OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, introduced legislation today aimed at improving the state’s response to child-neglect cases and reducing costly lawsuits stemming from inadequate intervention. Cases of child neglect are increasing, as are monetary settlements against the state for its handling of these cases. Senate Bill 5736 seeks...

CENTRALIA…Three infants in the Everett area overdosed on fentanyl over four days this week, including a 13-month-old who died. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, shared the following reaction to these preventable tragedies. “It’s completely indefensible when an infant or child gets sick or dies because someone in the household...

The Ninth Circuit Court has dismissed an emergency motion to stay regarding a recent federal court ruling on legislative district boundaries in Central Washington. The court found that the petitioners requesting the delay lacked standing. The motion stemmed from a March 15 decision by the U.S. District Court for the...

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following statement upon learning that his Democrat counterpart will not run for reelection. Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, will finish out his current term and step down. “I congratulate Senator Billig on 14 years of distinguished service in the Washington State...

The following is my response to inquiries regarding the “yes” vote I made in error on Senate Bill 5462.   Thank you for checking in on this bill. I was pulled off the floor to discuss another matter and thought they were voting on a different bill when they called...

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...

Bipartisan bill would make K-12 curriculum Nazi genocide of Jews mandatory   OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, and Sen. Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline, pre-filed a bill today (Senate Bill 5851) for the 2024 legislative session that would make it mandatory for Washington’s K-12 public schools to teach the Jewish Holocaust...

Friends and Neighbors, This will be my final e-newsletter for 2023. You will receive my next one during the first week of January, so I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The 2024 Legislative Session begins Monday, Jan. 8. It will end Thursday,...

Several of my e-newsletters have highlighted news about the governor’s cap-and-trade program that would be more appropriately titled “cap-and-tax.” This is the policy that has resulted in a 50-cent increase to a gallon of gas — an increase that could climb much higher. As I shared before, the governor was...