As we enter the homestretch of the 2022 legislative session, it’s budget week in Olympia. In odd-numbered years, the Legislature is required to create and pass three budgets: an operating budget, a transportation budget, and a capital budget. In the even-numbered years, like this one, lawmakers use the short session...

As we wrap up the sixth week of this 2022 legislative session, we have now passed the “cutoff” for Senate policy bills to move forward from the Senate, and likewise for bills in the House of Representatives. The good news: Some really good Senate bills survived the voting deadline and...

We’ve almost reached the end of the fifth week of the 2022 Legislature. Only four weeks remain in the regular session. The majority of this week has been spent on the Senate floor, voting on bills that were advanced by the policy and fiscal committees. The universe of measures we...

On Friday, January 28, which would have been Sen. Doug Ericksen’s 53rd birthday, the Senate took time to honor and remember his life and accomplishments. After representing Whatcom County’s 42nd District in the state House and Senate for a total of 23 years, Doug passed away in December after contracting...

In a short legislative session, there is no time to waste. Bills are receiving hearings and being voted out of committee – some have even made it over to the other chamber already. The deadline for policy bills to be voted out of their committee is February 3, a week...

We’ve completed the first week of the 2022 legislative session. It’s already been an eventful start, with many challenges and achievements. As the Omicron variant continues to spread, the majority party has once again mandated a remote session, with highly restricted attendance by lawmakers and members of the public. While...

This will be my final Report from Olympia for 2021, so allow me to take a moment to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. One unwanted gift this year is the rising cost of almost everything from gas to food and gifts of all...

With Veterans Day being tomorrow, I wanted to begin this Report from Olympia by honoring those to whom we owe our freedom: the brave men and women who have served our country in the armed forces. Between the chaotic finish to the Afghanistan war – America’s longest war – and...

As Halloween rapidly approaches, there will be plenty of tricks and treats. I hope it is a safe and enjoyable time for you and your family. While the past year or two have brought lots of frightening news, from COVID and rising suicide rates to inflation and rising fuel costs...