Tag Archives: 9th Legislative District

Schoesler says Senate budget proposal’s no-new-taxes approach is best

for website home page 2Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler offered this statement about the supplemental operating budget proposed today by the Senate. The update would increase state spending in the 2015-17 operating budget by a modest $49 million.

“Governor Inslee wants to raise taxes and raid the state’s rainy-day fund. The Democrats who control the House of Representatives want to raise taxes and raid the state’s rainy-day fund. Only the Senate’s budget avoids tax increases and protects the rainy-day fund. That is a top priority for our Majority Coalition Caucus, and the plan we put on the table today continues to build on the remarkable record of results we have achieved in four years of leading the Senate.

“The MCC has again shown it is possible to provide for education and state government’s other priorities without outspending the available revenue. By continuing to keep tax rates stable for families and employers, we encourage job growth in all corners of the state, not just the Puget Sound area, which puts Washington in the best position to continue recovering from the Great Recession.

“A supplemental budget is supposed to make adjustments in response to emerging needs and caseload shifts and one-time opportunities that could not have been foreseen when the two-year budget was approved. The governor and House leaders are wrong to use their budget proposals as a way to go after families and employers for more tax dollars and raid the rainy-day fund to support new spending.

“It is disappointing that the House’s budget proposal also takes aim at the Washington-only law requiring the two-year budget to balance across four years, not just two. This unique policy has brought stability by forcing budget writers to account for the long-term effects of their decisions – meaning beyond the next election. The House’s chief budget writer supported the creation of that law in 2012, before he started wearing that hat. Now he refers to the law as ‘voodoo economics’ and wants to kneecap it while using a half-dozen tax increases to balance the House budget proposal. They include a bottled-water tax that was already rejected by voters and a sales-tax increase that would devastate retailers in our border counties, in legislative districts served primarily by Republicans.

“This legislative session is scheduled to end two weeks from tomorrow; let’s work toward a budget agreement that is an update, not a rewrite, without the empty posturing about new taxes that dragged the Legislature through three overtimes this past year.”

Schoesler is a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which is holding a public hearing on the Senate’s supplemental operating-budget and capital-budget proposals today; it may be viewed online at www.TVW.org.

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 Thanksgiving break on the highways that feed into Pullman. They want safer highways, and they want them soon.

The comprehensive transportation package passed during the 2015 legislative session allocates money to improve State Route 26 and U.S. Highway 195. Four repaving projects are almost complete, and passing lane construction on U.S. 195 will begin in 2017. But the passing lanes S.R. 26 aren’t projected to begin until 2025.

Almost 6,000 people have signed an online petition in an effort to make highway safety in that area a bigger priority and bump up the timeline for those improvements. Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, believes this is possible, especially in light of Gov. Jay Inslee’s recent supplemental budget plan calls for $113 million of additional funding for fish passage barrier removal.

“We already allocated 300 million dollars in the current budget for fish culverts. Any additional funds need to be prioritized towards saving kids’ lives on a dangerous stretch of eastern Washington freeway. We are investing millions in the highways leading to the University of Washington. Governor Inslee should value Cougars as much as Huskies – and the safety of students more than fish.”

“If that money goes toward anything in Washington, it should go toward making it safer for our kids to drive our highways,” says Schoesler.

In 2013, Inslee supported a transportation package that made no provision whatsoever for improvements to S.R. 26 and U.S. 195. By contrast, the package passed in 2015 was a bipartisan effort led by the Senate and is far more comprehensive than the governor’s initial plan.

“We wanted a plan that would serve the east side of the state as well as the west side. The governor’s transportation package prioritized the west side. We worked for a plan that made all of Washington a priority,” says Schoesler.

Schoesler named ‘Legislative Champion’ by Washington Association of Realtors

Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville.

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. Continue reading →

Schoesler elected to lead Senate coalition as Majority Leader

The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus today elected Sen. Mark Schoesler as Senate Majority Leader for a two-year legislative term.

“I’m grateful to my Senate colleagues for their vote of confidence and am eager to continue working on solutions for the people of Washington,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville, “It’s time to govern and roll up our sleeves to find a better way to improve job growth, fund and reform education and make college more affordable. Our focus as a coalition has always been to put people above politics.”

