Address: 117 Legislative Modular Building * PO Box 40408 * Olympia, WA 98504
Olympia Office: (360) 786-7614 * Toll Free Hotline: (800) 562-6000 * E-mail: Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov
Thank you for attending our Town Hall
Dear Neighbors and Friends,
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined Rep. Stephanie Barnard, Rep. April Connors, and me at the 8th District Town Hall in Kennewick last Saturday. We had a good turnout and truly appreciated the opportunity to connect with so many of you. For those who couldn’t make it, we missed you. We’re planning another town hall in June and will keep you updated as soon as details are finalized.
Back in Olympia, last Wednesday marked a critical legislative deadline—bills that did not pass out of their house of origin are now considered inactive for the remainder of the 2025 session. I’m pleased to report that several of my bills successfully advanced through the Senate, with seven now moving to the House for further consideration. These bills address key issues, including election security, energy development, infrastructure quality, emissions reporting, agriculture development, and expanding opportunities for higher education. I look forward to their continued progress.
Tomorrow, two of my bills will have public hearings in the House Committee on Environment and Energy. The first is SB 5445, which promotes renewable energy development while balancing environmental regulations and land use policies. The second is SB 5036, which ensures more frequent and up-to-date tracking of emissions data, allowing for quicker policy responses and improved climate action planning.
If you would like to testify on either bill, you can register here.
As the ranking member on the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee, I’ve been actively engaged in shaping legislation that impacts our state’s future. This week, we reviewed several bills that raise serious concerns regarding overregulation, increased costs for businesses and consumers, and government overreach. I remain committed to pushing back against unnecessary burdens while advocating for policies that serve the best interests of Washingtonians.
House Bill 1409 would modify the Clean Fuels Program by adjusting carbon intensity reduction requirements for transportation fuels. It also introduces penalties and enforcement mechanisms specific to the CFP while removing Clean Air Act criminal and civil penalties for CFP violations.
House Bill 1462 would prohibit the sale and distribution of certain high-global warming potential (GWP) hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in Washington and create a refrigerant transition task force to study the challenges and opportunities of shifting to climate-friendly refrigerants.
House Bill 1497 would establish standardized coloring and labeling requirements for certain solid waste collection containers to improve waste sorting. It also expands a grant program under the Department of Ecology’s Center for Sustainable Food Management to support implementation and updates organic materials collection rules, particularly for multi-family residences, and requires Ecology to publish information on businesses managing organic waste.
House Bill 1154 would increase state oversight of solid waste landfills by requiring the Department of Ecology (Ecology) to approve all landfill permits before they are issued or renewed by local health departments. It also grants Ecology the authority to suspend permits and impose civil penalties on solid waste facilities that violate regulations.
Additionally, two bills advancing in both chambers—Senate Bill 5181 and House Bill 1296—aim to repeal the Parents’ Bill of Rights, a law passed in 2024 following overwhelming statewide support for Initiative 2081. These proposals threaten to reverse important parental rights protections, and I will continue to stand in strong opposition to any measure that undermines parents’ role in their children’s education and well-being.
With 66 days down in this 105-day legislative session, our focus now shifts to House-passed legislation and the operating budget. State revenue forecasts are projected to be $845 million less than expected, which creates a projected $13 billion shortfall over a four-year period. I’ll keep you updated as we navigate these critical discussions.
Below you will find links to more information on my bills and some of my legislative work over the last month. Thank you for staying engaged, and as always, I appreciate your support and input.
Making emissions data more timely
In a landmark move to require more accountability from climate-related policies and programs, the Senate passed legislation sponsored by me that would transition the state from biennial to annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting.
Senate Bill 5036 would provide a more current snapshot of Washington’s emissions, allowing lawmakers to make more informed decisions in their ongoing efforts to meet climate goals.
It’s important we get this emissions data quicker. The current delay in receiving timely data hinders our ability to finely-tune these policies effectively,
‘$ave Washington’ budget
My Senate Republican colleagues and I have proposed a new state operating budget that would fund the shared priorities of Washington residents without tax increases or spending cuts.
The “$ave Washington” proposal offers a commonsense approach that prioritizes financial stability while protecting essential services. Washington taxpayers deserve a budget that works for them, not one that asks them to pay more for the same services. This plan keeps our state financially stable while rejecting unnecessary tax hikes.
Instead of pushing new fees on state parks, hunting, and fishing, the $ave Washington plan makes responsible choices. No one goes backward under this budget — it’s an honest solution that prioritizes fiscal responsibility.
Sawyer Kreis serves as Page
Sawyer Kreis, a sophomore at Hanford High School, recently spent a week working as a page for me at the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia.
He was one of 19 students who served as Senate pages for the eighth week of the 2025 legislative session.
Video | Teach with TVW | Senate Page Ryan Benham, Kennewick
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 safety and waste disposal. How do you balance these concerns with the need for clean and reliable energy?”
VIDEO | The flaws of the Democrats’ Mileage Tax
The positives of the Senate Republican Budget with no new taxes or tax increases
Here I talk about the Mileage Tax (HB 1921 & SB 5726) from Legislative Democrats, which would charge 2.6 cents per mile, plus a 10% surcharge—a tax on a tax—tracked by a GPS transmitter. With no cap, this rate will keep increasing and I urge you to tell your legislators to oppose the Mileage Tax.
Here I highlight the Senate Republican Budget, which closes the $6.6 billion deficit with no new taxes, no tax increases, and no cuts. This budget proves new taxes aren’t necessary and that WA families can’t afford more taxes.
VIDEO | SENATE REPULICAN BUDGET
In the News
Washington Senate passes bill to speed up carbon emission data updates
By TJ Martinell | The Center Square | Mar 17, 2025
(The Center Square) – The Washington Senate unanimously passed a bill earlier this month that would require the state Department of Ecology to release a report on statewide carbon emissions every year, rather than two years as it currently does.
The bill’s backers say the change is needed to better set environmental policies and track whether taxpayer dollars spent to meet those goals are spent well.
“We just got data from 2020, it is now 2025,” Senate Bill 5036’s sponsor Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, told the Senate Ways & Means Committee at a Feb. 18 public hearing. “We are using a lot of data throughout the state. This is a good bill to utilize that data sooner, quicker and more current data. I think it allows to get to better decisions that will impact that soon as we move to the future.”