Schoesler takes Senate oath in hometown

RITZVILLE – Senator Mark Schoesler was sworn in for his fifth term of service in the Washington State Senate at the Adams County Courthouse Friday, Jan. 8. Administering the oath of office was District Court Judge Carolyn Benzel.

Schoesler said this was his first and, assuming things go back to “normal,” only time to take the oath of office in his own hometown. A benefit of being at home, Schoesler said, was the opportunity to have his grandchildren witness the event.

“Considering how many of the decisions we make in the Legislature affect the generations to come, I thought it was appropriate to have them with me,” Schoesler said.

Schoesler was also able to take advantage of the chance to be sworn in by a duly elected judge, rather than one appointed by the governor.

The chance to honor the tradition from home actually came as a bit of a surprise.

“It’s usually a big opening event, and only due to health concerns would someone be sworn in from home,” Shoesler said. “Typically a member of the state Supreme Court visits the Senate and House chambers on the opening day of a legislative session following a general election, to administer the oath of office to legislators who were elected or re-elected.” Schoesler said since he will be attending this session in person, rather than remotely as some legislators will be doing, he expected to be able to continue the age-old traditions.

“I was disappointed to learn none of the justices was willing to make the short walk to the Legislative Building from the Temple of Justice on Monday, so any swearing-in ceremonies would have to be today, and take place virtually,” Schoesler said.

He said ‘no, thanks,’ to the idea, viewing it as too important an event to be done remotely.

“I don’t believe in doing something like this over Zoom,” Schoesler said.

He said it was an honor to be sworn in by Adams County District Court Judge Benzel.

“The way I see it, Judge Benzel is a member of a family with deep roots in the county, as I am, and the people of Adams County elected both of us,” Schoesler said. “That suits me better than taking the oath from someone with no real ties to our county.”

Also in attendance at the swearing-in were his son Cody Schoesler, daughter-in-law Jocelyn Schoesler, and long-time friends Gilbert and Alice Kancler.

Schoesler said his decision to remain in Olympia for the entire session while some attended remotely from the comfort of their homes was the importance of being present to vote.

“I can’t vote if I lose internet connectivity,” Schoesler said. “It’s one thing when your connection fails as you are trying to download a movie, but another thing altogether when you need to vote on an issue and you lose your internet connection.”

The session was scheduled to convene Monday, Jan. 11, and adjourn April 25.

This will be Schoesler’s 29th legislative session. He was first elected to the House in 1992, serving 12 years there before being elected to the Senate in 2004.

Issues of concern

In a newsletter sent out January 8, Schoesler identified three issues of particular concern.

He said Governor Inslee’s new two-phase, region-based “Healthy Washington” left him “wondering if Inslee is simply determined to find out how far he can push small family businesses before more of them collapse.”

Schoesler said county commissioners across the 9th District he has spoken with “are absolutely furious.” The six counties partially or completely within the 9th District are part of a nine-county block that Inslee calls the “East” region in his new plan. Schoesler pointed out the region is dominated by Spokane County, with a population almost double that of the region’s eight other counties combined.

“The ability of restaurants, bars, fitness centers and other businesses to operate in the eight smaller counties could be wiped out if Spokane County has an outbreak that takes the whole region’s statistics in the wrong direction,” Schoesler said.

Sharing the region with Spokane County are Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens and Whitman counties.

Schoesler also said the fact the Department of Health will be assessing the regions throughout the state “even though the agency is having a lot of trouble collecting and reporting accurate COVID-related data” was not going to go very far in building trust.

“Washington’s food service and hospitality industries were hoping for real relief Monday (Jan. 11), meaning a reopening of inside dining after being subjected to Inslee’s latest lockdown since March,” Schoesler said. “Instead, they got slapped down.”

Schoesler said the resultant unemployment means higher unemployment-insurance costs for all.

State income tax

Schoesler called Senate Bill 5096, concerning an excise tax on gains from the sale or exchange of certain capital assets, yet another effort by the governor and his political allies in the Legislature to impose a state income tax.

“Apparently it is such a priority that a public hearing on the bill has already been scheduled for Thursday (Jan. 14) in the Senate Ways and Means Committee,” Schoesler, who will be serving on the Senate Ways and Means Committee for the 17th straight year in a row, said.

The bill was pre-filed for introduction Jan. 6.

“As I’ve noted many times before, any state tax on capital gains is an income tax as long as the federal Internal Revenue Service views capital gains as being taxable income,” Schoesler said. “I will be ready, as a member of Ways and Means, to make that point again at the hearing.”

Schoesler pointed out it obviously didn’t matter to the governor that the bill is “disrespectful to the voters who have been very clear in rejecting an income tax.”

D.C. still to blame?

Schoesler said while he agreed that breaching a fence at Governor Inslee’s residence by a protester Wednesday, Jan. 6, crossed the line of acceptability, he saw it as unfortunate that Inslee put a political spin on his reaction.

“This is the same governor who claimed to be unaware of the takeover of public and private property on Seattle’s Capital Hill even 48 hours after it took place last year, and was silent as protestors in Olympia vandalized the Capitol and the newest of the state office buildings,” Schoesler said.

He said he expected the Governor’s upcoming “state of the state” speech to reflect his obsession with the outgoing president, but “at some point the governor is going to have to stop blaming Washington, D.C. and the Republicans for failures that are happening on his watch.”

Similarly, Schoesler pointed out, Attorney General Bob Ferguson will have to find something to do besides file lawsuit after lawsuit against the Trump Administration.

“I hope their shift in focus happens sooner than later,” Schoesler said.

Labor and Commerce Committee

Schoesler will also be serving on the recently renamed Senate, Labor, Commerce and Tribal Affairs Committee, where he said he will continue to advocate for regulatory reform and other issues beneficial to Washington’s job creators and working families.

“My years of experience in the business of farming have helped me understand regulatory issues, which along with workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance are among the high-profile topics this committee addresses,” Schoesler said. “I know how overzealous regulations imposed by government agencies can be as hard on employers as taxes.”

Schoesler said the more time and money a business has to spend complying with rules, the less likely they are to prosper or even survive as a business owner.

“Washington’s regulatory code has over 196,000 separate regulations — more than all but five states,” Schoesler said. “That should tell you there is serious need for reform — and this committee is the place to start.”

Schoesler has been named the ranking Republican on the capital budget, which helps fund construction projects for state government buildings, state parks and colleges and universities.

“This role will allow me to work with my fellow Republicans and lead Democrats on the committee in producing a list of worthwhile projects to include in the state capital budget for the next two years, including those impacting local school districts and higher education institutions like WSU,” Schoesler said.

Schoesler welcomes comments, questions and concerns from his constituents, especially while the legislature is in session. He can be reached by email at [email protected]; by phone at 360 786 7620 or toll-free 1 800 562 6000; or by mail at 204 Legislative Building, P.O. Box 40409, Olympia WA 98504-0409.