Author Archives: Laudan

Braun bill to boost state’s mental-health system approved

Today the state Senate approved legislation introduced by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia to expand the pool of medical professionals capable of addressing mental-health needs of Washingtonians. Senate Bill 6445, which cleared the Senate unanimously, would clarify state law to include physician assistants in the delivery of mental-health services.

“Our state needs more mental-health professionals to meet the significant demand for treatment,” said Braun. “Our state has invested significant financial resources into our mental-health system in the past three years. This legislation clarifies that physician assistants with the appropriate education, training and experience can deliver these critical services.”

Physician assistants are not listed in the state Department of Social and Human Services rules regarding the delivery of mental-health services. Braun’s bill would allow these medical professionals to be classified in the mental-health code along with psychiatrists, physicians, and psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioners, while maintaining high standards of practice already in place.

“These medical professionals are licensed to provide many vital health services under supervision of a physician,” Braun said. “And it only makes sense that if they have the training and education they should be part of our state’s mental-health care system.”

 

Senate approves Braun bill to bring timber money back to schools

The state Senate today approved Sen. John Braun’s legislation that would make permanent a state policy that returns money from federal timber sales to local schools. Senate Bill 6292 would eliminate the reduction of state school funding to districts based on what they receive in federal forest revenues. The measure cleared the Senate by a vote of 35-14 and moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“This bill makes a small but needed change to restore resources for many of our school districts, especially in rural areas,” said Braun. “The state has been reducing its basic education funding to districts that received federal timber revenues, and that places extra burdens on the districts that are least able to handle them.”

Currently, 21 percent of property in Washington is designated as national forest, which is exempt from property tax. These federal funds are designated to go to the school districts in those areas to make up for lost property tax revenue. However, the state has been deducting that same amount from their basic education funding, effectively negating the goal of the program. Braun’s bill would eliminate the reduction in state basic-education funding to school districts that receive federal forest revenue, restoring the original intent of Congress.

“I’ve worked over the past several years to keep these funds available through the budget to the 215 school districts that receive federal forest revenues and this legislation provides a permanent solution,” Braun said.

Braun stands for taxpayers, votes to put 2/3rds tax increase amendment to the people

Deputy Majority Leader Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia voted Friday to let Washingtonians have the final word on requiring a two-thirds majority in the Legislature to raise taxes. Senate Joint Resolution 8211, which would let voters decide on a constitutional amendment requiring a supermajority to raise taxes, failed to receive support from the Senate’s minority Democrats, falling short of the 33 votes needed to move to the House of Representatives.

“The voters in our state have said numerous times that it should be more difficult for the Legislature to raise taxes and I’m disappointed that the measure failed,” said Braun. “Today’s vote was about letting the taxpayers exercise their right to amend their constitution concerning taxes.”

Voters approved Initiative 1185 in 2012 which would have limited the Legislature’s ability to raise taxes, requiring a two-thirds majority vote. However, the state Supreme Court ruled that initiative unconstitutional in 2013.

“I believe that Washingtonians deserved an opportunity to vote on an amendment to our state’s constitution on this issue,” said Braun. “In 2012, 75 percent of the voters in my district supported making it harder for the state to take more of their hard-earned money and I don’t think that sentiment has changed. I’m disappointed that some here in Olympia think the only solution to the problems facing our state is more taxes and are unwilling to let the citizens vote on this constitutional change.”

SJR 8211defined “raise taxes” as any action or combination of actions that increase state tax revenue deposited into any fund, budget, or account. It also required a simple-majority vote in both legislative chambers to impose or increase a fee; that change would end lawmakers’ practice of delegating the fee-setting authority to various state agencies.

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Greetings Friends and Neighbors,

You received this email report because you are a 20th Legislative District resident. Under election-related rules, Senators who are up for re-election later this year – including me – are allowed to send two e-newsletters to those who have not actively subscribed to them. If you wish to continue to receive additional updates you must subscribe. I hope you will take a moment to sign up so I may provide you with more news directly from the Capitol. Just click on the link below.

