Senator Boehnke

WHEREAS, Senator Matt Boehnke has faithfully served the people of 1
Washington state and the 8th Legislative District with dedication, 2
integrity, and a steadfast commitment to public service; and3
WHEREAS, Raised in Kennewick and a lifelong resident of the Tri-4
Cities, Senator Boehnke first entered public service when he was 5
elected to the Kennewick City Council in 2015, where he worked to 6
strengthen local government, support public safety, and promote 7
economic opportunity for his community; and 8
WHEREAS, In 2018, Senator Boehnke was elected to the Washington 9
State House of Representatives to represent the 8th Legislative 10
District, which includes the city of Kennewick and parts of Richland, 11
where he quickly established himself as a thoughtful advocate for 12
innovation, workforce development, and policies that support families 13
and local communities; and 14
WHEREAS, In 2022, Senator Boehnke was elected to the Washington 15
State Senate representing the 8th Legislative District and assumed 16
office in January 2023, continuing his work on behalf of the 17
communities of Kennewick, Richland, and the greater Tri-Cities 18
region; and 19
WHEREAS, During his service in the Senate, Senator Boehnke has 20
served as Ranking Member of the Environment, Energy and Technology 21
Committee and as a member of the Higher Education and Workforce 22
Development, Ways and Means, and Rules committees, providing 23
SENATE RESOLUTION
8705
By Senators Braun, Alvarado, Bateman, Boehnke, Chapman, Christian, Cleveland,
Conway, Cortes, Dhingra, Dozier, Fortunato, Frame, Gildon, Goehner, Hansen, Harris,
Hasegawa, Holy, Hunt, Kauffman, King, Krishnadasan, Liias, Lovelett, Lovick,
MacEwen, McCune, Muzzall, Nobles, Orwall, Pedersen, Riccelli, Robinson, Saldaña,
Salomon, Schoesler, Shewmake, Short, Slatter, Stanford, Torres, Trudeau, Valdez,
Wagoner, Warnick, Wellman, C. Wilson, and J. Wilson
p. 1 8705
leadership on issues critical to Washington's economic future 1
and technological advancement; and 2
WHEREAS, Senator Boehnke has been a leading voice in 3
strengthening Washington's technology and innovation economy, 4
contributing to statewide and national conversations on 5
cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, advanced data 6
infrastructure, and policies that support responsible 7
development of emerging technologies; and 8
WHEREAS, Senator Boehnke has championed policies that expand 9
career and technical education and workforce training 10
opportunities, recognizing the importance of preparing students 11
and workers for high-demand careers in cybersecurity, advanced 12
manufacturing, energy, and other growing industries; and13
WHEREAS, Senator Boehnke has been a strong advocate for 14
reliable and affordable energy, including support for advanced 15
nuclear energy, clean energy innovation, and an electric grid 16
capable of supporting Washington's agriculture, manufacturing, 17
and growing technology sectors; and 18
WHEREAS, Senator Boehnke has consistently championed the 19
needs of the Tri-Cities, Eastern Washington, and rural 20
communities, working to ensure their voices are heard in Olympia 21
and promoting policies that strengthen agriculture, economic 22
opportunity, and regional development; and 23
WHEREAS, Senator Boehnke has earned the respect of 24
colleagues across the aisle for his commitment to bipartisan 25
problem solving, working collaboratively to pass legislation 26
that improves student safety, expands access to higher 27
education, strengthens mental health services, and supports 28
workforce development; and 29
WHEREAS, Prior to his legislative service, Senator Boehnke 30
served more than 21 years in the United States Army aviation 31
branch, retiring with distinction as a lieutenant colonel and 32
demonstrating a lifelong commitment to leadership, service, and 33
the defense of our nation; and 34
WHEREAS, Outside the Legislature, Senator Boehnke has 35
dedicated himself to education and workforce development as a 36
tenured cybersecurity professor at Columbia Basin College, where 37
he founded the college's cybersecurity program and has helped 38
p. 2 8705
train the next generation of professionals to protect 1
businesses, governments, and critical infrastructure from 2
evolving digital threats; and 3
WHEREAS, Senator Boehnke has encouraged civic involvement 4
and mentored future leaders while representing his district with 5
integrity, professionalism, and respect for the institution of 6
the Legislature; and 7
WHEREAS, Senator Boehnke's life and career reflect a deep 8
commitment to faith, family, and community, and he has been 9
supported throughout his years of public service by his wife, 10
Dawn, to whom he has been married for more than 35 years, as 11
well as their two sons and daughter-in-law; 12
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State 13
Senate honor and commend Senator Matt Boehnke for his 14
distinguished service, leadership, and dedication to the people 15
of the 8th Legislative District and the State of Washington; and16
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate express its sincere 17
gratitude for Senator Boehnke's contributions to innovation, 18
workforce development, energy leadership, and steadfast advocacy 19
for the Tri-Cities and the people of Eastern Washington; and20
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be 21
immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to 22
Senator Matt Boehnke and his family as a token of the Senate's 23
respect and appreciation for his dedicated service to the State 24
of Washington. 25
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate, 26
do hereby certify that this is a true and 27
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8705, 28
adopted by the Senate 29
March 12, 2026 30
SARAH BANNISTER 31
Secretary of the Senate 32
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