Ann Rivers

It was 2011, and Clark County detective Jason Granneman was fed up. As a law-enforcement officer he came into daily contact with individuals who were serving the remainder of their sentences in the community, instead of behind bars, sometimes for months or even years. Officially they are in “community corrections”...

Sometimes, it seems as though the state government — split between Republicans and Democrats — is incapable of bringing about real change, when it comes to basic, common sense legislation that protects taxpayer money. That was the case during the 2015 legislative session when lawmakers were unable to renew a...

I recently sat down with The Columbian to share my thoughts on education funding. See the quick one-minute video here.

It took an additional 20 days for the Democrats in the House of Representatives to drop their pursuit of new taxes and agree to an operating-budget update that was restrained in its spending, contained no new taxes and balanced over four years, as state law requires. In my latest e-newsletter...

As you are likely aware, just before calling for a 30-day special session, the governor made good on his threat to veto bills that had been sent to his desk for his signature. Is not doing his job really the best way to motivate lawmakers to do theirs? Read more...

Benjamin Howard, a sophomore at Battle Ground’s CAM Academy, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Benjamin was one of 29 students who served as Senate pages for the eighth week of the 2016 legislative session. He was sponsored by...

In recognition of her leadership and advocacy for public-school students, Sen. Ann Rivers has been named a “Legislator of the Year” by the Washington School Counselor Association. Dr. Brian Mathieson, Battle Ground High School counselor, said Rivers is deserving of the honor because of her appreciation of the role counselors play...

A bill to create a statewide tracking system for rape kits that allows law enforcement and victims to track the status and location of kits has passed the Legislature and is headed to the governor’s desk for his signature. “This bill is about justice and transparency, and it’s a critical...

In recognition of her service to Washington’s public-education system, Sen. Ann Rivers has been named a “Champion for Kids” by the Digital Public Schools Alliance. She was honored in a ceremony today in the Capitol Rotunda. The announcement came during the alliance’s annual visit to Olympia, when students, parents and digital-learning...