Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/CREDIT: Washington State Legislature OLYMPIA… Yesterday, Sen. Matt Boehnke voiced serious concerns following the Senate majority’s approval of House Bill 1217, which would cap annual rent increases at 10%. Prior to its passage, the rent-increase cap was lifted from the 7% in the bill adopted by the...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Legislation sponsored by Sen. Matt Boehnke to improve the tracking of greenhouse-gas emissions is one step closer to final approval in the House of Representatives. Senate Bill 5036 would shift Washington’s biennial reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to annual reporting, ensuring...

Ryan Benham, Kennewick and Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Ryan Benham and Alexander Li recently spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. The teens were among 19 students who served as Senate pages for the ninth week...

Senate Page, Ryan Benham, from Kennewick, asks Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee Chair Sharon Shewmake, (D) 42nd District, and Ranking Committee Member, Matt Boehnke (R) 8th District, the question: “With the rise in energy demands, polls show increasing public support for nuclear energy but many voters have concerns about...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA…Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, the new ranking Republican on the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee (ENET), has pre-filed a bill that is aimed at reforming the siting of energy projects by ensuring the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) has the final...

During his legislative school tour, Sen. Boehnke also visited McLoughlin Middle School, home to 1,100 students in grades 6-8. Despite its origins dating back to 1983, the school is slated for renovation in a 2027 bond issue, attesting to the district’s dedication to modernization. The local tax rates, with the...

On October 23, 2023, Senator Matt Boehnke (R-Kennewick) embarked on an enriching visit to the Pasco School District, marking a key stop on a legislative school tour facilitated by the Washington Association of Maintenance and Operation Administrators (WAMOA). The focal point of this insightful tour was Pasco High School, an...

On Wednesday, the state Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee held a public hearing on a proposal from Sen. Nikki Torres that would invest $200 million to expand broadband capacity in underserved rural areas of Washington and allow the private sector to help. “During the pandemic, it was an eye-opener...

Today is the 40th day of the 2023 legislative session, and it represents the first in a series of milestones used to organize our legislative work. It’s what is commonly referred to as “the policy cutoff date.” In other words, in order for a bill to be considered eligible for...

The 2023 legislative session is well underway, as we wrap up Day 16 of what is scheduled to be a long,105-day session. It is a great honor and privilege to represent the people of the Tri-Cities in the state Senate. My first day as your state senator began with the swearing...