Education

March 04, 2024

A triple win for the citizens of Washington

Friends and Neighbors, I am pleased to report that the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives voted today to pass three of the citizen initiatives to the Legislature. They will become law 90 days after March 7 — the day we adjourn. And because they are initiatives, the governor...
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March 01, 2024

Legislature approves Braun bills to increase funding for small schools

OLYMPIA…Bills sponsored by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, that would increase small-school access to special-education funding and student-transportation funding were passed by the House of Representatives today. Senate Bill 5852 was passed with a unanimous vote and now heads to the governor’s office for a signature. Senate Bill 6031 passed with...
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February 28, 2024

Braun on initiative hearings: Three down, three to go

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following comments after the conclusion of the hearings for three of the 2024 initiatives submitted by the people of Washington to the Legislature. The initiatives receiving hearings yesterday and today are I-2111, to ban an income tax; I-2081, to protect parents’ rights...
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February 16, 2024

Newsletter: Fighting for public safety. And, how much will a ban on natural gas cost you?

Fighting for public safety while others fight for the rights of offenders   Watch my legislative video update   Dear Friends and Neighbors, We have reached the point during the legislative session when the Senate is back to meeting as committees, having hearings on bills that passed the House of...
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February 13, 2024

Braun bill to reduce chronic absenteeism in schools passes Senate

OLYMPIA…A bill aiming to reduce chronic student absenteeism Washington’s K-12 public schools passed unanimously in the Washington State Senate Tuesday. Senate bill 5850 is sponsored by Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia. According to the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), students who miss even two days...
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February 12, 2024

Braun bill to give school districts transportation options passes Senate

 OLYMPIA…A bill that will allow school districts the flexibility to use student transportation funding to pay for the use of vehicles other than school buses passed the Senate Monday. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, sponsored Senate Bill 6031 after seeing a full-size school bus transporting only two children. After...
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January 16, 2024

Bill on Holocaust, genocide education to receive Senate hearing tomorrow

OLYMPIA…A bill from Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, that would require Washington public schools to teach about the Jewish Holocaust and other campaigns of genocide will receive a public hearing tomorrow (Jan. 17) before the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee. The committee meeting will begin at 10:30...
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January 08, 2024

NEWSLETTER: Session begins TODAY — you can testify in support of my bills — learn how

Friends and Neighbors, Today marks the beginning of the 2024 Legislative Session. We operate on a biennial schedule, so this is the “short” year. This means we meet for 60 days, during which time we are tasked with making minor adjustments to the biennial state budget adopted in 2023 rather...
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December 20, 2023

Braun bill aimed at getting chronically absent students to re-engage with classes, resume path to graduation

OLYMPIA… Chronic absenteeism is among the major obstacles preventing Washington children from recovering from pandemic-related learning loss. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, has introduced legislation to help school administrators, teachers and parents get students to show up to school and take part in class. Senate Bill 5850 would provide...
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