OLYMPIA —Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, criticized the Senate’s approval of Substitute House Bill 1390, which would eliminate Washington’s Community Protection Program without adopting reasonable safeguards to protect communities. The 8th District lawmaker noted that several amendments offered during debate would have strengthened public safety protections as participants transition out of...

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Thank you to everyone who joined me for our town hall on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Columbia Basin College. I truly appreciate those who took time out of their weekend to come talk about what’s happening in Olympia and how it affects our community. We had a...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/CREDIT: Washington State Senate An August article in The Seattle Times about July’s federal energy spending reforms either downplayed or completely ignored state-government policies that are already increasing energy costs in Washington. Despite numerous references to climate and clean energy, it remained silent about the state’s 2021...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Washington is taking a giant leap forward in election security. Thanks to a groundbreaking bipartisan bill championed by Sen. Matt Boehnke, the state’s elections will be more secure and resilient against cyber threats than ever before. On Saturday, the governor proudly signed...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Yesterday, Senator Matt Boehnke celebrated the signing of Senate Bill 5543 into law. This bipartisan effort expands access to the College Bound Scholarship program. It ensures automatic enrollment for eligible students, streamlining the process and eliminating bureaucratic barriers for some of Washington’s...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, Rep. Stephanie Barnard, R-Pasco, and Rep. April Connors, R-Kennewick/CREDIT: Washington State Legislature OLYMPIA… Sen. Matt Boehnke, Rep. April Connors, and Rep. Stephanie Barnard have secured critical investments for the 8th District and broader Tri-Cities region in the 2025–27 capital budget. Working collaboratively, they not only delivered millions in direct...

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...