During this year’s legislative session, Democrats passed dozens of bad bills. However, Republicans were able to help stop some of the most extreme bills from passing.
#waleg
#fixwashington
The
@EverettHerald
joins other editorial boards in support of emergency powers reform. Of the 2 bills featured in this editorial, House Republicans believe HB 1772 is the best approach to restore balance in state government.
#waleg
Rep. Mary Dye, ranking Republican on the House Environment & Energy Committee: “Washington's inflated fuel prices are not because of big oil, but because of big government gouging Washingtonians.”
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Gov. Inslee says Washington is in better shape than it’s ever been, but reality paints a different picture. We are facing more crises than ever, and the data proves it.
#waleg
#fixwashington
Jason Mercier in
@TriCityHerald
: “Having monitored the emergency powers debate across the country … I remain dumbfounded why Washington’s legislative majority is content to cede its constitutional role to debate and enact policy to the Governor.
#waleg
Rep. Jim Walsh weighs in on today’s BIG news that Democrats have caved to public pressure and will now hold public hearings on four of the six initiatives before the Legislature.
#waleg
#fixwashington
WA:
➡
#51
in police officers per capita
➡
#1
for retail theft
➡
#2
for property crime
➡
#4
most expensive state to buy groceries
➡60% of students failing math, 50% failing reading
Rep. Chris Corry says the House Dems’ supplemental operating budget won’t fix these crises.
#waleg
House Republicans voted against HB 1589. The bill would ban natural gas in new residential and commercial buildings and increase the costs of housing, goods and services when our state is in an affordability crisis. Families deserve affordable, reliable energy choices.
#waleg
Rep. Jim Walsh shares the good news: Senate Bill 5770, the bill that would have raised property taxes and rents, won’t be moving forward this year.
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Rep. Jim Walsh condemns the filibustering of the public hearing on I-2113 (restoring vehicular pursuits) by out-of-state “experts,” depriving law enforcement officials and citizens from across the state the opportunity to testify.
#waleg
#fixwashington
“The state does not own our kids,” argued Rep. Travis Couture during debate over Initiative 2081.
I-2081, a citizen-backed initiative, will create a Parents’ Bill of Rights, giving parents better access to student records and information and increasing transparency at schools.
Rep. Andrew Barkis closes with a mic drop on the Democrats’ rent control bill (House Bill 2114): “You cannot have a tenant without a housing provider. Please vote no on this, because if we don't and it moves forward, you won't have either.”
#waleg
Despite what you may have heard, Initiative 2117 (repeal the Climate Commitment Act/carbon tax) does NOT put road and bridge maintenance at risk. We’ll let Rep. Jim Walsh take it from here.
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#fixwashington
Rep. Mary Dye: It’s midnight, and we’re just waiting on the Democrats to see if we’re going to run HB 1589. House Republicans are ready to fight for you.
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#fixwashington
“Not a dime of money in the CCA goes to maintenance and preservation of roads.” House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary responds to the misleading information posted by the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee on the Climate Commitment Act (CCA).
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House Democrats rejected our motion for a prompt public hearing on I-2113 (vehicular pursuits). House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary emphasized the moral and constitutional duty lawmakers have to give a voice to 430,000+ Washingtonians who supported the initiative.
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From
@seattletimes
editorial board: “The absence of taxpayer relief in a year of a $15 billion budget surplus – and inflation at 40-year highs – strongly indicates that the current power players simply don’t care to cut. Ever.”
#waleg
Today, House Democrats voted to reject our motion for a prompt public hearing on I-2081 (parental rights). House Republican Floor Leader Jacquelin Maycumber made the case for why initiatives should be priorities for the Legislature. We think you should have a voice.
#waleg
House Republicans stand united in our support for the six citizen-driven initiatives and joined supporters at a rally here at the Capitol last Friday. Three of the initiatives will receive public hearings starting tomorrow.
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#fixwashington
Initiative opponents are resorting to scare tactics – but do not be fooled. The truth is, Olympia politicians have a spending problem, not a revenue problem.
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#washingtonstate
#fixwashington
Late last night, House Dems introduced an amendment to water down our Holocaust education bill, which seeks to stem the tide of antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Rep. Drew Stokesbary spoke out forcefully this morning in support of the Jewish community.
#waleg
#holocaust
Rep. Chris Corry’s emergency powers reform legislation, HB 1772, has been scheduled for a public hearing in the House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee on Monday at 1:30 p.m. Learn more about this bill and issue here:
#waleg
“We don’t think it should be a requirement for those who don’t want it,” says House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary on the state’s long-term care program and payroll tax. We support I-2124, which would allow WA workers to opt out of this state program/tax.
