With the Washington State Supreme Court announcing Thursday that the state has complied with its constitutional obligation to amply fund public schools, Sen. John Braun offered the following statement. Braun, R-Centralia, served as chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee in 2017 and was the prime sponsor of the budget that provided full funding for Washington’s K-12 public schools.

“The fact that Washington students had not been receiving an adequately or equitably funded education came as no surprise given schools had been a low priority of the Legislature in the decades before 2013. We were finally able to make historic investments over the last five years by putting the needs of students, teachers and parents first in our budgets.

“Just as important as the state returning to its role as primary provider for public schools was our need to ensure students from low-income communities had the same opportunities as those from more affluent areas. Every child in our state should be able to attend a school that better prepares them for future success regardless of their ethnicity or family’s financial situation.

“As I’ve said all along, our primary interest throughout the court case has been creating a high-quality education system that meets the needs of all students. The fact that the end result also pleases the court is a positive resolution.

“With education making up more than 50 percent of our budget for the first time since 1983, we still need to make sure lawmakers don’t become complacent given the constant demand to spend more money on many other programs. Instead, we must maintain, protect and enhance our education funding to continue meeting the evolving needs of students in an increasingly competitive job market.”

Following a deadly school shooting today in Santa Fe, Texas, Washington State Senator John Braun called for a special legislative session to improve school safety before students return to class for the 2018-19 school year. Braun said as both a lawmaker and parent, he wants the Legislature to continue building on work from the 2018 session. He issued the following statement:

“My heart goes out to the victims and grieving members of the Santa Fe community. Their loss is unimaginable and yet another example of reprehensible terror in our school system.

“No law or legislative action will alone change human hearts and altogether stop violence. But the Legislature can take steps to reduce the risk of deadly school violence, which stems most often from mental illness.

“Violence in American schools frequently results in Republicans and Democrats arguing instead of working to solve the problem. Fortunately in Washington state, there are areas where we can find agreement and make meaningful improvements to better protect our students and educators. Earlier this year I proposed and advocated for putting $500 million in state bonding authority before voters to expand mental health services and treatment in communities statewide. Others have proposed limiting access to certain types of guns by individuals under age 21, or creating anonymous tip lines where safety concerns could be reported to the proper officials.

“We can and should build on this year’s bipartisan work led by Sen. O’Ban working with Senate Democrats, which resulted in a workgroup with diverse experiences to develop strategies to identify and intervene against potential perpetrators of mass shootings. While their reports are not due until December, I encourage the group to meet more frequently and share their recommendations by August, which would give the Legislature time to act this summer – before schools reopen this fall.”

The governor is scheduled to sign legislation today contracting out employment of the state’s 35,000 individual home care providers, which will cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, take away workers’ rights and hide negotiations from public disclosure, according to Sen. John Braun. The bill privatizing management of Washington’s home care workers came at the request of SEIU 775 as a workaround to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirming an individual’s right to choose whether or not to be represented.

“Home care providers perform incredibly difficult work most often as a labor of love to help some of our most vulnerable citizens. Their rights should not take a back seat to a giveaway to powerful special interests,” said Braun, R-Centralia, who serves as ranking minority member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. “For years the governor has fought back against any attempt to contract out state services even when it would save taxpayers money or improve the quality of service. In this case it dramatically increases costs to the state, while taking money out of the pockets of workers who do not want to participate.”

The state Department of Social and Health Services currently serves as the employer for Washington’s individual provider home care workers. According to DSHS 70 percent of these caregivers do so for their own family members who are most often elderly parents or children with developmental disabilities. Following the 2014 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Harris v. Quinn, they are no longer forced to join a union or pay an agency fee.

“The governor recently touted his record on government transparency, which runs counter to this action,” said Braun. “Even though this legislation opposes two of his ideological platforms I do not expect he will veto it since it came at the request of his administration and from a major campaign donor.”

Projections show that creating the third-party entity to provide employment management services will cost taxpayers $26 million per budget cycle for no expanded or improved service.

