The theme of the 2025 legislative sessions in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming has been pursuing record tax relief. The odd state out in this important tax relief bonanza, however, has been Washington, …
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By Jason Mercier / Mountain States Policy Center
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3/25/25
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Locals and newcomers alike may disagree about how much drizzle and gray skies they want in the Pacific Northwest, but when it comes to how our government works, I think the great majority of us would …
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By Ellen Hiatt / Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
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3/25/25
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Despite all their talk about forcing the wealthy in our state to pay more taxes, Olympia’s majority Democrats seem to have no problem forcing others to pay more as well.
The proposals in …
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Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia
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3/21/25
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Locals and newcomers alike may disagree about how much drizzle and gray skies they want in the Pacific Northwest, but when it comes to how our government works, I think the great majority of us would …
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Ellen Hiatt / Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.
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3/19/25
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We are stronger together for a common cause.
For 40 years, Indigenous nations in the United States and Canada have participated in the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) to implement the 1985 …
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Commentary by Ed Johnstone / NWIFC Chairman
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3/18/25
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The most important issues I hear about daily from constituents in Southwest Washington and across our state are affordability and crime. Families are struggling with the rising cost of living — …
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Commentary by state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia
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3/16/25
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Being on the minority side in the state Senate means playing defense against a lot of bad pieces of legislation, but there are times when we can still take satisfaction in a job well done.
One …
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Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia
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3/14/25
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As lawmakers head into the final half of the legislative session, they have some big decisions to make. Do they take a middle road and keep costs under control, or do they increase taxes and add new …
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By Kris Johnson / Association of Washington Business
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3/10/25
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It seems like legislative Democrats are always coming up with reasons for wanting to let people out of prison sooner.
One of the latest examples is Senate Bill 5266, which is on deck for a vote …
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Commentary by Sen John Braun, R-Centralia
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3/7/25
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Any battle over tariffs between the United States and Canada, China, and Mexico is concerning, but if it escalates, it will hit Washington farmers particularly hard. Avoiding that possibility should …
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By Don Brunell
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3/5/25
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John Rogers James, an early pioneer of South Thurston County, wrote his memoirs before his death in 1929 and listed the names of people who settled Grand Mound in its early years — the same …
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Commentary by Julie McDonald / For The Chronicle
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3/3/25
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At $80,500, the median annual state-employee salary in Washington is higher than the median annual private-sector pay in 38 of our state’s 39 counties.
People often seem surprised when …
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2/28/25
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Washington families feel the strain of rising costs on everything from housing to gas to groceries. Inflation has already driven up prices, yet lawmakers in Olympia continue pushing policies that …
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By Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia
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2/28/25
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At a time when political turmoil and division remains on the rise, the government should be seeking more voter input, not less.
This leads me to question why legislation such as House Bill …
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2/27/25
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The Trump administration’s decision to fire more than 4,400 civil servants, including 3,400 U.S. Forest Service and 1,000 National Park Service employees, is appalling and dangerous. The men …
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2/27/25
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Washington State lawmakers have once again introduced a pay-per-mile tax. House Bill 1921 and Senate Bill 5726 would impose a vehicle miles traveled tax (VMT) of 2.6 cents per mile in response to an …
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By Sam Cardwell / Mountain States Policy Center
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2/26/25
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While people across our state continue to struggle financially, Democrats in Olympia are moving forward with tax legislation that would make living in our state even less affordable.
They …
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Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia
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2/21/25
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Now that the state Legislature is in full swing and has had time to carefully consider all the challenges this year brings, it's good to see how seriously they are at solving problems for us.
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Commentary by John McCroskey / For The Chronicle
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2/19/25
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As this year’s legislative session got underway, Democratic budget leaders were talking like they had already given up on the idea of overcoming state government’s multibillion-dollar …
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Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia
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2/14/25
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During the 1992 presidential campaign, then candidate Bill Clinton famously intoned, “I feel your pain,” reassuring voters he understood what they were going through.
Since then, …
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By Don Brunell
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2/12/25
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