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February 7, 2025
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
In the weeks after last November’s General Election, some Democrat legislators were commenting to the media that Washington voters had given them the green light to adopt new or higher taxes.
This was based on the defeat of the three tax-related statewide initiatives, due in large part to the advertising and media blitz funded by the measures’ opponents in the weeks leading up to Election Day.
Using the election results as some kind a political barometer, some Democrats declared that Washingtonians accepted higher taxes and higher spending. I know better: Washington voters did not defeat the three measures because of some love for higher taxes and spending.
Earlier this week, a new poll revealed what I long suspected. The poll showed that 56% of respondents said it was a “bad idea” to drastically hike spending to fund “important state programs that help address homelessness, create more affordable housing, improve education, and provide affordable health care for Washingtonians.”
According to the poll, 76% think the Legislature has the money it needs to address crucial issues, but that legislators need to use that money more effectively. And 59% thought that the budget deficit happened because the Legislature failed to control spending.
It also showed that more than 7 in 10 voters (71% to be exact) said they were worried about the availability of good-paying jobs and the state’s economy.
The poll was conducted by Fulcrum Strategic and EMC Research and commissioned by the Association of Washington Business, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce and Washington Roundtable.
 An empty Senate Chamber.
Senate Democrats pass bill to dismantle parental-rights initiative
You might remember that the Legislature last year passed three initiatives that were sent to us by voters. One of them was Initiative 2081, which created a parental-rights law. Now, you’d think that a voter initiative enacted just 10 months ago would be considered hands-off even by the Democrats.
Think again.
Senate Democrats this year introduced Senate Bill 5181, which would eliminate important rights from the I-2081 law.
This bill is a slap in the face of the 454,000 Washingtonians who signed the petition sheets allowing the parental-rights initiative to be sent to the Legislature last year.
Initiative 2081 was passed unanimously by the Senate a year ago, but now my Democratic counterparts want to take a legislative chisel to it and remove parts of it that parents supported most. At a time when parents’ trust in Washington’s public-school system is lower than ever, we should not pass a bill that weakens the parental-rights initiative. But that’s what the Senate majority did this week.
SB 5181 would end or hinder parents' access to important school-related medical information, including:
- Prior notification when medical services are offered (except in emergencies).
- Notification when medical services or medication could impact health insurance.
- Notification when school-arranged medical treatment results in follow-up care.
It also contains an “emergency clause” that would eliminate the constitutional right of voters to challenge the bill through a referendum. Democrats rejected a Republican amendment to remove the language from the bill. As there’s no emergency being addressed by this bill, including an emergency clause has no purpose other than to prevent citizens from pushing back through the referendum process. If Democrats are afraid to find out what the voters think of the changes this bill makes, they should have left the law alone.
The Washington State Standard published this story on yesterday’s party-line vote.
SB 5181 now goes to the House for further consideration.
 A busy freeway in Washington state.
Good Bill of the Week: SB 5026
For years, the state Department of Transportation and transportation leaders in the Legislature have been warning there isn’t enough state gas-tax money coming in to pay for all of the proposed highway construction or maintenance projects that WSDOT says are needed. One reason is that more people in Washington are buying electric vehicles – and EVs don’t need gas, so EVs owners aren’t paying gas taxes.
For years, some of my Republican colleagues have been trying to get the Legislature to address this less-than-ideal revenue situation by devoting the tax collected from vehicle sales to transportation projects in Washington. This year’s try comes from Yakima Sen. Curtis King, the Republican leader on the Senate Transportation Committee, who has introduced Senate Bill 5026. There is a direct and obvious connection between a vehicle purchase and using the sales-tax money from that purchase to help pay for transportation projects in our state. SB 5026 is currently in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. It is my Good Bill of the Week.
 Under HB 1630, the state might target cows for something they produce besides milk.
Bad Bill of the Week: HB 1630
As I read through the bills being introduced each day by my fellow legislators, I come across a few that make me wonder if some of my colleagues are either bored or have zero understanding about food production – or both.
One such proposal is House Bill 1630. It would require dairy farms and feedlots to provide annual reports to the state Department of Ecology on their total metric tons of methane emitted by their cows in the previous calendar year. We’re talking about cow flatulence and bovine burps, folks.
Under what some are derisively calling the “cow fart bill,” if Ecology finds enough methane is produced to equal 25,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions, these farms or feedlots probably would be placed under the Climate Commitment Act as officially covered entities.
In other words, if you’re a dairy farmer or if you operate a feedlot, you and your cows could fall under “cap and tax.” This would require dairy farmers and feedlot operators to compete with other businesses for carbon allowances under CCA.
It's bad enough that gasoline and other fuel are much higher here in Washington than in other states thanks to cap and tax. If HB 1630 becomes law, prices for Washington-made milk, cheese, beef and other products coming from cows could rise substantially as well.
This stinker of a bill is an easy pick for Bad Bill of the Week.
Meetings with eastern WA conservation districts this week
Along with many meetings earlier this week with officials from different state associations, I spent part of Wednesday visiting with representatives from these central and eastern Washington conservation districts: central and eastern Klickitat, Columbia Basin, and Whitman and Lincoln counties.
Let me know if you need help or have an idea
If you wish to discuss an issue or concern with me, or if you need help with a problem involving state government, please reach out to me by email at mark.schoesler@leg.wa.gov or give my legislative office a call at 360-786-7620. I'd like to hear from you!
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I welcome your comments about anything in this newsletter and questions about what I’m doing on your behalf in the state Senate. Please call, email or write using the contact information at the end of this report.
Click here to visit my legislative webpage!
Legislative Email: Mark.Schoesler@leg.wa.gov
Legislative Phone: (360) 786-7620
Toll-Free: 1 (800) 562-6000
Olympia Address:
417 Legislative Building
P.O. Box 40409
Olympia WA 98504-0409
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