Author Archives: kimberlywirtz

Braun: Drug contraband, obstruction of justice at Green Hill School warrants thorough investigation

CENTRALIA…Upon learning that 114 bags of contraband were discovered at Green Hill School, and that it was necessary for law enforcement to issue a search warrant because school officials refused to turn the items over, Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, shared the following comments.

“I strongly support the call for an investigation of Green Hill School and the Department of Children and Youth Services (DCYF). School officials have a history of allowing serious security problems to create an unsafe environment. Finding out they have been holding onto 114 bags of drugs, drug paraphernalia and weapons in violation of state law is deeply disturbing. Each one represents a possible felony against whoever brought it into the facility. Tucking them away in a laundry room demonstrates a staggering level of incompetence.

“Even worse are reports that administrators refused to turn the contraband over to authorities when they were asked to do so. When local law enforcement is forced to request a search warrant against a state agency to seize contraband illegally in its possession, it raises suspicion that the school’s officials are obstructing justice to hide something. Why not comply?

“The governor’s dismissive comment that this is all the result of miscommunication shows a continuing lack of accountability on his part for the agencies he oversees. He tries to put a positive spin on this by saying it has created stronger measures to keep drugs out of Green Hill, but mismanagement plagues many of the governor’s agencies.

“The Lewis County Sheriff has the legal authority to investigate Green Hill for criminal activity whether or not the state grants his request for an investigation. I will support his decision to pursue his own investigation should he choose to do so.”

Newsletter: Drug Crisis – Record overdose deaths and Inslee’s broken promise

Friends and neighbors,

I don’t think that any of us are blind to Washington’s drug epidemic. Many of us have loved ones who have struggled with, or succumbed to, addiction. Police and other emergency responders are overwhelmed with calls to assist in overdoses, including overdose deaths.

Mental illness is often at the core of serious substance abuse. Treatment programs that don’t address the mental health component have a lower success rate and the result is that people are literally dying in the street.

Permissive drug policies pushed by the Democrat majority failed and many communities across Washington demanded the Legislature respond. Last year, we passed Senate Bill 5536, which is often referred to as “The Blake Fix” in reference to a court case that effectively threw out Washington’s policies on hard drugs.

That law took effect July 1, 2023. 

According to the new law, “It is a gross misdemeanor to:

  1. Knowingly possess counterfeit substances and controlled substances (hereafter “prohibited substances”); or
  2. Knowingly use prohibited substances in a public place.

This bill covers possession and use of counterfeit or controlled substances, or “hard” drugs such as fentanyl and other opioids, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. Also prohibited is the knowing possession of non-prescribed legend drugs, as well as their knowing use in a public place, both classified as misdemeanors. The bill also creates a pre-trial diversion program and almost completely preempts local regulation of drug paraphernalia.” (Excerpt from Municipal Research and Services Center)

One of the other pieces to the puzzle of addressing this issue is funding behavioral-health treatment facilities. Read below to learn more about what has happened in the case of a treatment center planned for Lewis County.

This issue is very important to me and I will continue to work toward finding solutions. If you have any questions or feedback, you can contact me.

 

Broken Inslee promise stalls behavioral-health treatment facility

Efforts to build a behavioral-health treatment facility in Lewis County are being pushed back another six months by what Lewis County lawmakers say is another broken promise from Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration.

Sen. John Braun and Rep. Peter Abbarno, both R-Centralia, are particularly frustrated because the governor’s office assured them an important cost-saving change in the state building code would be made on time, without need for the legislation the two lawmakers proposed in January. Instead, the regulatory move got caught up in the governor’s effort to ban the use of natural gas to heat buildings.

Read the entire news release.

 

Washington’s drug crisis

Overdose deaths at record levels

Compared to this time last year in King County:

  • Overdose deaths are up 45%,
  • Fentanyl deaths are up 71%, and
  • Emergency calls for drug overdoses are up 55%, but they are up 130% from two years ago.

King County emergency services treated 6,300 overdoses last year, which is an average of 23 per night. Our EMS workers are nothing short of heroic in their efforts.

While these statistics are for King County, counties around the state are seeing similar growth.

 

This graph shows the growth of all overdose deaths.

 

This graph shows the growth of overdose deaths due to fentanyl alone.

