OLYMPIA…As if proposing the largest tax increase in Washington state history wasn’t enough, Senate Democrats in Olympia doubled the number of taxes proposed by introducing five tax bills just in time for Tax Day. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, offered this reaction: “On Tax Day, no less, Democrats have...

Dear Friends and Neighbors, The primary reason for Washington state government’s multibillion-dollar budget shortfall is years of overspending by majority Democrats. This is a bipartisan belief. Our new Democrat governor said as much during his recent press conference, during which he also vowed not to sign any budget that does...

Largest tax increase in Washington state history Dear Friends and Neighbors, As Washington faces the largest tax increase in state history, I wanted to explain the worst ones to you here. Senate Bill 5798 would remove the 1% cap on the annual rate at which state and local governments can...

OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following statement in response to the $78.5 billion operating budget proposal announced today by Senate Democrats: “The Senate Democrats’ budget does exactly what we expected — it raises taxes and overspends. Their plan adds $12.1 billion in new policy spending despite...

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Parents’ rights are still under attack in Olympia. Both the House and Senate versions of a bill to undo much of the Parents’ Rights Act – created less than a year ago through the bipartisan passage of Initiative 2081 – continue to advance through the legislative...

OLYMPIA…Republican legislators Sen. John Braun, Rep. Peter Abbarno, and Rep. Ed Orcutt, who represent the 20th Legislative District, will host a virtual town hall on Tuesday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom to connect with constituents and provide updates on the 2025 legislative session. During the live online event,...

OLYMPIA… A bill introduced by Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, to help school districts address chronic absenteeism has been approved by the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee and now awaits consideration by the full Senate. Senate Bill 5007 is aimed at supporting students at risk of falling...

  Dear Friends and Neighbors, People in Washington are currently struggling with a high tax burden, especially with the increases in the cost of living brought on by other government policies. But that’s not stopping Democrats from demanding new and higher taxes. This week, Democrats in the Senate and House...

Watch my weekly legislative update: Friends and Neighbors, Nearly 500,000 Washington voters signed on to Initiative 2081, knowns as the Parents’ Bill of Rights. Last session, legislators on both sides of the aisle, including me, spoke in favor of the initiative and why it was a positive step. It passed with...