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April 17, 2026
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
For many people in our state, especially in eastern Washington, hunting is a popular and beloved activity. Every fall, we go out in search of deer, elk, bear, pheasant or other game. Some of my best memories come from hunting deer and elk with friends. If the hunt is successful, I have large amounts of meat and sausage to enjoy or share with family and friends for months to come.
However, hunting season next fall might be much more difficult for many, thanks to the state. I received a notice from the Northeast Washington Counties Farm Bureau that the state Department of Fish and Wildlife is considering a proposal that would eliminate over-the-counter tags for both elk and mule deer in eastern Washington starting with the 2027-29 season cycle.
According to the notice, “Under the proposal all hunting would shift to a special permit only draw system with thousands fewer tags issued overall.”
“This is exactly the kind of proposal that gets decided long before it ever looks like a public plan. By the time something like this hits a formal complaint period the framework is largely already built. The time to pay attention and make your voice heard is right now while it is still being shaped.
“If this affects you as a hunter or as a landowner who manages depredation on your property, reach out directly to WDFW’s Eastern Region team at TeamSpokane@dfw.wa.gov. You can also follow the official 2027-2029 season setting process on WDFW’s website. We are linking that page in the comments so you can bookmark it and stay current as proposals develop.”
I plan to reach out to Fish and Wildlife to find out more about this reported proposal and why the department thinks it is needed. I encourage you to reach out to WDFW’s Eastern Region to voice your opinion on it as well.
 State Capitol in Olympia in the spring.
List of new taxes passed by Democrat-run Legislature this year
As the old saying goes, the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. We all were reminded of the latter earlier this week when “Tax Day” arrived on Wednesday, April 15.
Speaking of taxes, the Legislature this year passed several bills that raise or create new taxes, all courtesy of the Democrat majorities in the Senate and House. Of course, the most infamous of these is Senate Bill 6346, which will create a state income tax. But here is a list of others:
- House Bill 2089 (taxes on loan interest)
- HB 2442 (local government fund use)
- HB 2487 (insurer taxes)
- HB 2681 (cannabis license fees)
- Senate Bill 6162 (property tax)
- SB 6228 (prescription drugs/taxes)
- SB 6231 (data center equipment/taxes)
Ferguson vetoes part of budget that funds retail-theft prevention
During the weeks following the end of a legislative session, the governor takes center stage to sign (and occasionally veto) bills passed by the Legislature. Once in a while, the guv will veto something that causes a stir.
That happened this year with Governor Bob Ferguson and the supplemental state operating budget. While Ferguson approved most of the budget, he vetoed funding in the spending plan that aims to combat organized retail theft, which has been a problem in Washington in recent years.
The Center Square published a story on the veto earlier this week. Here is part:
The veto amounted to axing $500,000 in a funding request brought by state Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, to address costly and dangerous retail crime across the state.
The half a million was intended to piggyback on a $1 million investment in 2024 to help law enforcement, prosecutors and businesses to combat organized retail crime in King, Snohomish and Spokane counties.
More cases were prosecuted and eligible offenders were steered to diversion programs until the funding ran out in June of 2025.
A January report issued by the state Department of Commerce indicated the program “was highly effective in strengthening the overall response” to organized retail crime.
According to The Center Square article, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that in 2021, Washington experienced an estimated $2.7 billion in stolen goods and as a result, lost out on $603 million in state and local tax revenue.
Walla Walla Community College’s Clarkston campus.
WWCC Clarkston campus update
As you might recall, in last week’s E-Commentary, I wrote that the Walla Walla Community College Board of Trustees voted to close down the college’s Clarkston campus in a few years if WWCC’s funding situation does not sufficiently improve.
Earlier this week, 9th District state representatives Joe Schmick and Mary Dye and I received an email from WWCC President Chad Emerson Hickox about the announced closure of the Clarkston campus, as well as “next steps.” In the email, President Hickox suggested a tuition hike.
I certainly will do what I can to help resolve WWCC’s crisis with its Clarkston campus, but I have news for President Hickox, the rest of WWCC’s administrators, and anyone else who might be interested: I have no intention of voting to increase tuition at Washington’s colleges and universities. That is where I draw the line. Years ago, I and other Senate Republicans successfully fought to freeze tuition for college students so that college can be more affordable for them. I’m not about to go back on that.
Ferguson still hasn’t filled two PDC vacancies
I wrote in last week’s E-Commentary that Governor Ferguson has not filled two vacancies on the Public Disclosure Commission. His lack of action has caught the attention of at least two Washington newspapers. Earlier this week, The Seattle Times and The (Vancouver) Columban wrote editorials calling for the governor to appoint two people to the PDC, which acts as a political campaign watchdog, a role that is especially important with the 2026 elections on the horizon.
While Ferguson hasn’t bothered to restore the PDC to full strength, he somehow managed to appoint two judges (one for King County Superior Court, the other for Benton and Franklin Superior Court), as well student members of various college boards of trustees. If he has the time to appoint two judges and some student board of trustee members, he certainly can fill two PDC positions. Fill those two vacancies, governor!
Meeting/event rundown this week
- On Tuesday, I drove to Pullman to meet with several WSU government-relations officials to talk about the university’s project requests for the 2027-29 state capital budget, as well as to receive updates on current projects funded by the 2025-27 capital budget. At noon, I attended the Pullman Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon and gave a recap of this year’s legislative session.
- On Wednesday, I went to an agricultural advisory meeting in Colfax, followed by a drive down to Clarkston to meet with Valley Vision official Jerry Chavez.
- Today I will have a Zoom meeting with the Construction Service Group to talk about the construction of K-12 school facilities. Tonight I will attend Spokane Colleges Foundation’s annual fundraiser.
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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