#waleg
#fixwashington
House Democrats voted today to reject our motion for a prompt public hearing on I-2109, which would repeal the capital gains income tax. Rep. Mike Steele emphasized that initiatives should take precedence over other legislative matters and that you deserve to be heard.
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Rep. Jim Walsh and House Republican Floor Leader Jacquelin Maycumber weigh in on Initiative 2081 (parental rights). This is the third initiative to be certified and before the Legislature.
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The state collected an extra $3.3 billion over the four-year outlook, and yet the House Democrats’ supplemental operating budget provides no meaningful financial relief for working families, argued Rep. April Connors during floor debate on SB 5950.
#waleg
#fixwashington
I KNOW IT'S A 60-DAY SESSION AND WE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING ON OUR BILL TO ALLOW SERIAL KILLERS TO VOTE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIME FOR THE SIX INITIATIVES.
#waleg
#priorities
House Democrats rejected a motion today by Rep. Peter Abbarno to hold a public hearing on Initiative 2124 – a measure that would allow Washington workers to opt-out of the WA Cares program and payroll tax.
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BREAKING: House passes Initiative 2081 (establishing a Parents’ Bill of Rights) on an 82-15 vote. This policy will help build trust between parents and schools through more transparency.
#waleg
#fixwashington
Rep. Spencer Hutchins: “Protesters be aware. We support your First Amendment freedom of speech rights. We do not support you interrupting the lives and safety of your fellow citizens.” HB 2358, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Barkis, would increase penalties for illegal highway
Washington's carbon tax has increased the price of gas by about 50 cents per gallon. This tax isn't just hurting Washington drivers at the gas pump, it's increasing the cost of basic services and goods – including groceries.
Despite numerous opportunities in recent years to
BREAKING: Democrats have decided to hold public hearings on only three of the six initiatives. That’s not good enough. Throughout session, we have urged them to hold public hearings on all six because you deserve a voice on these important proposals to
#FixWashington
.
#waleg
Democrats are refusing to hold a public hearing on Initiative 2124. The measure would simply allow Washington workers to opt-out of the state’s unfair and unpopular long-term care program and payroll tax. We support I-2124. Learn more:
#waleg
Earlier today, Washington State House Republicans elected Rep. Drew Stokesbary of Auburn as Leader and Rep. Mike Steele of Chelan as Deputy Leader. Learn more in this news release.
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WATCH: Good news! Initiative 2111, which would prohibit state and local personal income taxes, passed out of the House Finance Committee this morning. We look forward to voting for this initiative on the House floor.
#waleg
#fixwashington
400,000+ Washingtonians signed I-2113 (restore vehicular pursuits). It will receive a public hearing today at 9 a.m. Rep. Jim Walsh and Rep. Gina Mosbrucker discuss our support for I-2113 and why the policy is important for the safety of communities.
#waleg
#fixwashington
House Republican Assistant Floor Leader Peter Abbarno and Rep. Jim Walsh discuss Republican support for I-2124. The initiative would allow Washington workers to opt-out of the unfair and unpopular WA Cares program and payroll tax.
#waleg
From
@seattletimes
: House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, said issues like public safety and the lack of available child care and housing have worsened during Inslee’s tenure.
#waleg
Last week, we battled against a bill (SB 6058) that would link our state’s carbon market to California and Quebec. We oppose this policy and the regressive Climate Commitment Act, which has placed extraordinary financial burdens on Washingtonians.
#waleg
#fixwashington
From
@seattletimes
: “Now, Republican lawmakers are proposing bills to curb the governor’s emergency powers and a constitutional amendment to make it easier for the Legislature to call itself back into session.” Story:
#waleg
From
@seattletimes
: “Republicans, who are in the minority in the Legislature, have repeatedly urged tax cuts to help residents deal with inflation.”
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From
@seattletimes
: Today, there is broad acknowledgment among many public health and education experts that extended school closures did not significantly stop the spread of COVID, while the academic harms for children have been large and long-lasting.
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In his weekly update, House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox says House Republicans are saying 'no' to the billions of dollars in new taxes being proposed by the governor and some Democrats in the Legislature.
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Rep. Chris Corry weighs in after passage of House Dems’ supplemental operating budget. He says its $2.2B in new spending is not focused on problems facing Washingtonians, but special interests instead. Unfortunately, Dems rejected most of our amendments to
#fixwashington
.
#waleg
House Democrats passed a controversial bill that would ban natural gas in new residential and commercial buildings. Rep. Peter Abbarno joined Ari Hoffman of KVI Radio to talk about why this regressive policy would hurt many Washingtonians.
