Articles written by Joe Schmick
Sorted by date Results 1 - 6 of 6
Lawmakers should hear from voters on initiatives
It is with a mix of encouragement and disappointment that the Senate majority leader says four of the six citizen initiatives to the Legislature "might" have public hearings schedul... — Updated 3/8/2024
Taking the 'Gotcha!' out of public records requests
When Washington’s voters adopted the state’s Public Records Act under Initiative 276 in 1972, they wanted to make sure that state, county, and city governments operate openly and... — Updated 2/8/2024
State payroll tax to hit businesses this summer
House and Senate budget writers released their 2023-25 state operating budget proposals recently. It was a reminder that taxpayers have been very kind to the state’s coffers as r... — Updated 4/6/2023
Kaiser Permanente's new rural pharmacy rules bad for consumers and our communities
Growing up on the farm, I heard grandma’s sage advice in just about every situation imaginable. “A trouble shared is a trouble halved.” “This isn’t my first rodeo.” “Many hands make light work.” When hearing about Kaiser Permanen... — Updated 2/23/2023
Back in Olympia
We are back at the state Capitol for the 2023 legislative session, which began Jan. 9 and is set to last 105 days, ending April 23. After being forced to endure a virtual legislative session in 2021 and last year due to... — Updated 1/19/2023
Emphasis on taxpayer protections is among the Legislature’s top priorities
One of the things I continually hear when traveling around the 9th Legislative District is this: “Joe, when are politicians in Olympia going to understand the ‘will of the peo... — Updated 1/31/2013