 

Broken Inslee promise stalls behavioral-health treatment facility

CENTRALIA… Efforts to build a behavioral-health treatment facility in Lewis County are being pushed back another six months by what Lewis County lawmakers say is another broken promise from Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration.

Sen. John Braun and Rep. Peter Abbarno, both R-Centralia, are particularly frustrated because the governor’s office assured them an important cost-saving change in the state building code would be made on time, without need for the legislation the two lawmakers proposed in January. Instead, the regulatory move got caught up in the governor’s effort to ban the use of natural gas to heat buildings.

The code change would put residential treatment facilities under the residential building code rather than the costlier institutional building code, allowing Cascade Behavioral Health to move forward on using state grant money to build an inpatient center in Chehalis for up to 16 people with substance-use disorder. The move to the R-4 code was expected to take effect next week, but a combination of actions by the State Building Code Council has delayed it to mid-March.

“People are dying because they don’t have access to drug treatment. Inflation raises the cost of construction just like it does anything else. The governor controls all the players in this – the members of the building code council are his picks, the state Department of Health is in his branch of government – and he still can’t get it done. This is a stunning lack of leadership, and unfortunately, it just adds to the record of mismanagement and incompetence by the Inslee administration,” said Braun.

“Community members suffering from addiction, especially in rural communities, need proper treatment facilities and this policy addresses those needs,” Abbarno said. “Sadly, the R-4 building code designation change has been caught up in the governor’s political gamesmanship. The long overdue code change to add drug-treatment capacity will save lives.”

Senate Bill 5416, introduced by Braun, and House Bill 1409, introduced by Abbarno, will again be available for passage in the 2024 legislative session. The bills are identical and contain language that would take immediate effect once signed by the governor, meaning legislators still could act before March in a way that shortens the delay in bringing the Chehalis facility construction under the R-4 code.

The lawmakers say the switch to the R-4 code got snared in the climate agenda being pushed by the governor and Democratic lawmakers. A package of changes adopted by the SBCC earlier this year included not only the R-4 expansion but also a controversial move to force the use of electric heat instead of gas heat in new construction. After a similar natural-gas ban in California was invalidated by a federal court, the SBCC approved a delay until Oct. 29, which has now turned into March 15.

“The people in our state whose lives are turned upside down because of drug addiction probably aren’t focused on carbon emissions,” Braun said. “Changing building codes to add drug-treatment capacity won’t get you an invitation to meet with global leaders in New York or impress the donor class, the way that demonizing natural gas will, but it’s what our communities need. The governor has a terrible track record when it comes to mental-health issues, and this is unfortunately just the latest example. Because he can’t deliver on time, this project is two years behind where it should be.”

Newsletter: How did school districts spend $1 billion in student aid? We’re not sure

An audit by the U.S. Department of Education found that Washington state school officials had little oversight in how school districts spent $1 billion in student funding, 20% of which was intended to help students catch up from learning loss as a result of COVID shutdowns.

The Seattle Times reported that state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal said he thought the districts’ reporting was in compliance with federal law, but the reports tfice of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) posted were found to be insufficient.

Even now, the language OSPI posted to explain how districts used the money is fewer than 50 words. 

The audit also found that the state did not adequately monitor if the interventions meant to help students catch up were successful.

 

“Students are still behind. If there were more opportunities to weigh in, and transparency around what districts are doing, the funds may have been used in a way that’s more effective for students.”

-Katie Silberstein, strategic projects lead for the Edunomics Lab, a Georgetown University department that researches education finance.

Public trust in government is very low and it’s easy to see why when we find out that those who are entrusted to spend your money in specific ways, such as helping our kids recover academically, do so with a lack of accountability and poor follow-through.

A study ordered by the Washington State Legislature, conducted in May, found that 74% of school’s federal aid expenditures are classified as “other,” making it harder to verify how the money was spent.

This is unacceptable. Superintendent Reykdal should be monitoring our school districts’ reporting more closely. If he can’t ensure we spend federal dollars as we are required to do so, it could jeopardize such aid in the future. Our students deserve better.

 

 

We stand with Israel

Earlier this week, the Senate majority leader and I wrote a letter to the governor asking him to demonstrate Washington’s support for Israel in the current conflict in Gaza by flying the Israeli flag at the state Capitol and lowering the state flag and the U.S. flag to half-staff.

Shortly afterward, the governor did just that. We appreciate the governor granting our request and hope that Washington’s Jewish community knows we stand with Israel.

