The Senate Ways and Means Committee today set the stage for legislators to stand up and be counted on legislation proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee to increase taxes on Washington residents and employers by more than $8 billion per two-year budget cycle. Sen. John Braun, chair of the Senate budget...

Washington voters would decide in this year’s general election whether or not to enshrine the right to hunt and fish in the state constitution under a proposal sponsored by Sen. John Braun. If approved, the state would become the 22nd to constitutionally protect both activities. “Hunting is a major part...

Jaden Dean, an eighth-grade student from Rochester Middle School, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Jaden was one of 15 students who served as Senate pages for the second week of the 2017 legislative session. He was sponsored by...

Daniel Hoel, a 10th- grade homeschooled student from Centralia, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Daniel was one of 15 students who served as Senate pages for the first week of the 2017 legislative session. He was sponsored by...

Following the release of the governor’s proposed two-year operating budget today, Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, questioned the impacts and need for what would be the largest tax and spending increase in state history. “While I’m pleased to see the governor shares our goal of a world-class education system, it’s disappointing...

In advance of the Governor’s budget submittal due in December, Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, sent the attached letter to the director of the Office of Financial Management. The letter seeks to ensure that recent collective bargaining agreements (CBAs),that were conducted in secret, are financially feasible as required by law. The...

Tuesday evening the Legislature approved a supplemental budget, concluding the legislative session. Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, voted in favor of the bipartisan proposal that makes minor adjustments to the state’s two-year operating budget approved last year. “This is a good supplemental,” lead budget negotiator Braun said. “It meets the requirements...

Today the state Senate approved legislation introduced by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia to limit the power of state agencies by changing the way they make rules. Senate Bill 6396 would require proposed rules to be submitted to the state attorney general’s office for an opinion on their constitutionality. In addition,...

The state Senate today approved Sen. John Braun’s legislation that would make permanent a state policy that returns money from federal timber sales to local schools. Senate Bill 6292 would eliminate the reduction of state school funding to districts based on what they receive in federal forest revenues. The measure...