OLYMPIA…Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, offered this comment after learning a proposal to allow local governments to raise property taxes without voter approval has been abandoned by majority Democrats in the Senate. Senate Bill 5770 would allow a local property-tax rate to climb up to 3% annually with only a...

OLYMPIA… Two proposals from Sen. Ann Rivers are among the bills approved by the state Senate as Washington’s annual legislative session reached its halfway mark today. Senate Bill 5163, which has to do with fraud complaints against Medicaid-reimbursed care providers, won unanimous support Tuesday and has already been referred to...

OLYMPIA… The only broad tax relief Washington residents are likely to see from a $15 billion budget surplus is an end to the sales tax on diapers – and the Democrat-controlled Legislature is offering that only because of legislation from Republican Sen. Ann Rivers. Rivers, R-La Center, proposed making all...