Report from Olympia

Thanks to our veterans
November 10, 2021
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... Read More...
Some treats among the tricks… Not all scary news
October 13, 2021
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... Read More...
Alarm bells still ringing at Department of Corrections
September 22, 2021
More than five years ago I stood at a podium before a room full of reporters to announce the findings of a detailed Senate investigation into systematic failures at the Department of Corrections, and what could be done to fix them. A lot can change in 5 years, but apparently... Read More...
Dangerous anti-police policies put public at risk
August 09, 2021
One of the big issues we face is dealing with the ramifications of the majority’s war on law enforcement, and the impact it is already having on the safety of our communities. As we mentioned in the previous Report from Olympia, time is running out if you wish to opt... Read More...
To avoid long-term care tax, Washington residents must opt out now
July 13, 2021
Washington residents must enroll in private insurance by Nov. 1 to escape new payroll tax Dear friends and neighbors, A new payroll tax for a state long-term care insurance program will soon go into effect, the result of legislation approved by the Legislature’s majority party. I strongly opposed this new... Read More...
Olympia Protest for Vaccine Choice
New rules cause employees to be treated different than customers!
June 22, 2021
One of the other challenges we have is making sure that there is much-needed oversight of the executive branch. Despite plans to reopen the state no later than June 30, the governor still refuses to relinquish his unilateral control by ending the state of emergency. Some agencies, such as the... Read More...
Vaccine passports, income tax and unconstitutional vetoes draw fire
June 01, 2021
The pushback from the legislative session that concluded on April 25 continues to pour in for Governor Inslee. Taxpayers, Republicans, tribal leaders and even traditional allies like legislative Democrat leaders have called the governor out for overstepping his legal authority. You can read more about that below. It has been... Read More...
Special session coming soon?
May 12, 2021
We continue to see the fallout from the 2021 legislative session that adjourned on April 25. Less than two weeks after leaving Olympia, without addressing the governor’s emergency powers and one-person rule, members of the majority party from Pierce County are lamenting the fact that the governor has wielded his... Read More...
‘We all live in Seattle now!’
April 29, 2021
Conservatives tend to be positive people, trying to see the best in every situation, but the most positive thing that can be said about the 2021 regular legislative session is that it is finally over. Beyond that, the news is not good. While this session clearly reflected the values of... Read More...
Shocking audit findings at ESD
April 19, 2021
We received disturbing news from our state auditor’s office last week: its findings in an audit of the state Employment Security Department. It now appears that ESD downplayed the extent of the unemployment-insurance fraud it allowed, and repeatedly failed to properly respond to Washingtonians who needed the agency to deliver... Read More...