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BrraunOlympia Update

We are halfway through the 2016 legislative session. As you may know, this is a supplemental budget year during which minor adjustments are made to the two-year budget adopted at the end of the 2015 session. That budget is a good, hard-fought plan that prioritizes state spending and keeps government living within its means. This year is about making minor mid-course corrections based on information we didn’t have a year ago, such as actual wildfire fighting costs or actual school enrollments for 2015-16. This is similar to what a family might do for its home budget, where spending may be more in one area or less in another depending on the month.

We do have a couple surprises to deal with. Although K-12 education is being fully funded as required by law, challenges remain regarding reliance on local school levies which are regressive for rural districts like ours. Areas that are more urban with higher property values are able to provide more local resources, while the districts with lower property values are left with gaps in their funding. I am very concerned about this issue and want to find a fair approach that enables all students in our state to receive a quality education – one that isn’t dependent solely on a student’s ZIP code.

Another education policy issue our Senate majority is addressing relates to charter schools. Late last year, the state Supreme Court ruled that the way the state funds charter schools is unconstitutional. The solution for this doesn’t cost the state additional money since our budget already planned to fund school choice options; it’s simply a matter of providing funding in a slightly different way. The Senate approved legislation that I co-sponsored, Senate Bill 6194, which reenacts Initiative 1240 to authorize charter schools with a specified funding source. The state House of Representatives has yet to take action on this legislation.

Adding to our budget challenge is the cost of mismanagement at the state Health Care Authority which has resulted in a half-a-billion budget shortfall over four years. That level of overspending is hard to deal with in a supplemental budget year. In addition to this general mismanagement, we’ve seen multiple failures over the years in providing required reports to the Legislature. The promises we received of cost savings have fallen well short.

Part of our work this year is to go through each state agency’s budget, making minor adjustments that prioritize our investments for Washington and ensure your tax dollars are spent wisely. Aside from K-12 funding and the Health Care Authority, our state must also address its response to wildfires. There must be improvements to how our state prevents and responds to wildfires to reduce the devastating effects on communities around our state. Costs to address last year’s fire season are estimated to be $165 million. This is significant because these are resources that could have been put to better use.

Economic Sense: Who Makes our Laws?

During each legislative session I take an in-depth look at significant economic policy issues. The most recent edition of my “Economic Sense” policy paper concerns administrative rule making. My legislative proposal will rein in executive agencies that have increased the number of rules, which have the force and effect of law, by 38 percent over the past decade. The Washington Administrative Code (WAC) now contains 22,000 pages of rules that impact every aspect of our lives. The problem is that those rules are made by unelected and unaccountable agencies with minimal input from the public. My bill, SB 6396, will require all new rules to automatically sunset the year following their enactment unless legislative action is taken.

Click here to read this most recent edition of “Economic Sense” and take a look at my website to catch up on previous editions on topics ranging from state employee compensation to higher education.

How much in state government should be secret from the public?

I have reintroduced legislation to ensure that Washington citizens get the transparency they deserve when it comes to negotiations with the public’s money. Senate Bill 5329 would require that collective-bargaining negotiations with public employee unions be subject to Washington’s open meetings requirement. Those meetings are currently exempt from public input; however, I believe citizens in our state should have the right to see how those negotiations are conducted when it is taxpayers who are ultimately responsible for paying the bill. Click here to read more.=============

2/3Survey Results

This past December I conducted a district-wide survey on policies that the Legislature might be addressing this year. Thank you to all who took time to respond and provide invaluable feedback on these critical legislative issues. I have posted the results of the survey on my website. Please click here to see the results and don’t forget to subscribe to my e-newsletter updates to continue receiving information about your state government.

Contact Me:

Email:John.Braun@leg.wa.gov

Olympia Office:

407 Legislative Building

PO Box 40420

Olympia, WA 98504-0420

Phone: 360.786.7504

Website: SenatorJohnBraun.org

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Braun legislation would make collective bargaining more transparent

Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia reintroduced legislation, Senate Bill 5329 that would require public employees’ union negotiations to be open to the public. Currently these negotiations are exempt from Washington’s progressive open meetings requirement.

 

“I believe that this is an important policy for our state because the current process is not working,” said Braun. “Public sector collective bargaining should not be done in secret when the bill for those commitments ultimately goes to the taxpayers. Citizens of our state should have the right to see how those negotiations are conducted.”

