For many of us, Memorial Day serves as a turning point in our calendars. The beginning of summer, the end of another school year, and the start of many trips with family and friends.

This year’s legislative session, which wrapped up on April 25, was unlike any other in our state’s 131-year history. Floor debates, committee hearings, and voting were conducted remotely.

President Biden’s policies are killing jobs for American workers, and rather than opening his eyes to the harm he’s causing, he’s doubling down on his massive tax hikes.

Millions of Americans tuned in last Wednesday night to see what President Biden had to say about the first 100 days of his Administration and his plans for our country. Unfortunately for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural communities like ours in Central Washington, he had little to offer.

On March 31, the Biden Administration unveiled a much-anticipated $2 trillion infrastructure plan. The White House released a statement promising investment to “rebuild our country’s infrastructure” acknowledging that, “after decades of disinvestment, our roads, bridges, and water systems are crumbling.”

We all agree that senseless acts of violence are unacceptable, and in our nation of law and order, there is no room for gun violence. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration is utilizing heartbreaking crimes to push its agenda.

One of the biggest issues remaining in this year’s legislative session is whether the majority party will push through a massive transportation package that includes 33 tax increases.

Politicians like to tell you that there’s only one way to pay for new projects: raising taxes. After all, the money has to come from somewhere. Right?

After two straight weeks of voting, we reached what’s called, ‘House of Origin cutoff’ on Tuesday. That means Tuesday was the last day the House and Senate could pass bills that originated in their respective chambers.

In the first two and a half months of 2021, illegal immigration has reached a crisis point. There have been more than 200,000 illegal border crossings with as many as 5,000 illegal crossing encounters in one day. In order to maintain the rule of law and keep criminals out of our country, we must continue working to enhance our border security.

When our state moved into Phase 2 of Governor Inslee’s latest iteration of a reopening plan, it signaled a well-deserved step forward for our region. Following guidelines under the leadership of local health districts and elected officials, we worked together to reduce our hospitalization rates, prevent the spread of the virus, and lower the number of cases in our regions. We earned our way into Phase 2.