  Bob served the people of the 7th Legislative District from 1990 to 2012, first in the House of Representatives and then...