Paul Harris

I was hoping to give you an update on the good and bad of the 2011 legislative session, but we are now in a special session. The Legislature adjourned the regular session on April 22, 2011 without passing a state operating budget or a capital construction budget for the 2011-13...

Lawmakers were aware last fall they would be faced with a multibillion dollar budget shortfall, but they failed to reach an agreement on an operating budget and other key issues during the 105-day regular legislative session. The governor has called for a special session to begin on Tuesday, April 26...

‘We missed a great opportunity to help our struggling employers’ With time running out for meaningful workers’ compensation reform to be passed in the 2011 legislative session, House Republicans yesterday attempted a procedural motion to bring Senate Bill 5566 directly to the House floor for a vote. Despite the motion...

It has been an interesting week in the Legislature. The majority party in the House finally released their operating budget proposal on Monday. We offered our own proposal, sponsored by Rep. Gary Alexander, the House Republican lead on the budget. While not perfect, it did offer a better, truly sustainable...

Only 23 days remain of the 105-day regular legislative session, and we have yet to see an operating budget proposal from the majority party. The latest news is we may finally see a budget next week. However, it is my understanding that the proposed biennial budget put together by the...

I hope you are getting a chance to enjoy a little March Madness with the NCAA Basketball Tournament. In Olympia, things seem to be just as maddening. Economic revenue forecast On March 17, the state’s chief economist, Dr. Arun Raha, released the quarterly revenue forecast for Washington. State revenue is...

Special to The Columbian The Columbia River Crossing has the potential to be our region’s greatest infrastructure accomplishment of the 21st century. With billions of tax dollars involved and the opportunity to better connect people and commerce for generations to come, it’s critical that we get it right. This requires...

The last ten days has been hectic as we have debated, amended and passed bills. We have worked long hours, late nights, and weekends as the deadline of 5 p.m. today approaches. After 5 p.m. any bills that have not been passed from their house of origin are considered “dead”...

Senator Don Benton and Reps. Tim Probst and Paul Harris will host a town hall meeting on Saturday, March 12. Residents in the district are encouraged to attend and bring their questions and concerns. The morning meeting will be a discussion about legislative and community issues. The time and location...