 

The Open Public Meetings Act requires that all meetings of governing bodies of public agencies, be open and accessible to the public, however, public employee collective bargaining is exempt from compliance. A meeting is generally defined as any situation where a majority of members from a governing body meet and discuss the business of that body. Braun’s proposed legislation would remove the current exemption from the act and require collective bargaining meetings to be open to the public.

 

“Eliminating this exemption is a reasonable step toward increasing transparency in government that we’ve seen work well in other states,” Braun said. “This policy ensures a balance between the interests of our state employees and the taxpayers.”

 

If adopted, Washington would join 13 other states with similar open meeting requirements for collective bargaining including neighboring Oregon and Idaho.

20th District legislators to host telephone town hall

Sen. John Braun, and Rep. Ed Orcutt, invite residents of the 20th District to join them for a live telephone town hall Thursday, January 14. The live, hour-long event begins at 6:00 p.m.

The community conversation is much like an interactive radio program, during which listeners may ask questions or just listen to the conversation about issues that affect their district and state.

“This is a great opportunity to connect with constituents during the legislative session and gain valuable insights into issues that matter most to them,” said Braun, R-Centralia.

Participants will have the opportunity to simply listen in to the conversation, or speak directly with their elected officials. Legislators will also ask residents to take part in instant-result poll questions with their phones.

“I look forward to engaging with the citizens of our district,” said Orcutt, R-Kalama. “This is a great opportunity for us to hear your ideas to improve how state government works for you.”

No RSVP is required to join the event, and members of the media are also encouraged to listen in to the call.

To join the call, residents can dial toll-free (360) 302-3005 on the night of the event and follow the prompts to join the conversation.

For more information about Rep. Orcutt, visit: www.representativeedorcutt.com. For more information about Sen. Braun, visit: www.senatorjohnbraun.com.

Looking ahead to the 2016 legislative session

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Greetings Friends and Neighbors,

In order to ensure fair and proper elections, Washington State has stringent rules on the use of public resources during election years. Senators who are up for re-election in 2016, including me, must follow specific rules and laws concerning our written communications with you. As of December, I am not allowed to send out e-newsletter updates until the beginning of the 2016 legislative session – and then I may only send these updates to those who have actively subscribed.

If you wish to continue receiving my e-news updates from Olympia, please click on the link below to subscribe.

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In the coming year I will be working on a variety of issues that many of you have brought to my attention. In addition, I will continue to work on the significant budget and policy challenges facing our state. Washington must address education funding. This means taking a serious look at reforming our state’s K-12 levy system and giving school boards and educators the freedom they need to educate our children.

In addition to school funding, the Legislature must act to protect school choice and allow the 1,200 students and their families that chose charter schools the opportunity to learn in an environment that works for them. The state Supreme Court has ruled that the way we are funding the state’s charter schools is unconstitutional. I will be working on a legislative fix to ensure those schools have the resources they need to educate our students.

When the Legislature convenes in January 2016, we will be working to address the voter-approved initiative 1366.This measure requires legislators to send a constitutional amendment to the people requiring a two-thirds majority vote to raise taxes or face a reduction in the state sales tax. The people of this state have made their opinion clear multiple times, voting to make it harder for the Legislature to raise taxes. It is time for the Legislature to follow up on the will of the people.

Although the recent revenue forecast projected growth, we face another budget challenge as a result of mismanagement by the state Health Care Authority. Costs are coming in much higher than projected. Over half of the Health Care Authority’s cost increase can be attributed to managed care rates that are significantly higher than previously budgeted.

2015 stands out as a banner year for taxpayers in Washington. The Legislature adjourned after numerous special sessions with a two-year operating budget that reflects the values of our communities and state. We invested in education, promoted policies to stimulate job creation and invested in our college students with a historic and nationally unprecedented tuition cut.

We need to continue this momentum and make our state’s education system and economy the best in the nation.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and I look forward to connecting with you when the Legislature convenes in early January.
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Contact Me:

Email:John.Braun@leg.wa.gov

Olympia Office:

407 Legislative Building

PO Box 40420

Olympia, WA 98504-0420

Phone:(360) 786-7638

                                    Website: johnbraun.src.wastateleg.org

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