 

SRC On Air: Sen. John Braun on The Lars Larson Show

 

 

Is Democrats’ cap-and-tax a boom or a bust?

The Democrats’ program that they refer to as “cap-and-trade” has now raised more than $1.4 billion by auctioning off carbon credits to companies that provide energy and fuel for our cars, businesses and homes.

Where has that money really come from?

You.

The program, which is more appropriately named “cap-and-tax,” has fulfilled its purpose — to take a tremendous amount of money from your pocket so Democrats can grow government.

In past newsletters, I’ve explained how the program has become an indirect gas tax of an additional 50 cents per gallon, making Washington’s gas prices fluctuate between being the highest and second-highest in the nation.

In the meantime, the governor and his staff have repeatedly blamed everyone but themselves for the added costs being called out for what they really are. They also accuse those who have told the truth about the program from the beginning of being dishonest.

A recent example was highlighted by political commentator Brandi Kruse on her podcast Undivided. Brandi rightly criticized the governor’s office for its disingenuous behavior, which she called “shameful.”

If you remember, the governor initially said the cap-and-tax program would only cost “pennies.” He also said it might even lower gas prices. Not only were these claims absurd, they were intended to undermine the data-based efforts of those of us who predicted the true price increase.

In addition, while flanked by Democrat legislators at a news conference where he blamed oil companies for the increase in fuel costs, he accused Republicans of not wanting clean air and wanting your children to get asthma. More absurd claims.

Gov. Inslee and others point to the $1.4 billion of new revenue as justification for their actions, as if the ends justify the means. But he neglects to acknowledge the true hardship the increased prices cause for families and businesses across the state.

That is no way to govern.

Two more auctions are to be held in 2023. It remains to be seen how they will affect gas prices, but we will share that information as soon as we know it.

 

Important Clips

Newsletter: Our kids are still behind academically due to pandemic shutdowns

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The state of Washington’s K-12 education system remains one of my top priorities as we approach the 2024 legislative session. And, according to the Seattle Times, significant learning loss remains a critical problem.

 

The equity issue of our time

Last year, I worked to get funding for intensive tutoring and other solutions to address the significant and lingering learning loss from remote instruction during the COVID-19 closures.

Some of my accomplishments for K-12 education last session included:

  • $372 million additional funding for special education
  • $2 million for intensive tutoring
  • $2 million for an online tool to improve math instruction
  • $340,000 for a math-improvement pilot program in the Chehalis School District

These programs have made a difference but we must do more.

The children hardest hit by the school shutdowns were children of color, children living in rural areas and children with special needs. It’s not an exaggeration to say that that remedying this is the equity issue of our time.

“Our detailed geographic data reveals what national tests do not: The pandemic exacerbated economic and racial educational inequality.”

Tom Kane and Sean Reardon The New York Times

 

Too many are failing English and math assessments

It’s unacceptable that around half our kids attending public schools for grades 4 – 11 can’t pass the official assessment in English and more than 70% can’t pass the assessment in math. In response to criticism about these results, Chris Reykdal, Washington’s superintendent of public instruction, downplayed the significance of the tests and advocated for abandoning them.

That would be the wrong approach.

“Math, reading and history scores from the past three years show that students learned far less during the pandemic than was typical in previous years. By the spring of 2022, according to our calculations, the average student was half a year behind in math and a third of a year behind in reading.”

Kane and Reardon, New York Times.

While standardized testing might not be ideal, it does offer us a look at where our kids stand so we know how much academic intervention they need.

After the isolation and other challenges of remote instruction during the pandemic shutdowns, these scores are even more critical to our decision making about additional funding for specific education programs, especially because the need for extra help continues.

 

Vigorous interventions make a difference.

Analysis of the results from interventions such as tutoring and academically-focused summer school programs shows they significantly improve academic performance, which is reflected in higher test scores. Our efforts can make a difference. We must continue them and look for additional creative and innovative ways to further support our kids.

Regards,

Sen. John Braun

 

Sen. Nikki Torres swearing in during opening day ceremonies in the Washington State Senate, January 9, 2023.

Democrats to neglect constitutional duty

Government transparency to suffer, public shut out

I want to highlight recent decisions that were handed down in two lawsuits that challenged the way the 15th Legislative District in central Washington was redrawn in 2021 by the bipartisan Washington Redistricting Commission.

