Proposed constitutional amendment would bring stability to long-term care fund OLYMPIA…More than a year before Washington workers are required to begin paying into a long-term care fund, Washington voters will have an opportunity to direct those payroll-tax dollars into investments that could strengthen the fund while protecting taxpayers. Late Thursday...

Tax would balloon to $1 billion from $773 million under Senate majority proposal  The state Senate’s majority Democrats should simply repeal the badly flawed business-tax increase that took effect Jan. 1 rather than pursue a new plan that would take far more money from professional-service providers, says Sen. John Braun....

OLYMPIA…The Senate today gave unanimous approval to bills from Sen. John Braun aimed at addressing concerns about the care of developmentally disabled Washingtonians and the management of health care for low-income residents. “It’s wrong that developmentally disabled people who don’t have medical needs are effectively being abandoned at hospitals –...

OLYMPIA…Senate Majority Coalition Caucus members today introduced landmark reforms that would return state government to the role of primary provider for Washington’s K-12 schools while finally connecting school funding with the actual cost of educating students. The MCC’s Education Equality Act is the first complete, ready-for-voting solution proposed by lawmakers...

Greetings Friends and Neighbors, In this newsletter you will find the eighth edition of my policy letter, Economic Sense. This edition looks into the Governor’s historically expensive proposed collective bargaining agreements and examines whether they are the best use of taxpayer funds. It addresses lost opportunities, and provides context around...

Budget leaders from the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives today announced they have reached agreement on an update of the state’s current two-year operating budget. Work on a supplement to the 2015-17 budget has been under way since the 2016 regular legislative session gave way to a special...

Senate budget leaders Sens. Andy Hill and John Braun released an updated 2016 supplemental budget proposal today, which will receive a public hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee at 2 p.m. The new plan comes at the beginning of a special session as lawmakers continue work to find...

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...

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