Mark Schoesler

OLYMPIA…Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler issued the following statement in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s veto today of legislation that would have led to a flat business-tax rate for manufacturers across Washington. “The governor’s decision is extremely disappointing, and so is his suggestion that no one from his office was...

Operating budget passes Senate 39–10, heads to House and then to governor for signature   OLYMPIA…Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued the following statement about the Senate’s passage today of a 2017-19 operating budget, which makes historic investments in K-12 education in Washington.   The budget received a strongly...

Schoesler maintains confidence that budget deal will be reached in time to avoid partial shutdown OLYMPIA…Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement of a third special legislative session to finalize negotiations on a budget for the 2017-19 biennium. “I fully expect the...

Bipartisan plan to fully fund basic education expected to account for over 50 percent of spending   OLYMPIA…As the Legislature’s second special session for 2017 enters a third week, Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler today expressed optimism and confidence that lawmakers will reach a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a new...

OLYMPIA…A grassroots effort to promote historic U.S. Highway 10, one of the nation’s 10 original interstate highways, has found an ally in Sen. Mark Schoesler, whose legislative district is home to much of the Washington part of the route that once connected Detroit and Seattle. Schoesler secured $50,000 in the...

OLYMPIA…Knowing that rural areas face special challenges when it comes to emergency responders, Sen. Mark Schoesler has successfully proposed a change in state law that eases the first aid-training requirement for volunteer ambulance drivers. The governor signed Senate Bill 5751 last week following its unanimous passage by the Legislature. The...

Unique ‘Cougar Nation appropriation’ included in final 2017-19 plan OLYMPIA… A unanimous vote by the Senate this evening completed the Legislature’s work on the state’s transportation budget for 2017-19. Sen. Mark Schoesler says the new budget has much to offer the 9th Legislative District in terms of highway-safety projects and...

Unique appropriation would let WSDOT, WSU team to address concerns OLYMPIA… At Sen. Mark Schoesler’s request, the new transportation budget adopted today by the Senate adds $400,000 for safety improvements in the State Route 26 and U.S. Highway 195 corridors. The two roads carry the majority of in-state travelers headed...

OLYMPIA…The Senate this evening voted to extend a temporary increase of local school-levy authority, but only after including reforms that would force school districts to closely account for locally generated dollars to ensure they are not used for basic-education expenses. Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler said the near-unanimous passage of Senate...