Articles written by Joe Schmick
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Citizen initiatives to the Legislature: Let Washingtonians be heard!
OLYMPIA–It is with a mix of encouragement and disappointment that the Senate majority leader says four of the six citizen initiatives to the Legislature "might" have public hearings scheduled b...
Olympia Update
When our state's budget surplus reached approximately $15 billion last year, many of us felt it was time to give some of that back to taxpayers in the form of meaningful property tax relief. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Instead, Democrat budget...
Olympia Update
House and Senate budget writers released their 2023-25 state operating budget proposals recently. It was a reminder that taxpayers have been very kind to the state's coffers as revenue forecasts over the past few years have continued to increase. As...
Olympia Update
OLYMPIA–As Washington state seeks to find a financial solution to fund road construction projects, address backlogs in transportation maintenance and preservation needs, and fix crumbling infrastructure like bridges, one idea that has gained t...
Olympia Update
OLYMPIA–Growing up on the farm, I heard grandma's sage advice in just about every situation imaginable. "A trouble shared is a trouble halved." "This isn't my first rodeo." "Many hands make light work." When hearing about Kaiser Permanente's c...
Olympia Update
OLYMPIA–Various surveys conducted around the state over the last year continue to show that public safety is high on the list of concerns for the average Washingtonian. It doesn't matter if it's s...
Olympia Update
OLYMPIA–Large-scale bills with huge impacts for all Washingtonians are usually best conceived, perfected, and implemented when many opinions, experiences, and priorities are brought to the table here. I think back to the legislative fixes to the M...
OLYMPIA UPDATE
OLYMPIA–Over a decade ago, in November of 2007, Washington voters proved their intelligence, foresight, and practicality by approving the state’s constitutional “rainy-day fund.” Here is an excerpt from the Voters’ Guide: “Every year 1% of state re...
OLYMPIA UPDATE
OLYMPIA–It's been more than two months since Gov. Jay Inslee announced his "Healthy Washington–Roadmap to Recovery" plan on January 5. While I am grateful that all of Washington is now in Phase 2 of...
Olympia Update
OLYMPIA–When the Legislature convened last year for the 2020 session, our economy was healthy and increased tax collections gave our state a surplus of about $2.3 billion. Over objections from R...
OLYMPIA UPDATE
OLYMPIA–As the ranking Republican on the House Health Care and Wellness Committee, I'm working hard to make health care more affordable and accessible to our citizens. Anyone who has worked in the h...
Olympia Update
OLYMPIA–When the Washington State Legislature strays too far on ideology or misguided policy, the citizens of this state are adept at making their voice heard. Last session, a bill was introduced by t...
Olympia Update
OLYMPIA–Voters around the state should be concerned that their voice is not being heard in Olympia. Two of the first bills passed by the House of Representatives would increase business taxes on employers and potentially raise gas prices by 57 cents...
Olympia Update
OLYMPIA–The 2020 legislative session is in full swing and the familiar issues of tax increases, $30 car tabs, gun rights, homelessness, crime and public safety are at the center of much legislative e...