The supplemental operating budget approved today by the Washington State Legislature did so without support from Sen. John Braun, who cited the lack of fiscal responsibility and meager property tax relief as primary reasons. The spending plan passed with the lowest amount of support of any operating budget since 2009.

“We began this session with a tremendous opportunity to address challenges and opportunities in education, job creation, mental health and for taxpayers. Unfortunately what passed today misses the mark on most counts,” said Braun, who sponsored the original 2017-19 operating budget and serves as the ranking minority member on the Senate Ways and Means Committee. “Our alternative budget demonstrated we could very easily provide $1 billion in property tax relief this year given the additional $2.3 billion the state is expected to collect. We could do that and still cut tuition, protect and enhance investments in education and make meaningful improvements for our most vulnerable citizens without raiding our reserves.”

In divided government the final budget would generally end up as a compromise between the two original proposals. However, the final budget passed today actually spends more money than either of the original Democrat proposals in the Senate and House of Representatives.

“Pent up demand from Democrat special interests following five years of Republican leadership in the Senate burst open the floodgates for new spending,” said Braun, R-Centralia. “During that time we had an inclusive and open budget development process. We knew the end result would always be better by having a variety of perspectives involved. While it is the right of the majority, the problems found in this budget are what happens when representatives of nearly half the state are shut out.”

Braun sponsored a budget that would have provided $972 million in property tax relief in 2018 using growing state revenues. Democrats raid of the rainy day fund draws down reserves needed in case of an economic recession or to deal with the results of a major floor, earthquake or other natural disaster.

Lawmakers are scheduled to adjourn today at the end of a 60-day session.

Although state government expects to take in $2.3 billion in additional tax revenue, the Senate Democrat majority is still looking to raid budget reserves using what Sen. John Braun called a felony budget gimmick. Braun said the Democrats’ proposed amendment to Senate Bill 6614 violates the spirit and intent of voter-approved protections that place extraordinary revenue growth into the budget stabilization account, more widely known as the rainy day fund.

“After the Great Recession exposed Olympia’s failure to capture and protect unanticipated revenue, the voters approved critically important safeguards against overspending in good economic times,” said Braun, R-Centralia, who serves as ranking minority member on the Senate Ways and Means Committee. “This proposal from the Senate majority creates a constitutional crisis by rejecting the overwhelming demand from 67 percent of voters for fiscal responsibility and accountability. It sets an incredibly dangerous precedent for future state budget decisions.”

The Democrats’ proposed amendment to the bill would funnel $935 million in property tax revenues to the education legacy trust account. Redirecting the funds lowers general fund revenues, which Braun says circumvents the spirit of the law by reducing the amount of money going into the rainy day fund by more than $700 million.

“Washington has earned incredibly strong marks from national debt rating agencies due in part to our recent commitment to fiscal responsibility and maintaining responsible reserves,” said Braun. “Rating agencies frequently cite our strong fiscal controls and protected budget reserves. Looting the rainy day fund would hurt our reputation and standing on a national level. This plan has incredibly negative consequences for our state treasurer when selling bonds and would harm school districts and local cities and counties.”

A series of projections from the state’s chief economist indicate the state will take in $2.3 billion more than was anticipated when the Legislature approved its 2017-19 state operating budget in June 2017. The budget grew 14 percent from the previous spending plan largely due to K-12 education funding increases. While $1.6 billion of those funds would be unrestricted, under current law and constitutional restrictions $700 million have to be deposited in the constitutionally protected budget stabilization account.

“Voters said decisively many years ago that they wanted a higher threshold for using these extraordinary revenues after seeing the significant problems and dramatic cuts that came as a result of overspending ahead of the Great Recession,” said Braun. “The alternative budget our side has offered clearly demonstrates we can provide $1 billion in property-tax relief, protect our historic investments in public education, improve mental-health treatment, reduce tuition and much more without raiding the budget reserves. Constitutional protections for budget reserves shouldn’t be viewed as simply an inconvenience for budget writers. They are in place to protect important state services and taxpayers.”

Voters in every county approved Senate Joint Resolution 8206 in 2011, to protect extraordinary revenue during times of strong economic growth. Using the money generally requires a 60 percent vote in the Legislature.

Lawmakers are on the 58th day of this year’s 60-day session. While a supplemental operating budget is likely to be approved in the remaining days, a plan negotiated between the Senate and House of Representatives has yet to be made public.

I was very proud to sponsor a Senate Resolution honoring Centralia’s founder George Washington as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birthday. Our George Washington was an African-American pioneer who founded Centralia in 1875 after running a pole ferry across the Chehalis River.

Washington overcame many significant hardships to become an incredibly well regarded civic leader, businessman and volunteer who helped so many others in the community through difficult times.

We were joined in the Senate chamber by a large delegation of Centralia community members and leaders. Recognizing and educating the rest of our state about our George Washington made this occasion very special for all of us who have made this area our home.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this celebration. For those who could not make it the Centralia Chronicle published a thorough write up of the day and history, which you can read here.

You can read the entire resolution which was unanimously approved by the Senate by clicking here.

In addition to sponsoring the resolution, I had the opportunity to speak about Centralia’s founder, which you can watch here.

Republican Senator John Braun from Centralia, introduced the resolution honoring Washington, the son of a former slave and a woman of English decent.

There will be a celebration during Washington’s birthday in August where a bronze statue will be unveiled in a park that bears his name.

Chair of the George Washington Bicentennial Committee Brian Mittge during hard times for the entire territory in 1893, Washington lived by his motto of “peace and plenty” in supporting his neighbors.

Mayor of Centralia Lee Coumbs says George Washington was a visionary.

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Senator Braun Budget Summary

With the state Legislature nearing the end of a short 60-day session, Sen. John Braun today released a supplemental budget proposal, which addresses many of the concerns found in both Senate and House Democratic plans released earlier this week. Braun said his legislation would provide nearly $1 billion in property tax relief, cut tuition for community and technical college students and make historic investments in mental health treatment.

“After seeing stark contrasts in the Senate and House Democrat budget proposals, I decided to bring forward a plan that addresses the priorities of all Washingtonians,” said Braun who sponsored the original 2017-19 state operating budget lawmakers are now working to update. “Because of the bipartisan education funding plan passed last year, homeowners are seeing a one-year property tax increase before most of the state sees tax reductions next year. Because of a strong economy we can easily afford to provide significant tax relief now.”

Braun said his overall plan could bring Democrats from both the Senate and House closer together especially on how to address the state Supreme Court’s concern on the timing of education funding implementation. Braun will offer his budget as a striking amendment to the Senate Democrat budget, which is scheduled to be voted on Friday afternoon.

“We can and must do better for our special education students,” said Braun. “While we made significant progress last year, this was one of the main areas our broader education reform did not get completely right.”

Braun’s proposal would provide an additional $141 million for special education through June 30, 2021, almost twice the amount provided in the Senate Democratic plan.

“While most of our previous tuition cuts focused our larger schools where costs had increased the most, we want to ensure the 170,000 community and technical college students can afford their education,” said Braun, R-Centralia. “A ten percent tuition cut along with increased state funding for the schools, makes college accessible to more students of all ages.”

Braun’s budget does all this without raising taxes and maintains the state’s significant budget reserves. Braun said this was made possible due to the strong economy as the state’s chief economist projects an additional $2.3 billion in tax revenues over what was originally anticipated.

“Last year a broad bipartisan coalition voted to provide tax parity for Washington’s manufacturing sector, which has lost nearly 50,000 jobs since the turn of the century. Often these jobs are some of best paying in their community and are more accessible to people with a wide range of education and training experience,” said Braun. “While the governor vetoed a uniform and low tax rate for these companies, we have the opportunity to make a strong commitment to this sector that will help employees and employers grow and invest in their community.”

Lawmakers are on day 47 of the 60-day session, and are expected to vote on supplemental operating budgets in the Senate and House of Representatives today.

Senator Braun Budget Summary