 

At first look, you might not think this issue concerns you, but it does.

Currently, the district is more than 51% Hispanic and it elected a Latina legislator — Sen. Nikki Torres. The lawsuits called for the district to be redrawn, however, because the plaintiffs argued that the racial mix of the district did not satisfy the federal Voters Rights Act.

The judge in one of the lawsuits, known as Soto-Palmer v. Hobbs agreed that the district should be redrawn and directed legislators to do so. If the final maps are not submitted by Jan. 8, 2024, a federal judge would make the ultimate determination of the district’s boundaries. The majority opinion in the Garcia v. Hobbs agreed.

 

You live in the 20th Legislative District, so why should you care?

You should care about this development because Democratic leadership has decided to neglect their civic duty and abdicate it to the court.

Instead of doing their job by calling a special session immediately so the Legislature can reconvene the redistricting commission, they’ve decided to lazily toss the responsibility to the court.

This means the map will be redrawn in the proverbial smoke-filled back room rather than in the light of day with public input. The people will have no say whatsoever.

It also means the plaintiffs will get to sidestep the Washington State Constitution.

 

What happened to “fair and independent”?

Democratic leadership seems to think this would be easier and better than doing its constitutional duty. If avoiding a bipartisan agreement with public oversight is better, then sure. But it’s not. The irony is that it was Democrats who, in 1983, pushed a ballot measure to create the redistricting commission in the first place.

At the time, they argued this would ensure the process was “fair and independent.”

Why aren’t they supporting the same fair and independent process now?

Although the 2021 commission was criticized for not complying with open public meeting laws and for its lack of transparency, I am confident the commission would NOT make the same mistakes if it was reconvened. The press and the public would act as watchdogs to make sure that Democrats do not sabotage the process as they have been accused of doing in 2021.

Washington’s is still widely seen as one of the best systems in the country for redistricting because the public has a role in making sure that the results are fairly negotiated boundaries that do not benefit one party over another.

 

Possible outcome: Oust a senator who was elected fair and square

One possible outcome of this entire situation is that Sen. Torres could be “redistricted” out of her Senate seat, meaning the district boundaries would change enough that she is no longer a resident. How does ousting a Latina senator elected by a predominantly Hispanic district serve the Voters Rights Act? It doesn’t.

Shutting people out of the democratic process in any district is relevant for all of us – because if it can happen to them, it can happen to us.

I’ll be monitoring the developments on this issue and will report back to you.

 

Strategies to reboot education

Address learning loss

  • Target existing state and federal funds to address learning loss by providing targeted, high-quality tutoring and rigorous extended learning programs.

Support parental involvement

  • Clarify and reinforce parents’ rights in education by increasing and protecting parental participation in our K-12 school system.

Support school choice

  • Support charter schools as an alternative to traditional public schools.

Increase school safety

 

Important Clips:

 

 

 

Newsletter: Gas prices expected to increase again — by 6 cents per gallon

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As I shared in my previous newsletter, I suspected the carbon-pricing auction held by the Washington State Department of Ecology on August 30 (as part of the Democrats’ “cap-and-tax” plan) would result in another increase in the price of fuel.

The results of that auction were made public yesterday and confirm my suspicions.

The cumulative hike the price of gasoline due to selling “carbon allowances” is now expected to equal 51 cents per gallon, up from the 45 cents per gallon resulting from the May auction.

While a 6-cent increase might not seem like much, it’s now expected to increase the cumulative hit from cap-and-tax on Washington families by nearly $2 billion from when legislators left town after the 2023 session. (Budget writers then assumed $2.5 billion from this policy; now it looks like over $4.25 billion of your money will be brought in through 2023-2025.)

Not only will this increased cost affect your wallet at the pump, the cap-and-tax policy will also raise prices for any goods being shipped, and home heating fuel, further adding to the high inflation eating away at your family budget.

While the Democrats and Governor. Inslee continue to scapegoat the oil companies for doing what every business does — increase end-product prices to cover increased production costs — the truth is, it’s the state is the one “price gouging” consumers. While they try to hide that fact, even Washington’s Utilities and Trade Commission admits that the increase in the cost of fuel is a result of “cap-and-tax.”

The worst thing about this is that some are hit harder than others. Democrats pay lip service to the hardships faced by those with lower incomes, but their actions say otherwise. Five cents here, six cents there. It all adds up. Those struggling to put food on the table can’t take it.