#waleg
@thehoffather
@KVIseattle
Reps. Peter Abbarno and Mary Dye give an update on HB 1589 (PSE/natural gas). We voted against this bill on Jan. 22 and strongly oppose the amended version. This policy would make utility bills more expensive and lead to the elimination of natural gas services.
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House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary on the six initiatives now before the Legislature: People want change. And that’s what House Republicans are all about – trying to fix what’s broken in Washington.
#waleg
#fixwashington
Today, Gov. Inslee announced he’s calling lawmakers back to Olympia on May 16 for a special session to address the state’s drug possession law. House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary released the following statement on the governor’s announcement.
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Democrats created this problem in the 2021 session and failed to fix it in the 2022 session. House Republicans supported solutions, including SB 5919 and HB 1788. Story from
@KING5Seattle
.
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One of the Dems’ signature bills this session, regressive HB 1589, will pave the way to ban natural gas and increase energy rates for hundreds of thousands of PSE customers. We battled against it because we know it will make WA’s affordability crisis worse.
#waleg
#fixwashington
WATCH: Last night, we brought an amendment forward to SB 6109 to ensure children are protected in the event their parent(s) abuse fentanyl at home. We spoke passionately about the need to protect children because too many are dying. Democrats rejected our amendment.
#waleg
Emergency powers reform continues to be a priority for Republicans. A story from
@thecentersquare
that features Rep. Chris Corry’s House Bill 1772.
#waleg
House Democrats rejected our motion for a prompt public hearing on I-2117 (repealing the carbon tax). House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary emphasized the moral and constitutional responsibility lawmakers have to give a voice to the people who signed the initiative.
#waleg
Rep. Travis Couture delivers a floor speech in favor of his bill that would require public schools to provide instruction on the Holocaust and genocide. Even though House Democrats weakened the bill with a surprise amendment, it passed unanimously.
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Republican Leaders Rep. Wilcox & Sen. Braun: “Small businesses care about their customers & are being safe. Instead of unfairly restricting their abilities, we should work with them to find ways to reduce the spread of the virus.” Full statement:
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During a public safety crisis, House Democrats in Olympia introduced legislation to reduce sentences for gun, gang, and drug-related crimes around schools. They also introduced legislation to allow criminals to vote, serve on a jury, and run for public office while incarcerated.
One of our legislative priorities is holding Gov. Inslee and state government accountable, including emergency powers reform. Learn more about our efforts, including House Bill 1772, here:
#waleg
Registered vehicle owners in WA could receive a $100 check – or up to $200 per family – next July under a proposal by Rep. April Connors through the Carbon Auction Relief (CAR) Payment program. Learn more at:
#waleg
During Tuesday’s media availability, House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary shared why he believes Democrats aren’t holding public hearings on the initiatives that have been certified by the Secretary of State and are now before the Legislature.
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From
@fox13seattle
: “House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox expressed frustration … on the lack of across-the-board tax cuts for the middle class considering the strong revenues the state has seen over the past year…”
#waleg
The editorial board
@thenewstribune
again asks Gov. Inslee to call a special session. From the editorial: “Republicans have an ear for small business needs and ideas that deserve discussion.” Full editorial:
#waleg
Rep. Jim Walsh tackles the critical issue of contractual risk in state transportation projects. With costs rising and timelines shifting, it's crucial to identify who shoulders overrun costs.
#waleg
Rep. Andrew Barkis says House Bill 2114 (rent control) is going to make Washington’s housing crisis worse by negatively affecting the supply of housing. We’re likely to debate the bill in the next 24 hours. Stay tuned.
#waleg
The Legislature is again suing Gov. Inslee for exceeding his veto power. The Washington Supreme Court sided with state lawmakers in a previous lawsuit. Story from
@AustinJenkinsN3
:
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Washington state is facing a dire public safety crisis. 31st District Rep. Eric Robertson believes a whole wave of change is needed to support our law enforcement communities.
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Our state has a $2.4 billion surplus. This morning, Rep. Drew Stokesbary introduced a bill to provide $1 billion in tax relief for Washingtonians, including $30 car tabs.
#waleg
The Republican Safe Washington Plan includes legislation to address the problems created by HB 1310 (featured in this story) and HB 1054 – two bills passed by Democrats and Gov. Inslee last year.
#waleg
House Republicans are committed to parental rights. In this video, Reps. Chris Corry and Peter Abbarno explain why controversial SB 5599 would erode parental rights. House Republicans opposed the bill.
#waleg
760 people signed in for yesterday’s public hearing on SB 5395 (comprehensive sexual health education). 634 opposed the bill. House Republicans stand with parents who believe this is too much, too soon for kids and that local control is being taken away from school.
