John Braun

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican budget leaders have filed their no-new-taxes, no-cuts-to-services operating-budget proposal as standalone legislation. Crafted by Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, and Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, the Senate Republican version of a 2025-27 state operating budget is a truly viable alternative to the $78 billion Democrat budget that relies on billions...

OLYMPIA…Parents’ rights, local control of our schools, and common sense took another hit today when the Democrat majority in the Senate passed a bill that would drive a wedge between parents and children, while also using state funding to punish school districts for not complying with liberal-agenda-driven state mandates. Senate...

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...

OLYMPIA…More than 43,000 people have signed in to oppose Senate Bill 5978, a proposal that would drastically raise property taxes — more than four times the opposition received for any previous bill to receive a public hearing in the Senate. SB 5978 is scheduled for a hearing today at 4...

  OLYMPIA…In a 28-21 vote, the Washington State Senate Democrats today passed their $78.5 billion operating budget proposal, the funding for which relies on the largest tax increase in state history and a raiding of the “rainy-day fund.” Senate Democrats also rejected a striking amendment proposed by Sen. Chris Gildon,...

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 – A Democrat-sponsored bill that could dramatically increase Washington’s property taxes will receive a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee at 4 p.m. Monday, March 31. The public is encouraged to sign in CON, testify against the bill, and/or submit written testimony opposing it. Senate Bill...

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...