Property tax relief for all Washingtonians
January 13, 2018
The share of property taxes paid by homeowners compared to commercial properties has increased significantly in recent decades. I proposed legislation to provide equitable tax relief by creating a homestead property tax exemption. The policy would exempt the first $100,000 of a homeowner’s assessed value from state property taxes. If passed... Read More...
2018 session underway
January 12, 2018
State lawmakers returned to Olympia on Monday for what is scheduled to be a short 60-day session. Since we adjourned in July, the dynamic has shifted as Democrats won a special election in November, giving them a narrow majority in the Senate for the first time since 2012. We accomplished... Read More...
Braun proposes separate districts for House elections
January 09, 2018
Legislation increases ability of lawmakers to contact voters and diversifies geographic representation in Legislature With this year’s Legislature set to review a variety of voting reforms, Sen. John Braun is calling for the state to divide legislative districts into two distinct House districts under a bill released today. Two House... Read More...
Sen. John Braun statement on Gov. Inslee’s 2018 supplemental budget plan
December 14, 2017
Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia and the ranking Republican on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, gave this statement after Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled his 2018 supplemental budget proposal Thursday morning.   “I’m encouraged by a few components of the governor’s budget plan. I’m glad he is finally adhering to the... Read More...
Students invited to apply for 2018 Senate Page Program
December 01, 2017
The Washington State Senate is currently accepting applications for the 2018 Senate Page Program, where students ages 14 to 16 spend one week at the Capitol working in the Senate. Sen. John Braun encourages students to apply for the program, which provides a front-row seat to the legislative process. “With... Read More...
Court recognizes Legislature’s historic education investments
November 15, 2017
A ruling today by the Washington State Supreme Court largely endorses the bipartisan school-funding reforms recently adopted by the Legislature in line with the 2012 McCleary ruling, according to Sen. John Braun. “Providing students with the support they need and deserve required us to solve a generational problem with a... Read More...
Last call for internship applications
October 17, 2017
It’s final call to college juniors and seniors interested in the Legislature’s 2018 internship program. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, October 18th at 8 p.m.  Each year, 70 students are selected to participate and spend the legislative session on the Capitol campus working in legislator offices. Students are paid... Read More...
Improving access to higher education
October 17, 2017
With all of the attention on K-12 education this year, some other important issues didn’t always receive the public discussion and recognition they deserve. One of the many important items we continued tackling this year was our state’s tuition policy. As I’ve mentioned in previous emails, the decade before 2013... Read More...
Preventing tolls between Washington and Oregon
October 03, 2017
Earlier this year the Oregon Legislature approved a new transportation budget that calls for the state to toll Interstates 5 and 205 at the Oregon-Washington border. Under the legislation, Oregon would need to request federal approval to implement the tolls by 2018. I joined a group of Southwest Washington lawmakers... Read More...
Using unexpected revenue to reduce taxes
October 02, 2017
With state tax collections and projected revenues continuing to rise (see chart), I have proposed using up to $1 billion of unexpected tax dollars coming into the state to smooth next year’s transition to Washington’s new education-funding system. While more than 70 percent of state taxpayers will see a net... Read More...