Fighting back: House Republicans stood tall this session
Despite Democrats using their large majorities to push through a number of misguided policies this session, Republicans were successful in stopping many of their most harmful proposals. Day after day — and often deep into the night — we battled. And we made a difference.
Here are some of the bills we defeated:
- HB 1380 would have prevented cities from clearing encampments and enforcing no-camping policies.
- HB 1125 would have allowed soft-on-crime judges to reduce sentences for criminals.
- HB 1399 would have taken away local control of sheriff’s offices and police departments.
- SB 5296 would have made it harder to send violent youth offenders to juvenile rehabilitation facilities.
- SB 5282 would have undermined Net Nanny Stings that protect children from sexual predators.
- HB 1189 would have allowed formerly convicted criminals to volunteer in schools unsupervised.
- SB 5360 would have made environmental crimes felonies, even if committed accidentally.
- HB 2049 (in its original form) would have tripled the property tax growth rate from 1% to 3%.
- HB 1608 would have imposed a new tax on bottles, impacting everyday items like water, soda, and juice.
- HB 1339 would have authorized even-year elections, weakening election integrity and engagement.
- SB 5098 would have stripped law-abiding citizens of their right to carry weapons in certain public spaces.
At a time when one-party control is pushing our state in the wrong direction, these results are a powerful reminder that resistance matters, as does public pressure. These wins belong to you. Your voice throughout this year’s 105-day session helped us tremendously.