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Jan. 14, 2013                                                       Sen. John Braun (360) 786-7638

Braun sworn in as new 20th Legislative District senator

Assignments include serving as chairman of economic development committee

OLYMPIA… Sen. John Braun today took the oath of office to become the new senator representing the 20th Legislative District.

Braun, R-Centralia, looks forward to his role as chairman of the Senate Economic Development, Trade and Innovation Committee and to upholding the principles of the new Majority Coalition Caucus, a bipartisan coalition that now leads the Senate.

“I am excited to use my experience as a business leader to help get people across our state back to work,” Braun said. “I am also proud to be a part of a coalition that is united behind a set of principles that should help address major issues such as jobs, education and the need for a sustainable state budget. Our majority is committed to creating an economic environment in which jobs are plentiful and small businesses have the opportunity to thrive.”

Braun also will serve on the Senate’s budget committee – known as Ways and Means, because it addresses the revenue and spending sides of a budget – and the Senate Governmental Operations Committee, which addresses issues ranging from election policy and state government administration to policies that affect city and county government.

Washington’s business climate and the difficulty most employers face just keeping their doors open are issues with which Braun is very familiar.

“When you’re in charge of a local family-owned company that employs more than 150 people and has been in operation for more than 26 years, as I am, you can’t help but care deeply about your employees – they are your business,” Braun said. “I intend to lead the economic-development committee with those employees and the 3.5 million workers statewide in mind.”

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For more information contact Shawn Sullivan
 at (360) 786-7869 or shawn.sullivan@leg.wa.gov.