Legislative Session in Full Swing

Update from 12th District Senator Keith Goehner

information released

Dear neighbors and friends: Friday, February 21, will mark the first significant cutoff for the 2025 legislature. To be considered further during this session, bills must have passed out of the policy committee to which they were assigned. This deadline is crucial for the progress of bills through the legislative process, and missing a cutoff can hinder a bill’s advancement during the session. These cutoffs help ensure the process remains orderly.

In this session, I’ve introduced 13 bills related to housing, local government, and transportation. Many of these have had public hearings and may advance after the February 21 cutoff. As your lawmaker, I am also focused on statewide bills such as Senate Bill 5372, which creates a Medicaid access program, and numerous education bills in both the Senate and House.

It is important to address reimbursement for healthcare providers from state-funded insurance programs. However, Senate Bill 5372 is poorly timed, given the significant projected budget shortfall for 2025-2027. As this legislation proposes, we should avoid making any additional fiscal commitments.

With the February levy elections finalized, I am grateful to see the local support for schools. However, there are still many challenges, and we must find ways to adequately provide school districts with resources while balancing taxing property owners and creative solutions. There are many ideas about this, and I look forward to reviewing them as they come before me.

As the session nears its halfway point, I will continue working hard for the 12th District’s constituents. To learn more about this year’s session, visit my webpage or send me a message.

Thank you for the honor to serve you, and enjoy my latest newsletter.

Sincerely

Keith Goehner, R-Dryden — Washington State Senate

Over the first six weeks of the session, the Housing Committee has examined various policy proposals to improve affordability for renters and homebuyers.

Senate Republicans have introduced “Housing Solutions Washington,” a package of 18 bills designed to address our state’s housing needs without the heavy-handed approach of the majority party. On Tuesday, I joined Senate Minority Leader John Braun and colleagues from the House Republican Caucus to speak with the media about our bill package.

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 Proposed road-usage charge will harm rural communities

Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden/Credit: Washington State Senate

This week, we are concluding committee hearings on policy bills and continuing to spend considerable time reviewing budgets. The transportation budget is expected to face a $1 billion deficit. Two bills have been introduced to establish a pay-per-mile tax on Washington residents in addition to the current State gas tax of 49.4 cents and the Federal 18.4 cents per gallon.

This would disproportionately impact our rural citizens and those who commute longer distances to work. Typically, rural residents also do not have other transportation options.

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Sophia Bell serves as page for Sen. Keith Goehner

Sophia Bell, a freshman at Sultan High School, recently spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. She was one of 16 students who served as Senate pages for the fifth week of the 2025 legislative session. Her sponsor was Sen. Keith Goehner, who represents the 12th Legislative District, serving Chelan and parts of King, and Snohomish counties.

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Goehner appointed to Joint Administrative Rules Review Committee

The Lieutenant Governor recently appointed me to a third statutory committee. The Joint Administrative Rules Review Committee (JARRC) examines agency rules to determine if they align with legislative intent, have been adopted according to applicable legal provisions, and whether agencies are substituting policies or interpretive statements of rules.

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 I am concerned about this housing bill

We continue to hear ideas on how to increase housing in our state. However, a bill recently passed by the Senate Housing Committee would require counties and cities to allow camp trailers and RVs to be placed on properties for living, regardless of whether those communities desire that. That goes too far.

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LISTEN

I oppose repealing the Parental Rights Act

The Senate recently passed a bill along party lines that would undermine the Parent’s Bill of Rights, which was supported by nearly half a million Washington voters through Initiative 2081 and received near-unanimous backing in the legislature just last year. I am very concerned about the direction of this bill.

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12th District Virtual Town Hall

The 2025 legislative session is underway, and it’s an honor to represent the 12th
Legislative District. Spanning from North Bend to Monroe and Wenatchee, our district
includes parts of King and Snohomish counties.

This blend of agricultural communities and growing areas like Monroe reflects the diverse character of the 12th District. We’re tackling key public policy decisions — such as affordable housing, wildfire prevention, the operating budget, and transportation improvements — and want to hear from you.

Please join us for a 12th District Virtual Town Hall to share your thoughts and ask questions.