OPINION: Blaming salmon concerns on Snake River dams is a red herring     April 10, 2018 I serve the people of Washington’s 9th Legislative District, which includes the lower Snake River from the Idaho border west to U.S. Highway 12, a short hop from its confluence with the Columbia. So when there are new headlines about the idea of breaching the... Read More...

State parks lead list of good 9th District investments in new capital budget OLYMPIA…Sen. Mark Schoesler said the 9th Legislative District fares well in the supplemental capital budget approved by the Legislature tonight, with a highlight being additional funding for important improvements to several state parks in the region. “Every item on the list is good – money for emergency repairs to the... Read More...

Schoesler says better choices found in Senate Republicans’ budget approach OLYMPIA…Sen. Mark Schoesler voted today against the new Senate majority’s supplemental operating budget, which makes adjustments to the 2017-19 operating budget adopted last year. He made this statement following the caucus-line vote on the spending plan. “I appreciate that the Senate Democrats’ budget is respectful of the state’s four-year balanced-budget... Read More...

Schoesler says ‘pure politics’ are keeping Inslee energy-tax proposal alive OLYMPIA…Sen. Mark Schoesler says it’s ‘unconscionable’ that the Senate’s new Democrat majority is keeping Gov. Jay Inslee’s $1.2 billion energy tax alive a week after lawmakers learned that state revenues are coming in more than $2.4 billion ahead of expectations. He offered this statement after a majority of the Senate... Read More...

Senate Republican leader says new revenue numbers should have lawmakers looking at tax relief, not tax hikes OLYMPIA… The first state revenue forecast for 2018 predicts state revenue collections will come in $1.3 billion higher than previously forecast for the next two budget cycles. Combined with $1.05 billion in added revenue growth since the end of the 2017 legislative session, and an anticipated $200-plus million in reduced... Read More...

Senate honors the lives of John and Lois Spellman OLYMPIA… Today the Senate paused to remember former Gov. John Spellman and former First Lady Lois Spellman and their service to the people of Washington. Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler led the remembrance, which concluded with the passage of a resolution honoring the couple. Mrs. Spellman passed away Jan. 25... Read More...