Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Legislation from Sen. Matt Boehnke that would expand renewable-energy development while balancing environmental regulations and land-use policies is moving closer to a final vote in the House of Representatives. Senate Bill 5445 would promote distributed-energy projects and support “agrivoltaics,” meaning agricultural production...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… A recycling bill recently approved through a partisan vote in the Senate amounts to another hidden tax that would increase prices at the grocery store, says Sen. Matt Boehnke. Boehnke, the ranking Republican on the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee, said...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… In a landmark move to require more accountability from climate-related policies and programs, the Senate passed legislation from Sen. Matt Boehnke that would transition the state from biennial to annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting. Senate Bill 5036 would provide a more...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… The state Senate should have held off Tuesday on considering a bill that would overhaul several state environmental laws in ways that are likely to discourage economic development, said Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick. “Democrats and Republicans agree this is a very complex...

OLYMPIA… As Sen. Matt Boehnke suspected, there is strong public support for legislation he has proposed to realign Washington’s vehicle-emissions rules with federal standards instead of California’s. Today the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee held a public hearing on the Kennewick Republican’s measure, which also aims to bring more...

Last week, I filed legislation encouraging federal lawmakers to protect the four lower Snake River dams from removal. Senate Joint Memorial 8010 formally requests approval of the Northwest Energy Security Act, introduced late last month by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse and an Idaho senator. The act safeguards the hydroelectric power,...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, has filed legislation encouraging federal lawmakers to protect the four lower Snake River dams from removal. Senate Joint Memorial 8010 formally requests approval of the Northwest Energy Security Act, introduced late last month by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, came into the 2025 legislative session to find common ground with the Senate majority – and it’s working. Two full weeks into this year’s session, 14 of the 17 bills filed by Boehnke, the ranking Republican on the...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA…Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, the new Republican leader on the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee, has introduced a bill ahead of the 2025 legislative session that aims to separate Washington from California’s vehicle-emission standards. Senate Bill 5091 would direct the state Department...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA … Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, has been elevated to Ranking Member on the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee (ENET) for the 2025 legislative session. He will continue on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and is joining the Senate Higher Education...