Articles written by Brad Hawkins
Sorted by date Results 1 - 10 of 10
Legislature approved budget updates before adjourning
At nearly midnight on March 10, the Legislature adjourned its hybrid session in Olympia on schedule. The 60-day Legislative session consisted primarily of Zoom meetings with some work completed in-person. It was a busy time for me... — Updated 3/30/2022
Legislature approves Washington redistricting maps
As you may have heard, the Washington State Redistricting Commission approved maps to rebalance our 49 statewide legislative districts and 10 federal congressional districts in November. This is a process conducted every 10 years... — Updated 2/16/2022
Answering some "frequently asked questions"
If you have contacted my office in recent years, you know that I pride myself in delivering personal responses to you. My office staff and I work very hard to make sure you receive prompt and detailed information related to your... — Updated 9/22/2021
A closer look at state mandates, emergency powers, and special sessions
As Washington state and the rest of the world continues to process through the COVID pandemic, governors throughout our nation — Republicans and Democrats — have utilized their offices and authorities in a variety of ways. In... — Updated 9/1/2021
Reviewing Washington's redistricting process
The 12th District and Washington’s 48 other legislative districts have had specific boundaries since 2012. The borders for these districts, as well as Washington’s 10 federal congressional districts, will change in 2022 after... — Updated 7/7/2021
A closer look into our property tax system
As your state senator, I am not opposed to taxes outright, but I do care greatly about the tax burden placed upon you. Taxes are applied to us at all levels of government (local, state, and federal), and government should always... — Updated 4/28/2021
Biochar project could lead to big benefits for North Central Washington
Catastrophic wildfires have had a devastating impact on our region. Wildfires can ravage vast sections of our state, displacing families, putting firefighters at risk, and leaving long-term economic recovery challenges. One of the... — Updated 3/31/2021
State Senate approves capital gains income by a single vote
The Senate on March 6 voted 25-24 to pass Senate Bill 5096, a proposal that seeks to create a state income tax on capital gains. The Senate’s passage of a state income tax is beyond disappointing, although not entirely... — Updated 3/17/2021
Renewable hydrogen demonstrates our region's continued clean energy leadership
Back in 2019, I partnered with Douglas County PUD to sponsor and pass a bill authorizing Public Utility Districts to produce and sell renewable hydrogen. Hydrogen is a gas that can be created from a process that uses electricity to... — Updated 12/16/2020
Looking ahead to the legislative session
The final days of the 2020 legislative session last March presented some real challenges. The Legislature worked diligently to wrap up its session as some of the first cases of COVID-19 in the United States were confirmed in our... — Updated 12/9/2020