Schoesler took time to honor what he called ‘the vision and leadership’ of former Majority Leader Rodney Tom, D-Bellevue. “Rodney knew this state would be better off with a Senate coalition that protected taxpayers and reset priorities in Olympia,” said Schoesler, “He led the charge to do something that had never been done before in the state Senate – to bring Democrats and Republicans together under shared goals and ideals. It worked and the people of Washington like the results.”

Sen. Schoesler had previously served as Republican Leader with Sen. Tom as the Majority Leader for the Majority Coalition Caucus during the 2013 and 2014 legislative term.

As majority leader, Schoesler is the caucus spokesperson on legislative policy matters, represents the caucus with the governor and other elected officials, and implements general legislative policies and priorities that reflect the views of the caucus. He also serves as the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Rules Committee and chairs the committee that assigns Senate Republicans to their various committee positions.

Schoesler was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 and after six terms the 9th Legislative District voters sent him to the Senate in 2006. During his time in the Senate he has served in leadership positions as the Senate Republican whip, Republican floor leader and as the Republican Leader in 2013 and 2014. He is a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and served as part of the Senate Republican budget negotiating team in 2011 and 2012.

The Majority Coalition also elected other members of their leadership team during their customary biennial reorganization meeting.

Caucus Chair – Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, Wenatchee. Parlette has served in this role since 2006. As caucus chair she calls the caucus into session, sets the agenda for and presides over caucus meetings, serves as ranking Republican on the Senate Facilities and Operations Committee and represents the caucus on operational matters.

Floor Leader – Sen. Joe Fain, Auburn. In this role Fain will coordinate the caucus’s floor action, serve on the Senate Rules Committee and represent the caucus on procedural matters.

Whip – Sen. Ann Rivers, La Center. In her position as whip, Rivers will act as a point of contact for the location of members during floor sessions and count votes on key legislation.

Deputy Leader – Sen. John Braun, Centralia. In this role Braun will assist the caucus leader in communicating the caucus’s legislative goals, policies, issues and priorities.

Caucus Vice Chair – Sen. Jan Angel, Port Orchard. In this role Angel will assist the caucus chair and preside over caucus meetings in her absence, and act as a liaison between ranking members on the various Senate committees and caucus leadership.

Deputy Floor Leader – Sen. Jim Honeyford, Sunnyside. In this role, Honeyford assists the floor leader in his duties and helps the floor leader and whip coordinate procedural votes with members.

Deputy Whip – Senator-elect Mark Miloscia, Federal Way. In this role Miloscia will act as backup to the whip and monitors attendance during floor sessions and caucus meetings

Senate President Pro Tempore – Sen. Tim Sheldon, Potlatch.

Senate Vice President Pro Tempore – Sen. Sharon Brown, Kennewick.

The 2015 legislative session begins Monday, Jan. 12 and will last 105 days.

Senate passes education-first budget – again

Senate Leaders meet with the press after passing their budget on Saturday.

Senate Leaders meet with the press after passing their budget on Saturday.

 

The Senate today passed a new budget that its leaders say should help bring about the consensus necessary for the Legislature to complete its work.

 

“Once again, the Senate has worked hard to put together and pass a sustainable budget that adheres to our constitutional and moral duty to provide for the education of our children,” said Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom. “Education should get our first dollars, not our last dime.”

 

Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler agreed.

 

Continue reading →

Sen. Schoesler and Sen. Tom sit down with Austin Jenkins on TVW’s Inside Olympia

Senate Republican Leader, Sen. Mark Schoesler, and Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Rodney Tom, stop by the TVW studio to discuss the 2013 legislative session on Inside Olympia with Austin Jenkins. The topic of discussion is the upcoming 30 day special session where legislators will forge the state operating budget.

 

 

**NOTE**

If you are having trouble watching the video, please follow the link below to watch the video on TVW.org

https://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2013050061#start=74&stop=1771

 

Senator Mark Schoesler on state fair funding

Audio FileWashington State’s 9th District Senator, Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, and leader of the Senate Republican Caucus, talks about bills to help fund state fairs and how they benefit not only local economies, but impact the lives of young entrepreneurs as well.

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Senator Mark Schoesler responds to Gov. Inslee’s inaugural address

Audio FileWashington State’s 9th District Senator and Senate Republican Leader, Mark Schoesler, speaks to reporters during a Republican news conference immediately following new Democrat Governor Jay Inslee’s inaugural address.

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