#waleg
🧵 Years of irrational land use policy and costly building regulations passed by Democrats have led to a housing availability and affordability crisis in Washington state.
#waleg
Learn more at:
From the
@seattletimes
editorial board: “The Legislature has a duty to provide a check on the state’s executive branch, especially considering Democrats control both houses and governor’s mansion.” Full editorial:
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Rep. Stokesbary: “In the middle of a pandemic, with millions of Washingtonians already out of work or facing uncertain futures, it’s unconscionable the governor is proposing to make health care, gas and home energy even more expensive.” Statement:
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WATCH: The crises facing our state demand bold solutions. We are answering the call, working to make a difference on public safety, affordability, drug addiction, housing and homelessness, education, child care, and more. Our agenda: Fix Washington.
#waleg
Rep. Travis Couture’s HB 2037 would require public schools to provide instruction on the Holocaust and other genocides and crimes against humanity. The legislation received a public hearing in the House Education Committee today.
#waleg
Last night, our members stood united against a bill sponsored by House Democrats to impose a regressive low carbon fuel standard. House Bill 1110 would increase the price of gas and goods, and hurt those who can least afford to take on additional financial burdens.
#waleg
Senate Bill 5096 was heard in the Senate Ways & Means Committee today. House Republicans are united in opposition to an income tax on capital gains. From the
@WAPolicyCenter
:
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An editorial from
@thenewstribune
that features Rep. Skyler Rude’s HB 1973. The bill would require all school district board meetings to be audio recorded, kept for 5 years, and available to the public upon request.
#waleg
Controversial SB 5599, which would erode parental rights, just passed off the House floor. House Republicans opposed it. Read statements from Reps. Carolyn Eslick and Travis Couture here.
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House Democrats just passed controversial legislation that would abolish advisory votes. House Republicans voted against Senate Bill 5082. Rep. Peter Abbarno, ranking member on the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee, led our debate.
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Rep. Wilcox discusses the hardships under Inslee’s stay-home order & the importance of safely restarting our economy. He calls on the governor to accelerate the phases of the order, balance public health with civil rights, and trust Washingtonians.
#waleg
From
@WAStateStandard
: Stokesbary, an ardent CCA critic, sounded aghast. To “send hundreds of dollars to people right before and right after an election, where the second payment is based on how they vote in the election,” he said. “That is really suspicious.”
#waleg
Republicans in the Legislature are on the attack over how House Democrats want to distribute $200 electricity bill rebates to Washington households.
#waleg
House Republicans also strongly oppose this regressive policy that would make life more expensive when our state already has an affordability crisis. Washingtonians deserve affordable, reliable energy choices. Watch some of our debate highlights on HB 1589 in this video.
#waleg
Committee testimony on the bill to ban natural gas: HB 1589 (D). The costs could exceed $10K+ to retrofit houses. And say goodbye to your gas fireplaces and cooking with gas. Gas prices could also increase more than 100% for those needing to keep gas.
#PainInTheGas
#waleg
From the
@WAStateStandard
: Barkis also said transportation spending priorities are wrong, citing $150 million to study a high-speed rail system that will take years and cost billions of dollars to become a reality.
#waleg
In Washington state law, a "sexually violent predator" is defined as an individual who has been convicted of or charged with a sexually violent offense and has a mental abnormality or personality disorder that makes them likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence if
Rep. Jim Walsh advocates for Initiative 2111. This citizen-driven initiative aims to prohibit state and local personal income taxes. Walsh, author of the initiative, articulates its objectives and why it is needed.
#waleg
#fixwashington
Rep. Kelly Chambers provides a speech in support of AMD 551 which would provide funding for recruitment and retention bonuses for law enforcement officers, body cameras for law enforcement, and the WA Auto Theft Prevention Account. House Democrats voted it down.
#waleg
We're debating the controversial comprehensive sexual health education bill (SB 5395). Rep. Vicki Kraft: "There's pornographic materials in the curriculum presented by OSPI. This will increase violence against women. We don't need to do anything to promote violence."
#waleg
Rep. Dan Griffey: "The few crumbs the majority party allowed in this bill fall far short of what our police have asked for and do not give them the tools they need to keep our communities and themselves safe.”
@chronline
#waleg
Yesterday, protesters spent three hours blocking the expressway to Sea-Tac Airport. Rep. Andrew Barkis, sponsor of a bill to increase penalties for those who participate in illegal highway blockades, issued a statement earlier today.
#fixwashington
#waleg
Exciting update! Initiative 2113, aimed at restoring vehicular pursuits, successfully advanced from the House Community Safety, Justice, and Reentry Committee today. We are committed to supporting this initiative when it reaches the House floor.
#waleg
#fixwashighton