Ritzville lawmaker named Senate Majority Leader

OLYMPIA - Republican Senator Mark Schoesler, a fifth-generation wheat farmer from Ritzville and 9th Legislative District representative, was recently elected by his Senate contemporaries as Senate Majority Leader.

Schoesler will be heading up the Washington State Senate Majority Coalition Caucus, and will be the caucus's spokesman on legislative policies, represent the caucus with Governor Jay Inslee and other officials and implement legislative policies that reflect the views of the caucus, according to information from his office.

Schoesler's term as the Senate Majority leader will last two years.

He will be at the head of the Republican-led Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 26-23 majority after the Nov. 4 general election.

"I'm grateful to my Senate colleagues for their vote of confidence and am eager to continue working on solutions for the people of Washington," said Schoesler.

The 9th Legislative District covers Adams, Asotin, Franklin, Garfield, Whitman and parts of Spokane County.

Schoesler was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992, and was elected to the Senate by 9th Legislative District voters in 2006.

In addition, he has served as the Senate Republican floor leader since 2007. He also serves on the Senate's Agriculture and Water, Rules and Ways and Means committees.

He has been a long-time advocate for job creation and promoting "sensible agricultural practices." In the 2011-2012 legislative session Schoesler earned a 100 percent voting record for polices that support and stick up for small and independent businesses, his office said.

Being a fifth-generation farmer, he is also concerned with supporting polices that allow growers, farmers and ranchers to compete, according to his website.

"It's time to govern and roll up our sleeves to find a better way to improve job growth, fund and reform education and make college more affordable. Our focus as a coalition has always been to put people above politics," said Schoesler.

Rep. Matt Manweller (R - Ellensburg) was elected by peers to serve as an assistant floor leader for the Washington House of Representatives shortly after being elected to his second term in the state house.

Manweller said he did not expect to be chosen for a leadership role this early in his legislative career, but that speeches he made on the house floor during 2014 seemed to impress his peers enough to nominate and elect him to the post.

Manweller is one of seven House members chosen for leadership positions following the Nov. 4 general election. The leaders of the Washington House of Representatives choose which bills will be debated.

"After getting a feel for the legislative process in my first term I am ready to take a more active role in the caucus and help shape the floor debate on priority," Manweller said in a prepared statement.

He said he wants to focus on fixing I-594, as well as mental health and education funding.

The 2015 legislative session will be convening on Jan. 12 and adjourn on April 27, a 105-day session.

Schoesler is out of his Olympia office for the next two weeks and was not available for comment.