Opinion
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 3130
Small family farms are disappearing across region
Farm numbers across the U.S. are dwindling and the mountain states are no exception. Our country lost 7% of farms from 2017-2022, and all of the mountain states were above the national average. As a farmer in the region, I... — Updated 3/28/2024
Why no Easter lily tours?
Easter is when potted Easter Lily plants start showing up in nurseries and supermarkets like poinsettias during the Christmas season. They adorn the altars and pulpits of most... — Updated 3/28/2024
Polluters should pay for carbon
“Polluters pay. People get a carbon cashback” sums up the impact that the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act would have. The EICDA was re-introduced in the House of Representatives last September and is currently lan... — Updated 3/28/2024
Moore's final bow in the big apple
Who would have thought that a small Oregon natural grain mill owner’s death would make national news or be the subject of a lengthy feature article in the New York Times (NYT)? H... — Updated 3/21/2024
Lawmakers miss salmon opportunity
The legislative session is over, and it had the potential to be very positive for salmon recovery. There was bipartisan support for habitat restoration. Legislators also had a huge amount of money to allocate because the tax on... — Updated 3/21/2024
Mixed results as session ends
The 2024 legislative session is now in the history books. After 60 days, in which 201 House bills and 180 Senate bills passed the Legislature, we can report a mix of great successes and disappointments. We fought hard for public... — Updated 3/14/2024
Write to the Point
Congresswoman can influence Speaker Johnson Among Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers’s negative legacies she leaves, her most impactful may be on immigration. However, she still has time to improve that. Donald Trump cares n... — Updated 3/14/2024
Tree farms reduce greenhouse gases
As climate change concerns grow, researchers are turning to family tree farmers for assistance. They have been helping for a century, but their efforts have gone unrecognized. The American Tree Farm program has emphasized... — Updated 3/14/2024
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
Small, albeit impactful wins
Let me begin with some political realities about your state Legislature. Republicans, and I am one, are in the minority. The Senate Republican Caucus, of which I am the chairwoman,... — Updated 3/8/2024
I-2113 would make Washington safer
Among the many problems plaguing Washington now, crime is perhaps the greatest concern for citizens and communities throughout our state. In fact, we have reached a crisis point in... — Updated 3/8/2024
Tree farms reduce greenhouse gases
As climate change concerns grow, researchers are turning to family tree farmers for assistance. They have been helping for a century, but their efforts go unrecognized. The... — Updated 3/8/2024
Climate agenda may cost you more than $20,000
Eleven years ago, when we started debating the climate agenda in Olympia, I sat on a study committee we called the Climate Legislative Executive Workgroup and asked an unpopular... — Updated 3/8/2024
Public records must open and accessible
A special report urges the mobilization of civic leaders, organizations, businesses and all residents to work together to save the state’s Public Records Act. The report is available online for viewing and downloading at washcog.or... — Updated 3/7/2024
Forest bill a welcome change
Funny how it took a move into the country before a Democrat would support efforts to clean up our forest floors. Last week, Senate Bill 6121 passed the Senate unanimously. The bill... — Updated 2/22/2024
Write to the Point
Make the public records ‘gotcha’ less lucrative I agree with Rep. Schmick, let’s take the “gotcha” out of public records requests. That can be done by helping jurisdictions with their filing system, not by prohibiting public disclo... — Updated 2/22/2024
State needs more law officers
There was a time many years ago when our state was generally safe and did not have a serious crime problem. Unfortunately, that was then… and this is now. Washington is now among the nation’s leaders in several crimes, including au... — Updated 2/15/2024
Write to the Point
We need to unite to tackle fentanyl As an emergency physician, I see too many patients and families destroyed fentanyl epidemic. This is a plague that we can only face united. Four decades ago, many dismissed the impact of... — Updated 2/15/2024
Write to the Point
Vote ‘yes’ on Cheney school measures The Cheney School District is asking voters to support students by passing three separate financial initiatives. As a retired grandmother, I sought to understand why we needed to see a levy and... — Updated 2/8/2024
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
Charting a Sustainable Energy Future
As Washington stands at a pivotal moment in shaping its energy future, it becomes increasingly clear that adopting sensible, forward-thinking solutions is crucial for a reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally sound power... — Updated 2/8/2024
Write to the Point
Watch your language on climate change As climate disruption becomes more evident, more people are empowered to advocate for climate mitigation. This advocacy is positive, but climate advocates must choose their words carefully for... — Updated 2/1/2024
Recycling EV batteries a Herculean effort
Each year Americans throw away more than three billion batteries constituting 180,000 tons of hazardous material. The situation is likely to get worse as the world shifts to lithium... — Updated 2/1/2024
State parks failing at Palouse Falls, Lyons Ferry
Two years ago, Washington State Parks bureaucrats in Tumwater hatched a plan to address so-called “overcrowding” at Palouse Falls. The plan was to close and relocate the cam... — Updated 2/1/2024
Democrats push massive property-tax increase
It seems like every year the Democrats, who have voting majorities in the Senate and House, in Olympia introduce legislation to raise or create taxes, no matter how much revenue the state is already collecting from you and other... — Updated 2/1/2024