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Republican-led special-education proposal goes far beyond funding
January 22, 2019
OLYMPIA…Major new legislation introduced today in the state Senate would address parent-centered concerns about special-education services through a combination of policy updates and funding. The approach is reminiscent of the comprehensive 2017 proposal that ultimately moved Washington’s K-12 funding system into the 21st century. “We have an opportunity this year to support big... Read More...
Charter public schools constitutional, remain an option for Washington students
October 25, 2018
Voter-approved charter public schools will remain available to students after today’s Washington State Supreme Court ruling upheld their constitutionality. Sen. John Braun said the court’s affirmation that 2016 legislation corrected constitutional infirmities with the original initiative will ensure charter public schools remain one of many tools the state has to... Read More...
Progress on new Chamber Way overpass and upcoming road closure
October 09, 2018
Two years after the Chamber Way overpass of I-5 in Chehalis was damaged by a large truck, the new bridge is complete and the Washington State Department of Transportation is preparing to finish the connections and open it to the public. In order to complete the project Chamber Way will... Read More...
Celebrating Centralia’s George and Mary Washington
October 09, 2018
In August I enjoyed the opportunity to join with hundreds of area residents at the unveiling of a new statue of Centralia’s founders George and Mary Washington. Click here to read more about the celebration in the Centralia Chronicle. TVW — our state’s version of C-SPAN — also created a short... Read More...
As strong economy drives record revenues, Legislature must protect taxpayers
September 26, 2018
Legislators should use projected increases in tax revenues to save taxpayers money in the long term and provide financial stability for the state, according to Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia. Today’s meeting of the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council saw the state’s chief economist announce a $348 million increase... Read More...
Students are now missing school, statewide officials absent
August 30, 2018
For one week and counting top state officials have been unresponsive to a request from Sen. John Braun to help prevent school closures. On Aug. 24 the Senate Republican budget leader sent a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal... Read More...
Braun calls on state’s top officials to ensure school starts on time
August 24, 2018
With the threat of teacher strikes looming in local school districts throughout the state, Sen. John Braun called on Washington’s top elected officials to fulfill their moral and legal obligation to ensure students can return to the classroom on time. On Thursday Braun sent a letter to Washington state’s governor,... Read More...
Real results for mental-health care requires real leadership
June 25, 2018
Sen. John Braun continued calling for significant mental-health reforms and effective executive leadership following Monday morning’s announcement that Western State Hospital, the state’s largest mental-health treatment facility, has lost federal Medicare certification and the more than $50 million in federal funding that went with certification. “Washington residents need and deserve... Read More...