From a press release sent by the state Republican Party at 9:52 a.m. Monday:

Just four days from the legal cutoff to spend taxpayer money, Senate Democrats will hold a Ways & Means Committee meeting on June 26th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon (Sen. Haugen represents part of Mt. Vernon and part of Skagit County).

It is the only time in recent memory a Ways & Means Committee meeting has been held in Skagit County. Could it have anything to do with the fact that Sen. Haugen faces another tough race this year after winning in 2004 with 50.1% of the vote?

"Sen. Haugen and the Democrats have no shame in using hard-earned taxpayer money to pay for what is little more than a staged campaign event," said Washington State Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser.

Sen. Val Stevens, R-Arlington, is urging citizens to take advantage of a unique opportunity: Telling their stories directly to the Senate Ways & Means Committee, which will be hearing public testimony on property taxes Thursday, June 26 from 1 - 3 p.m. at Skagit Community College.

“Scores of people in Skagit and Snohomish have told me that property taxes are an urgent concern,” Stevens said. “For most, they finally own their home and have retired, but their property taxes have climbed so high, they can’t afford to stay in the home. Our seniors need property tax relief or they face being taxed out of the homes they’ve spent a lifetime purchasing.”
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The committee is meeting in several cities around the state this summer in order to hear from people about their property taxes. So far, local governments and powerful special interests have captured this committee’s full attention. If you want to be heard, now’s the time!”