Education

STATEMENT: Republican leaders call foul on Democrats’ late-session bid to raise property taxes

April 12, 2023

OLYMPIA… In what amounts to the ninth inning of the 2023 legislative session, more than two-thirds of the state Senate’s majority Democrats have slid an extreme tax-increase proposal into the lineup of bills still in play. Senate Bill 5770 would raise the limit on increases in state and local property... Read More...

Senate Republican Leader John Braun shares what the Legislature is doing to address learning loss and special education

March 20, 2023

Learn more about what the Legislature is working on to deal with student learning loss and the needs of special education students. Read More...

STATEMENT: Bipartisan special education funding bill step in right direction

March 03, 2023

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, shared the following comments upon the passage of Senate Bill 5311, which provides $800 million in additional funding for special education programs in Washington schools. “Special education programs in Washington’s schools have been chronically underfunded. Although the funding in this bill still doesn’t go... Read More...

STATEMENT: Republican leader says lowering tuition is fairer to students, families than subsidizing unpaid loans

August 31, 2022

CENTRALIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun says the renewed debate about the rising cost of college tuition is the one good thing about the Biden administration’s move to write off hundreds of billions of dollars in outstanding college loans. Braun, prime sponsor of 2015’s historic College Affordability Program, offered the... Read More...

Braun bill to extend services for developmentally disabled young people receives governor’s signature

March 24, 2022

OLYMPIA… More young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities will have access to “School to Work” services under legislation signed today by the governor. In areas where students with intellectual and developmental disabilities have access to such services, they are three times more likely to be employed when they leave... Read More...

Senators propose linking property-tax relief and substantial increase in support for K-12 schools

January 20, 2022

Bipartisan legislation would move toward education equity in every ZIP Code OLYMPIA… Sen. John Braun (R-Centralia) and Sen. Mark Mullet (D-Issaquah) say state government’s positive financial outlook has given legislators an opportunity to make significant new investments in Washington’s K-12 schools, bring local school-levy rates down and avoid a repeat... Read More...

Braun reacts to governor’s veto of his COVID-related provision in racial equity analysis bill

May 14, 2021

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, offered the following remarks after Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed his amendment to Senate Bill 5405. The bill, sponsored by Democrat Sen. Bob Hasegawa, mandates a racial equity analysis by the nonpartisan Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC). Braun’s amendment, which was accepted by... Read More...

New three-foot distancing order for classrooms is right move for Washington’s kids, say Republican leaders

March 25, 2021

OLYMPIA…Republican legislative leaders released the following remarks in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s order that the recently revised three-foot social-distancing guideline from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) would be made available immediately to every school across the state. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, and House Republican Leader J.T.... Read More...

Republican leaders say endorsement of 3-foot spacing would help classrooms reopen

March 18, 2021

OLYMPIA… The state Legislature’s top Republican leaders today said a gubernatorial endorsement of 3-foot spacing for classrooms would help Washington schools comply with Gov. Jay Inslee’s March 15 emergency proclamation calling for at least a partial return to regular classroom instruction. Senate Republican Leader John Braun and House Republican Leader... Read More...

Senate Republican leaders: Inslee’s school-choice approach to reopening K-12 instruction solid step toward improving youth mental health

March 12, 2021

OLYMPIA… Leaders in the Senate Republican Caucus released the following remarks in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement today that all K-12 public schools in Washington will be required by executive order to provide safe in-person and remote learning options for students by mid-April. Senate Republican Leader John Braun,... Read More...

Senator John Braun

Senate Republican Leader — 20th District

Education

Legislative Tools