East Washingtonian - Your Hometown News Source

The week of Feb. 19-23 could have been called "budget week," as the Senate held public hearings or approved its version of the three state supplemental budgets (operating, capital, and...

OLYMPIA–The main event during the opening week of this year’s legislative session was Gov. Jay Inslee’s annual state of the state address. I was surprised he did not pull a muscle from patting himse...

OLYMPIA–With the April 23 conclusion of this year's legislative session just days away, it sadly appears the Legislature will not pass a bill to implement the exemption for farm fuel and certain o...

OLYMPIA–In my 30 years as a state legislator, there have been times when I have correctly predicted that something Olympia did would turn out badly for Washingtonians. The "cap-and-tax" program r...

We all have heard the phrase, "The good, the bad and the ugly." It also applies to the many bills before the Legislature each year. Nearly 1,600 bills (754 from the Senate, 843 from the House) had...

After Washington drivers endured record-high gas and diesel prices for much of last year, fuel prices dropped substantially across the state during the final months of 2022. But you may have noticed...

OLYMPIA–Two environmental laws from the Democratic-controlled Legislature and Gov. Jay Inslee that took effect Jan. 1 are already causing fuel prices in Washington to rise, says state Sen. Mark S...

As the senator representing WSU-Pullman, tuition costs have always been of particular interest to me. The Biden administration’s controversial plan to “forgive” hundreds of billions of dollars in stud...

This week saw a number of new state laws go into effect. Among them are a couple that are part of the Democrats' new state transportation-funding package. The chart below shows how several fees that...

In recent years, environmentalists have targeted natural gas, even though it is an affordable energy source for so many. Their efforts have failed in the Legislature, but apparently Governor Inslee...

Dear Friends and Neighbors, It's a bit ironic that the state's revenue situation continues to shine at the same time when people throughout Washington are struggling with historically high inflation....

OLYMPIA–Most of you know well how many environmentalists, especially those on the west side of the Cascades, keep calling for the breaching of the four lower Snake River dams in southeastern W...  Website

OLYMPIA–By the time you read this, the 2022 legislative session in Olympia will be in its final week. The 60 days allotted by Washington’s constitution end this Thursday (March 10). There is sti...

By Sen. Mark Schoesler Last Friday, Secretary of the Senate Brad Hendrickson sent an email to all senators and Senate staff to announce how the Senate will conduct the 2022 legislative session after t...

Of the clubs I belonged to in high school, my favorite was perhaps the Future Farmers of America. Growing up on a wheat farm that had been in my family for four generations before me, I had a strong l...

When Governor Inslee issued his COVID vaccine mandate for most state employees and health-care workers in both the public and private sectors, we wondered if and when he would try to extend that...

Inslee is still targeting Snake River dams It’s no secret that Gov. Inslee is not a fan of the four dams on the lower Snake River. I think it had been a few months since our governor last said a...

Over the past few years, the Democratic-led Legislature has passed more than a few bills that raised taxes or created new ones, and many of us have felt the pinch in our pocketbooks, or we will soon....

In my E-Commentary last week, I mentioned that Governor Inslee had ordered all state employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by mid-October or lose their jobs. Now, teachers and other school...

By Sen. Mark Schoesler OLYMPIA–Every 10 years, under Washington's constitution, the Redistricting Commission is re-established to draw new legislative and congressional district maps in our state f...

As the extremely hot temperatures have reminded us, much of eastern Washington, including our wheat-growing regions, is in the middle of a drought. This is a huge concern for me and other wheat...

OLYMPIA–Gov. Jay Inslee has signed bipartisan legislation sponsored by 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler that will provide temporary property-tax relief for Malden-area residents and other Washingtonia...

OLYMPIA–House Bill 1091, the proposed "high-cost fuel standard" to improve the climate. Was passed on the final day of session, April 25, 2021. During my long drive home to Ritzville from Olympia o...

As I gladly readjust to normal life in Ritzville after spending nearly every day of the past four months in Olympia, I have good news and bad news to report. The good news is that the 2021...

OLYMPIA–A key bill for agriculture, Senate Bill 5172, took a bumpy route before being passed by the Legislature during the final weekend. Senate Bill 5172, introduced by one of my Republican c...