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In the second paragraph of his 2015 encyclical letter, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” Pope Francis reflects on the ways in which the human species has mistreated and abused the Earth, which he calls our “Sister, Mother Earth” in the tr...

We are all better off when everyone who lives and works in Skagit County has a safe, affordable place to call home. Healthy neighborhoods need healthy schools. Healthy schools need kids and families. Kids and families need housing they can afford....

RALEIGH — Oh, boy, did I screw up my first attempt at covering a town council meeting. It was 1986 and I was spending the summer interning at a weekly newspaper in Nash County called the Spring Hope Enterprise. I had taken newswriting and...

Events of the last few weeks have made me recall my own travels in Kyiv, then spelled Kiev, and what I saw there in 1970 as a 15 year old girl. What comes to mind most clearly is our visit to Babi Yar and the official denial that it was even there...

If you were to ask me last year what our state’s financial position would be, I likely would have given a fairly grim outlook. However, the state is seeing a boom in tax receipts so large it could make you blush. The opportunity to provide relief or...

Libraries are magical places. Every book is a window to the world just waiting to be explored. Maybe it’s because I grew up the grandchild of a high school English teacher, who instilled in me a love for language and books – but I’ve always bel...

Like you, I’m concerned about the rising cost of food, consumer goods and household essentials. While the economy as a whole has improved and unemployment is low, many local families are still struggling to pay the bills. While some of the price h...

Ron Muzzall, Senator Paid family and medical leave, while a good idea, has run into complications – the state-run fund for the program is insolvent. The Employment Security Department, responsible for collection of the taxes and payment of...

The Washington State Legislature convened at noon on Monday, Jan. 10, starting the clock on a 60-day legislative session. For the House of Representatives, at least for the first few weeks of session, that means another fully virtual format. For...

Competition is, overall, a good thing. It is what makes our sports interesting, drives our natural environment to constantly adapt and it is also what keeps private enterprise going. It pushes a business to innovate, keep prices competitive and keep...

The final gavel on Sunday, April 25 concluded a unique and challenging legislative session in state history. Although sometimes difficult to navigate, by-and-large working remotely during the 2021 virtual session went relatively well. Committee...

The 2021 Legislative Session adjourned on April 25 and the Legislature made progress on many issues that are important to our community. First and foremost, in this historic virtual session, I worked with the Legislature to provide swift pandemic rel...

I have a science background and love to compare environmental systems. Some systems may mirror others to some extent but many have unique relationships. Some people have a handle on what are called key species or perhaps apex predators. These...

The 2021 legislative session is quickly coming to a close. The intensity has ramped up as lawmakers in both the Senate and House debate and vote on the state’s three main spending plans: the 2021-23 operating, capital and transportation budgets. B...

As we near the end of the 2021 legislative session, there are a few critical policy areas that the Legislature has failed to address. While we have had bipartisan agreement on a great number of bills, these missed opportunities are worth discussing....

My greatest priorities for the 2021 legislative session are to support economic development and recovery in rural communities, promote sustainable environmental and economic health and support families and those hit hardest by the pandemic and recess...

In a stunning 5-4 decision, the Washington State Supreme Court recently ruled the state’s felony drug possession law unconstitutional. Essentially, the mere act of finding an illicit substance on someone’s person or on their property is no lon...

Ron Muzzall Senator You may be familiar with the logical fallacy of the slippery slope. Simply put, it’s the idea that a certain action or effort will eventually lead to a much larger negative outcome. As a rhetorical device, most contend it is an i...

We are more than halfway done with the 2021 legislative session and there is a lot of good news for families and businesses here in the 10th District. Here is a quick look at major bills that have passed the House and will make a meaningful...

Confronting the financial challenges caused by COVID-19 continues to be my primary focus during this session. Although there is growing confidence the rapid deployment of the vaccine may end the health pandemic, the economic impact will be felt long...

Our state has a diverse economy, and manufacturing plays a key role. Aerospace is what usually comes to mind when we talk about manufacturing – but our state has a rich history across a number of important industries. When our state,...

There are two important bills I would like to share with you. One involves rural broadband and the other health care. Both of these common-sense solutions do what good legislation should, they transcend party division by simply doing what is best...

My focus for the 2021 session is simple: how can we help families, schools and businesses recover from this pandemic? It is critical that we support a sustainable economy that allows all members of our community to thrive. The Legislature and our sta...

One day as Jesus was preaching in Galilee to the apostles, as recorded in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 10, an unusual event must have taken place. A sparrow must have flown past or rested on the branch of a tree and drawn the attention of Jesus. He s...