Lawmakers invite 9th District residents to Feb. 22 telephone town hall
Legislators serving the 9th District will hold a town-hall meeting by telephone on the evening of Monday, Feb. 22. The conversation will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last approximately an hour; Sen. Mark Schoesler, Rep. Joe Schmick and Rep. Mary Dye will participate from the state Capitol, where the 2016...
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Senate majority leader: Someone needs to hold agencies accountable
Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, offered this response to remarks made today by Gov. Jay Inslee regarding the Senate’s Friday vote that effectively ousted the state secretary of transportation. “Of course the governor is upset. Three of the biggest state agencies under his control – DSHS, DOT and DOC...
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Transportation secretary fails to win Senate confirmation, loses job
A majority of the state Senate voted today against confirming the state transportation secretary appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee. The decision means Lynn Peterson is out as head of the state Department of Transportation after three years. “This is about having accountability at the highest levels in state agencies. Secretary...
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Senate Majority Leader issues statement on decision to seek subpoenas
Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, released the following statement in response to the decision of the Senate Rules Committee to issue subpoenas to the Department of Corrections and the governor’s office. The Rules Committee took a bipartisan 13-7 vote Tuesday evening to support a request for subpoenas from the...
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Governor should prioritize kids over fish
Additional funds for fish passage barriers should pay for better highway safety in Eastern Washington The citizens of Whitman County and the parents of students at Washington State University’s Pullman campus aren’t happy, and why would they be? They are still mourning the two students who died in car crashes over...
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State’s aerospace alliance honors Schoesler as top legislator
Washington’s Aerospace Futures Alliance has named Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler as Legislator of the Year, during a ceremony this past week in Spokane at the 10th annual governor’s aerospace summit. “AFA appreciates Senator Schoesler’s recognition of the economic benefits of aerospace in Washington State. He understands how aerospace attracts...
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Schoesler named ‘Legislative Champion’ by Washington Association of Realtors
Schoesler, R-Ritzville, is a co-winner of the award with Sen. Andy Hill of Redmond, the Senate majority’s budget chief. They helped lead the Legislature to adopt a new 2015-17 operating budget which is balanced without general tax increases that would have hit Main Street employers and family-level investors.
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A messy session with a splendid finish
This post originally appeared on the leadership blog of the Majority Coalition Caucus, Exit 105. If ever there was a legislative session that proved Otto von Bismarck right, it is the one we just finished. Von Bismarck is the former German chancellor we always quote about legislating and sausage-making: “Laws...
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Coug nation grieves the loss of WSU President Elson Floyd
Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued the following statement on the death of Washington State University President Elson Floyd: “It was with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of Elson Floyd this morning. As president of Washington State University, Dr. Floyd was a widely admired leader and...
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