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Today’s stories
- Trump revokes the Columbia River Basin agreement that sought Snake River dam removal.
- New Washington state luxury tax prompts Schweitzer to move flight operations to Idaho.
- Stopping extreme and reckless environmental policies.
Today’s newsletter is 903 words, a five-minute read.
Trump rescinds Columbia River Basin Agreement that sought dam breaching
President Donald Trump has signed a presidential memorandum that revokes the Columbia River Basin Agreement from the Biden administration that sought the removal of the four lower Snake River dams. In a fact sheet, President Trump stated that his action was aimed at “stopping radical environmentalism.”
Why it matters: President Trump correctly notes that “Dam breaching would have resulted in reduced water supply to farmers, eliminated several shipping channels, had devastating impacts to agriculture, increased energy costs, and eliminated recreational opportunities throughout the region.” He added that it would have eliminated over 3,000 megawatts of secure and reliable hydroelectric generating capacity, which is enough to power 2.5 million American homes. I’ve spent over 30 years fighting to protect the lower Snake River dams. I cannot overstate how pleased I am with President Trump’s decision.
What they’re saying: “The actions taken through this announcement reflect an understanding of not only the needs of family farmers and ranchers, but the totality of the regional economy,” said a statement from the Washington Association of Wheat Growers. Todd Myers, vice president of research at the Washington Policy Center, added, “The time and money spent trying to destroy the dams distracts us from meaningful efforts to help salmon across the entire Pacific Northwest. It’s a political obsession.”
What’s next: Myers cautions that “this doesn’t settle the issue,” but he added it’s a “good step in the right direction for our economy, our environment, and our freedom to choose.”
New Washington state luxury tax prompts Schweitzer to move flight operations to Idaho
We knew it could happen: My Republican legislative colleagues and I warned Democrats that tax increases could prompt businesses to relocate their operations to Idaho, Oregon, and other states. Our warnings were ignored as they increased taxes by more than $9.5 billion during the 2025 legislative session, which ended April 27.
What’s happening: Now comes word that Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has decided to construct a new hangar for its jets at the Lewiston Airport instead of the Moscow-Pullman Airport.
The reason? During the 2025 session, the Democratic majority passed a 10% “luxury tax” on the sale or use of “noncommercial” aircraft with a value of more than $500,000. That new tax could cost Schweitzer millions of dollars.
Why it matters: No one could blame SEL for moving some of its jet operations 40 miles south to Lewiston, Idaho, from Pullman. We can, however, attribute that to poor decisions made by the majority party in Olympia. Unfortunately, that means jobs that could have been located here in Washington will be sent to Idaho, along with the tax revenue that accompanies them.
What’s next: The Lewiston Tribune says SEL will continue to have a presence at the Moscow-Pullman Airport to operate other aircraft. However, the new hangar for two corporate jets is now planned for Idaho.
Stopping extreme and reckless environmental policies
Washington’s Green New Deal policies have skyrocketed the costs of living and production for farms and families. Back in the November General Election, when the test of the Climate Commitment Act upheld the hidden gas tax, Democrats felt emboldened in the 2025 legislative session to pass policies to further hike fuel and grocery costs.
As the ranking Republican on the House Environment and Energy Committee, I led the fight against extreme and reckless environmental policies that could impact our families, our farms, our jobs, and day-to-day life. Unfortunately, we were outvoted in some cases, but we were successful in stopping other bad policies.
Bad policies that passed:
- An increase in the low-carbon fuel standard will add up to 23 cents per gallon by 2028, worsening Washington’s affordability crisis.
- A comprehensive recycling overhaul will support a state monopoly replacing our regional, county, and community-operated recyclers. Fees placed on packaging will be passed on to consumers, similar to cap-and-trade tariffs, adding hundreds of millions to the costs of our groceries and household essentials.
- More regulation on food processing and grocery store refrigerants will also boost costs.
In contrast, Republicans passed the following policies:
- House Bill 1293 increases fines for littering and delays the plastic bag fee increase.
- House Bill 1522 requires the state approval or modification of investor-owned utility plans to minimize wildfire risk.
- House Bill 1715, sponsored by Rep. Dye, reports the actual costs of implementing mandated furnace replacements in state-owned universities and other buildings.
- We also forestalled the environmental crimes bill that would have established Class B and Class C penalties, and a bill that would have added this element to environmental permits, except for renewable energy projects. Expect to see these bills re-emerge next session.
Working for you!
Although the legislative session is over and I am back working on our family farm in Pomeroy, I am also continuing to work for you. I have been attending numerous community events and putting thousands of miles on my Volkswagen Jetta as I travel our very large 9th District. Your views and issues matter to me. Please do not hesitate to contact my office with any questions, comments, or suggestions about state government. I am here to serve and represent you! My contact information is below.
Sincerely,
Mary Dye
