As this year’s legislative session got underway, Democratic budget leaders were talking like they had already given up on the idea of overcoming state government’s multibillion-dollar budget deficit without imposing more taxes on the people of Washington.

Between 2010 and 2023, the 65-and-older population in Washington increased by more than 40%. In 18 of our 39 counties, at least 25% of the population was at least 65 when the 2020 census was taken; in one-third of those, at least one third of residents were 65 and older.

A question regarding a bill introduced by a group of Democratic state senators early in this legislative session: What price do you put on public safety?

When the Legislature’s majority Democrats joined Republicans to pass the parental-rights initiative during our 2024 session, did they do so to keep the popular measure from being passed by voters in November, making it possible for them to gut the new law this year over Republican objections?

Senate Republicans believe in lowering rental costs by increasing the supply of rentals.

Those of us who take to heart President Lincoln’s words that government is “of the people” appreciate being asked to offer a forecast of an upcoming session.

Our constituents and others, such as the news media and business and local-government leaders around the state, deserve to know what we want to accomplish at the state Capitol.

Earlier this month, the City of Federal Way released data showing crime rates overall had fallen 11% from a year ago.

That’s great news for any community, especially one of the larger cities in our state. The statistic that really stood out was the 52% drop in auto thefts.

Senate Republicans will go into the 2025 legislative session next month with three priorities: Work toward a safer Washington, an affordable Washington and a better future for our children. Most of the policy and budget proposals we will offer will check at least one of those boxes.

Of all the public policy issues legislators wrestle with, the issue of chronic homelessness is easily among the most frustrating.

It’s frustrating to think of all the billions of tax dollars that have been spent on a myriad of programs intended to reduce homelessness in our state, without an appropriate return on that huge investment.

Gov. Jay Inslee has been incredibly slow to respond to the issues at Green Hill. It’s been almost 10 months since I wrote to him about addressing not only the severe overcrowding but also the riots, drug overdoses, contraband smuggling and crimes committed by employees on the premises.

As the people of Washington pause to give thanks for the many blessings we have received, it’s also a good time to give credit to those who helped to make our state what it is. Some of Lincoln’s other words of wisdom lend themselves to that.

Two days after the general election, a Democratic member of our state’s congressional delegation publicly offered this advice to Washington’s governor-elect Bob Ferguson

A majority of American voters have put our nation on a more conservative path. As a conservative, I will be glad to see the changes that are coming from Montana to Florida.

In contrast, a majority of voters in our Washington decided it is not yet time for a similar shift in direction here.

Vote yes on the initiatives to pay less, and vote Republican to make our state better.

The campaign to preserve our state’s costly cap-and-tax law reportedly paid a single Seattle television station more than $138,000 to air a group of 30-second ads during one week in mid-September.

That’s more than the median annual income in King County, which has the highest wages in our state.

Washington’s capital-gains income tax is already failing to enrich government the way legislative Democrats hoped. While the year-one collection totaled around $800 million, the tax is projected to bring in about half as much in year two.

Those ads are funded largely by the labor union that labels itself as the “caregivers union” in our state. The same union had successfully influenced the Legislature’s Democratic majority to impose the payroll tax, and the long-term care fund known as WA Cares, in the first place.

When our state’s lieutenant governor, a Democrat, refers to a Democrat-sponsored bill as a “hot mess” — saying it for all to hear, while presiding in the Senate chamber — it gets your attention.

Initiative 2124 stands out among those measures, as it literally offers a fast track to a larger paycheck.

The passage of I-2124 would give many Washington workers the choice to increase their take-home pay by opting out of what is now a mandatory payroll tax.

There are many reasons to repeal Washington’s tax on income from capital gains by approving Initiative 2109.

One is that Washington voters, when asked about an income tax, have already said “no” 11 times.