I am working on legislation to address this assault on Washington’s hard-working families and plan to make it public soon. I hope the Democrats will realize there is room to provide relief.

“At this point it is unlikely that the Governor or legislators will take steps to reduce the burden of increasing energy costs on families and business. Denial and distraction are likely to be their preferred strategy. And energy costs will keep rising.”

Todd Myers
Director, Center for the Environment
Washington Policy Center

Regards,

Sen. John Braun

 

 

Protecting our children from online pornography

The success of online pornography sites, and the ease with which anyone of any age can access those sites, pose a strong threat to our children and society in general. They are suspected of showing video of sex trafficking of minors. They encourage the degradation and exploitation of women. And they foster a distorted attitude toward sex among our youth.

Parents are right to be concerned.

I am working on a bill that would force sites that contain material which is harmful to minors to require age verification.

Several other states have enacted bills to address this issue and I am reviewing those and working to determine what would work best in Washington. Several options exist, including requiring digital identification cards or third-party verification. We are evaluating these and other solutions to craft a bill that will successfully protect kids from harmful online material.

When my bill is ready, I will share the draft with you. In the meantime, if you have ideas about how we can lockdown access to online obscenity, you can email me.

On Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s own website, he says “As the state’s chief legal officer, Bob is committed to protecting the people of Washington against powerful interests that don’t play by the rules.” That accurately describes the online pornography industry. Will the AG do his job and join my efforts to protect our children?

 

Are we headed for another mask mandate?

I’ve heard from many of you who are concerned that news of a recent uptick in COVID cases in some areas of the country will result in another mandate requiring Washingtonians to wear face masks.

Neither a COVID spike nor new vaccine or mask mandates are imminent in Washington, despite fears spreading on social media. To be clear, I would oppose any effort to enact such mandates.

 

Important Clips

Braun: Legislature has duty to reconvene Redistricting Commission

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun shared the following comments on the heels of two recent court decisions saying Washington’s legislative district maps, which were created by the Washington State Redistricting Commission during the 2022 redistricting process and went into effect this year, must be redrawn for the 15th Legislative District.

The judge in Soto-Palmer v. Hobbs determined that Latino representation in the district is insufficient to satisfy the federal Voting Rights Act. Currently, the 15th District is at least 51.1% Latino and Sen. Nikki Torres, a Latina, represents the district in the state Senate.

The Legislature has the authority and duty to reconvene the Redistricting Commission by a vote of two-thirds in each chamber. New maps must be drawn by the Commission by Jan. 8, 2024 or the court will intervene and determine the new boundaries for the 15th District and surrounding districts. Once the Commission completes the new maps, the Legislature would have 30 days to amend the maps by a population change of up to 2% before they are considered approved.

 

“Judges in two different cases have said the Redistricting Commission should reconvene.  I expect our caucus would whole-heartedly support that.

“The Washington State Constitution stipulates a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber is required to reconvene the Redistricting Commission. The Legislature should do its duty and call itself back into session for this purpose. I would urge that we do so immediately. 

“Washington has a bipartisan commission to do redistricting because the people were tired of backroom deals and attempts to gerrymander. They wisely and overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment requiring redistricting be done in a fair, bipartisan manner which favors no political party.

“If majority leadership prevents the Legislature from reconvening the Redistricting Commission, it will be another effort on their part to abdicate our duty and authority to another branch of government for political gains.”

 

 

Article II, Section 43  of the WA State Constitution:

(8) The legislature shall enact laws providing for the reconvening of a commission for the purpose of modifying a districting law adopted under this section. Such reconvening requires a two-thirds vote of the legislators elected or appointed to each house of the legislature. The commission shall conform to the standards prescribed under subsection (5) of this section and any other standards or procedures that the legislature may provide by law. At least three of the voting members shall approve such a modification. Any modification adopted by the commission may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the legislators elected and appointed to each house of the legislature. The state districting law shall include the modifications with amendments, if any.

 

Footnote 4 in the Soto-Palmer case praises the redistricting process:

“Though not relevant to the results analysis which ultimately resolves this case, the evidence at trial showed that the Commission faced and overcame a set of challenges unlike anything any prior Commission had ever faced. Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic prevent the Commissioners from meeting face-to-face, but the Commission’s schedule was compressed by several months as a result of a delay in receiving the census data and a statutory change in the deadline for submission of the redistricting plan to the Legislature. In addition, the Commission was the first in Washington history to address the serious possibility that the VRA imposed redistricting requirements that had to be accommodated along with the traditional redistricting criteria laid out in Washington’s constitution and statutes.

