Political Beat
Operating and transportation and capital, oh my!
Senate Republicans unveiled their two-year operating budget this week and their key selling point reverberated throughout the state: no new taxes. “It’s a no new taxes budget,” several Republican lawmakers said. Headlines […]
Subject: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH TAXES
Clark County Commissioner Tom Mielke, a former state representative, wants the “government types” to know they have a “spending problem” and they should think about “the rest of us on […]
The odd couple
Sen. Don Benton touts his leadership in “the effort to defeat the flawed and costly” Columbia River Crossing project. Sen. Annette Cleveland is a die hard proponent of replacing the Interstate […]
Politicking
One of the more controversial measures - an attempt to end the personal exemptions for immunizations - died on the House floor last week. Before the big vote, I’m told, some […]
High-tech leaders: Address I-5 Bridge now
Add Clark County's high-tech business leaders to the chorus of local voices who aren't pleased with the transportation revenue package under consideration in the Washington Legislature this year. The Clark County […]
Moeller: Show me the freebies!
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again … Or 11 more times. After 12 attempts, state Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, has gotten his proposal requiring lobbyists and their employers to […]
Vaccination debate spreads
The vaccination debate has spread to Rep. Liz Pike’s Facebook page. When speaking to The Columbian earlier, Pike was undecided how she would cast her vote on a measure that would […]
The loyal opposition
Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, has never been shy about voicing her opinions on Facebook. Two years ago, she wrote a post critical of teachers on the social-media platform, which she later […]
Sen. Rivers accepts per diem increase
Last year, when a panel of lawmakers voted to increase the daily stipend lawmakers receive during the session, Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, said the move made her sick to […]
Legislative snapshot: Week 4
Rep. Jim Moeller is keeping the lease on his apartment in Olympia until June. But at the end of the fourth week of the 2015 legislative session, Moeller struck an uncharacteristically […]