OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun offered this comment following Rep. J.T. Wilcox’s announcement today that he is stepping down as House Republican leader, a position he has held since March 2018: “Representative Wilcox and I have similar experiences as legislators, from when we were elected and our budget-committee backgrounds to...

In the middle of a visit to the Southwest Washington Fair this past week I stepped away for a short interview on the Lars Larson radio show. He wanted to talk about the new COVID vaccine mandates from the governors of both Washington and Oregon (his show broadcasts from Portland)....

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...

Greetings Friends and Neighbors, The Legislature finally adjourned after a 20-day special session to conclude work on the state’s supplemental budget.  As the lead budget negotiator in the Senate this year, I worked to ensure a sustainable and responsible budget that would allow us to live within our means. I...

Greetings Friends and Neighbors, You received this email report because you are a 20th Legislative District resident. Under election-related rules, Senators who are up for re-election later this year – including me – are allowed to send two e-newsletters to those who have not actively subscribed to them. If you...

Greetings Friends and Neighbors, In order to ensure fair and proper elections, Washington State has stringent rules on the use of public resources during election years. Senators who are up for re-election in 2016, including me, must follow specific rules and laws concerning our written communications with you. As of...

Washington’s Paramount Duty A look at education funding in our state Greetings, For the past 30 years, starting in the early 1980s, growth in general government spending outpaced the state’s investments in public education. Billions of dollars were diverted from the state’s paramount duty toward other state programs. As the...

May 21, 2015 Budget Update: Day 24 of the Special Session The end of the 2015 special session is just over a week away. The Legislature was convened by the governor for 30 days to finish work on the operating budget that should have been completed in the 105-day regular...

February 24, 2015 Greetings Friends and Neighbors, We are past our first cut-off, Feb. 20. Bills that have received a public hearing and have been voted out of committee will continue through the legislative process. I am focused on increasing fairness in how our state deals with small businesses and...