In addressing these challenges, the Commissioners pored over countless iterations of various maps and spreadsheets, held 17 public outreach meetings, consulted with Washington’s 29 federally-recognized tribes, conducted 22 regular business meetings, reviewed VRA litigation from the Yakima Valley region, obtained VRA analyses, and considered thousands of public comments. Throughout the process, the Commissioners endeavored to reach a bipartisan consensus on maps which not only divided up a diverse and geographically complex state into 49 reasonably compact districts of roughly 157,000, but also promoted competitiveness in elections. The Court commends the Commissioners for their diligence, determination, and commitment to the various legal requirements that guided their deliberations, particularly the requirement that the redistricting “plan shall not be drawn purposely to favor or discriminate against any political party or group.” Wash. Const. art. II, § 43(5); see also RCW 44.05.090(5).”

Republican leader calls for new path toward housing affordability

20th District senator says Democrat colleague’s proposal
to reduce pain at pump also deserves consideration

CENTRALIA… The excessive financial windfall from Washington’s cap-and-tax policy should be used to address the affordability crisis facing the state’s homeowners and renters, says Senate Republican Leader John Braun.

As of last month, state government had already raked in $919.5 million from the combination of quarterly and other auctions of “carbon allowances” allowed under the cap-and-tax policy – formally known as the Climate Commitment Act. The state Department of Ecology announced Wednesday that nearly 8.6 million more allowances sold at a “settlement price” of more than $63 apiece at its third-quarter auction, held Aug. 30. The exact proceeds from that auction will be announced later this month.

Under the cap-and-tax law, roughly $720 million in cap-and-tax proceeds are to be reserved for transportation purposes each fiscal biennium. Braun says the remaining auction proceeds, which could easily top $1 billion before legislators convene for their 2024 session, should be turned into financial relief for property owners and renters.

“While Republicans are determined to address our state’s affordability crisis, many on the majority side seem content to let the cost of living climb even higher,” said Braun, a Centralia resident who serves the 20th Legislative District. “The governor and majority Democrat leaders apparently believe they must discourage fossil-fuel emissions by any means available, even though their climate policy is functioning just like another one of the regressive taxes they often complain about. It’s obvious to everyone but Governor Inslee that cap-and-tax is the reason Washington has had the highest or next-to-highest gas prices since June – which are blowing up the budgets of working people and families, with low-income families hit hardest of all.

“As Democrats are clearly unwilling to join Republicans to reduce the cost of gas in our state, let’s at least bring housing costs down instead,” Braun said. “Take the excess proceeds from their cap-and-tax policy – meaning the money not promised for transportation – and commit those to providing property-tax exemptions and credits to renters, as Republicans had proposed during this year’s legislative session.

“Those who truly believe Washington’s tax system is regressive and are convinced that higher gas prices mean less consumption and therefore fewer emissions should jump at this. They can be true to their climate agenda while putting those carbon-pricing dollars to work making housing more affordable, especially for low-income people. It is inexcusable not to do this.”

Braun also voiced support for a new proposal from Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, that is aimed at reducing the cap-and-tax policy’s inflation of Washington gas prices.

“Senator Mullet has put a thoughtful package of ideas on the table. It appears to respond to concerns I’ve heard and also is in line with some of what a group of lawmakers proposed to Ecology in July. I appreciate that he also is proposing tax relief, in the form of a temporary reduction in car-tab costs, and following through on the fuel-cost exemption that was promised but has not been delivered to our state’s agricultural and maritime industries.

“Like our housing-affordability proposal, his deserves serious consideration sooner rather than later from the leaders on his side of the aisle. We must do better.”

Newsletter: Attorney General’s office tells PSE to hide reason for increase to your power bill

Dear friends and neighbors,

Republicans have talked a lot about the record increases in the price of gas. We’ve been clear that the tax program the Democrats refer to as “cap-and-trade” or “cap-and-invest” (but we call “cap-and-tax”) is to blame for Washington having the highest/second-highest gas prices in the nation.  The governor and the Democratic majority dispute this and use oil companies as a scapegoat.

FACT: Washington’s gas prices have risen 32%
since Jan. 1, 2023 — the same day the “cap-and-tax” program went into effect.

And it isn’t only gasoline that is increasing in price. The cost of home energy is also going up as a direct result of that same program, which is part of the majority’s Climate Commitment Act. Except Puget Sound Energy is not allowed to tell you that on your billing statement — a fact uncovered by the press. 

The commissioners at the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) ruled last week that it is illegal for PSE to disclose that information to you as a stipulation for approving a 3.25% increase to your bill to cover $16.8 million in losses PSE expects as a result of that program.

Todd Myers of the Washington Policy Center sums up the ruling as one of the “most brazenly dishonest rulings” he’s ever seen.  In it, he says the UTC:

  • Admits the new CO2 tax increases energy prices
  • Contradicts another one of the false claims by Gov. Inslee and the Department of Ecology
  • Brazenly tries to hide those very facts from the public

Worse is that the office of Attorney General Bob Ferguson says including that detail would “unnecessarily complicate” your statement and that your bill should only share information that is “beneficial” to you.

 “…this is not only dishonest but violates the spirit of Washington’s laws and constitution. The position of the Public Counsel in the Attorney General’s office is that they know what the public should know and what they shouldn’t. The claim that transparency is bad for the public is remarkable and revealing.”

Todd Myers, Washington Policy Center

This is lying by omission. By not being transparent about why your power bill is going up, the government dodges any accountability for it.

Their excuse — that full disclosure makes the bill too complicated for you — treats you like you aren’t smart enough to understand it. In reality, they fear that you are too smart not to realize they are at fault for another increase to your cost of living.

The sad irony is that the Department of Ecology claimed that the cap-and-tax program would decrease the cost of energy.

And, in the regulatory proceeding with the UTC, left-wing environmental activist groups who previously released statements blaming oil companies for price increases told a different tale. They admitted the cap-and-tax program, which is part of the Climate Commitment Act, is the cause. Were they lying then? Or are they lying now?

Any rebates offered to offset the increase are the equivalent of a store marking up a product and then offering a fraction of that as a discount. They want you to think you are getting a deal, but you’re really getting swindled.

As leader of the Senate Republicans, I continue to fight against policies that chip away at your family budget, and I defend your right to keep more of your money. Hardworking families like yours don’t need state government taking more of your paycheck year after year.

You also don’t need Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office advising state government to deceive you because they think you are too easily confused by the facts. You deserve better.

Sen. John Braun

 

Survey shows reducing the cost of living is your top priority

Thank you to everyone who completed my survey that asked you to identify what you think should be the legislature’s top priority in the 2024 legislative session. As you can see from the graph above, many of the priorities were neck-and-neck. Lowering gas prices and preventing new and higher taxes came out ahead, which coincides with polls taken nationwide. People are less and less able to afford everyday expenses. This, along with the high priority of restoring public safety and eliminating continuing K-12 learning loss caused by remote instruction, are my top priorities as well.

In order, of how they appear in the graphic above, they are:

  • Reducing homelessness
  • Protecting farmers, ranchers and fruit growers from dam breaching and anti-agriculture regulations
  • Repealing and/or replacing the payroll tax to fund the problematic long-term care program
  • Supporting parents’ rights in health and education decisions of minor children
  • Further reducing K-12 learning loss
  • Preventing new and higher taxes
  • Lowering gas prices
  • Increasing the number of police
  • Fighting hard drug use and drug-related crime

 

“Washington’s fatal drug overdose rate increasing fastest of any state”

Center Square reports that “between March 2022-March 2023, the number of predicted cases of fatal drug overdose increased by 28.4% from 2,356 to 3,024. The number of reported fatal overdose deaths increased by 25%, from 2,351 to 2,948.”

Oregon has the dubious honor of coming in second.

The Democratic majority’s refusal to adequately deal with this problem out of “compassion” is allowing people to die in the streets.

These policies aren’t sympathetic. They are apathetic. And we need to take this problem more seriously. If you’ve lost a loved one to a deadly addiction to opioids, you can understand how state government is failing them.

We must do better.

 

More corrections officers needed in Lewis County

Lewis County Jail in ‘dire need’ of corrections deputies, undersheriff says (The Chronicle)

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Department has nine vacancies in its corrections department and expects three more soon. It’s critical for our safety that those positions be filled. For more information, contact jail administration.