The Weekly Roundup | Monday, Feb. 9 - Friday, Feb. 13

SB 5942 (Wilson, C.): Would change the name of the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) Oversight Board to the DCYF Accountability Board – and at the same time, eliminate oversight responsibilities over the troubled state agency. Given public furor over the Minnesota Somalia daycare fraud case and the hints of possible fraud in this state uncovered by the news media, along with numerous other scandals at this agency, we need more oversight, not less.

SB 5974 (Lovick): Would allow an unelected board that serves the governor to decertify and remove sheriffs who were elected by their counties. Undermines the will of the people and would sometimes put sheriffs in a conflicting position while enforcing the state law. However, they are also sworn to uphold the Washington State Constitution and the United States Constitution, both of which preempt state law.

SB 6045 (Saldana): Would allow anyone and everyone who touches your food from farm to table to unionize. Would also significantly raise the cost of food, having a domino effect that would hurt food banks and families struggling to put food on the table even now. Farmers are price takers – increasing their overhead puts them out of business.

SB 5382 (Valdez): Would add more requirements for those who gather signatures for initiatives/referenda and the Secretary of State. There is no evidence of a single invalid signature having been counted. Similar changes in Oregon tripled the cost to qualify an initiative – from $150,000 to $500,000.

SB 6346 (Pedersen): Establishes a new state income tax starting at 9.9% on income over $1 million, projected to raise roughly $4 billion per year while returning only a small share in tax reductions. The tax is framed as targeting only high earners but creates a precedent for a broader income tax that could be expanded over time, adds a new revenue stream without significant offsetting relief, and includes provisions that limit voter referendum options. The proposal increases long-term tax burdens, risks Washington’s competitive advantage as a no-income-tax state, and directs most new revenue to government spending rather than meaningful tax reform.

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Capital Budget Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, 9th Legislative District, during committee debate on the Democrats' proposed income tax:

“Not one dime of the nearly $4 billion per year expected to come from the income tax is earmarked for education or healthcare. 95% of that money goes right to the general fund. Supporters of the tax have led people to believe otherwise.”

Sen. Perry Dozier, R-Waitsburg, 16th Legislative District, during committee debate on the Democrats' income tax proposal:

“Nothing in this bill right now makes Washington state more affordable.”

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The Weekly Roundup | Monday, Feb. 9 - Friday, Feb. 13

Monday, Feb. 9 - Friday, Feb. 13

A weekly summary of Senate Republican Caucus content, featuring links to videos, radio and podcast appearances, press releases, social media posts, priority bills, and a short list of bad bills to watch.

New Webpages:

Press Releases:

Opinion Editorials:

Newsletters:

Social Media:

Podcasts:

Audio:

Videos:

Bad Bills to Watch: