Paul Harris

The state lawmakers serving Skamania County, Goldendale, White Salmon, Bingen, and other parts of Klickitat County, Camas, Washougal, part of Vancouver, and parts of rural Clark County will hold a virtual town hall meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Using the Zoom platform, Sen. Paul...

February 4, 2026 Dear Friends and Neighbors, I want to let you know about a very controversial bill that was just introduced this week in the Legislature. Senate Bill 6346 would create a state income tax. Democratic proponents are trying to sell it as a tax on millionaires because it...

January 14, 2026 Dear Friends and Neighbors, I hope all of you enjoyed the holiday season! Here’s wishing you a happy and healthy 2026. I’m back in Olympia for the 2026 legislative session, which began Monday and is scheduled to end March 12. With the session underway, I want to...

State Sen. Paul Harris, ranking Republican member on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, issued the following statement regarding the retention of student records by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. A Seattle Times story published today revealed OSPI policy doesn’t require public records of...

A common-sense bill introduced by 17th District Sen. Paul Harris that could result in more lives being saved was signed yesterday by Gov. Bob Ferguson. Senate Bill 5689 will allow blood-type information to be added to drivers’ licenses and identicards. “This bill will help improve emergency response by making blood-type...

Schoolchildren can learn about blood donations and why they matter under a bill signed this week by Gov. Bob Ferguson. Senate Bill 5641, introduced by 17th District Sen. Paul Harris, will encourage but not require school districts, charter schools and state-tribal education compact schools to make students aware of blood...

Several proposals introduced this year by 17th District Sen. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, are still alive this session after being approved by the Senate ahead of today’s “floor cutoff” deadline for the Senate to pass its own bills. “I’m very encouraged to see these bills receive approval by my Senate colleagues,”...

March 4, 2025 Dear Friends and Neighbors, Greetings from Olympia! The 2025 legislative session recently reached another key deadline. Last Friday was the deadline for the Senate’s two budget committees – Ways and Means, and Transportation – to pass Senate bills sent to them. With that “cutoff” for voting behind...

The state Senate has unanimously approved two bills introduced this year by 17th District Sen. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver. The Senate today passed Substitute Senate Bill 5370, which would give voters in seven Washington port districts the option of extending the terms of their port commissioners to six years, rather than...