March 18, 2021

Republican leaders say endorsement of 3-foot spacing would help classrooms reopen

OLYMPIA… The state Legislature’s top Republican leaders today said a gubernatorial endorsement of 3-foot spacing for classrooms would help Washington schools comply with Gov. Jay Inslee’s March 15 emergency proclamation calling for at least a partial return to regular classroom instruction. Senate Republican Leader John Braun and House Republican Leader...
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March 12, 2021

Senate Republican leader urges teachers’ union to ‘get to yes’ for kids

OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun offered this response to a statement from the Washington Education Association, issued after Gov. Jay Inslee declared schools must offer a minimum level of in-person instruction starting in mid-April. “The lack of access to in-classroom education is the equity issue of our time. The response...
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March 12, 2021

Senate Republican leaders: Inslee’s school-choice approach to reopening K-12 instruction solid step toward improving youth mental health  

  OLYMPIA… Leaders in the Senate Republican Caucus released the following remarks in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement today that all K-12 public schools in Washington will be required by executive order to provide safe in-person and remote learning options for students by mid-April. Senate Republican Leader John Braun,...
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March 11, 2021

Senate Republicans encouraged Washington moving ahead in reopening

Governor’s plan for Phase 3 echoes Republican’s “Open Safe, Open Now”   OLYMPIA…Top leadership of the Washington State Senate Republican Caucus offered these remarks after the governor announced today that Washington is moving forward in his phased approach to reopening the state in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Phase...
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February 25, 2021

Braun disappointed by governor’s failure to define next phase of economic restart

OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, offered this statement today after Gov. Jay Inslee indicated Phase 3 of the “Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery” plan will not be defined for several more weeks. “It looks like our entire state has hit a dead end on the governor’s roadmap....
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February 24, 2021

Republican senators make new bid to get Washington children back into classrooms

OLYMPIA… A bill to help get children back into classrooms has been introduced by several Republican senators, just as a new report shows Washington is behind nearly every other state in providing in-person instruction. Senate Bill 5464 was introduced Tuesday, the same day Senate Republican Leader John Braun wrote to...
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February 17, 2021

Senate Republicans oppose income-tax bill; Braun calls out ‘emergency clause’

OLYMPIA… Last evening a majority on the Senate Ways and Means Committee voted to recommend the passage of Senate Bill 5096, which would put a 7-percent tax on income from the sale or exchange of capital assets. The proposal, which is another attempt to impose a state income tax on...
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February 04, 2021

Braun to Inslee: Time to take the security fences down

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, sent Gov. Jay Inslee the following letter regarding the continued use of security fencing around many of the buildings on the Capitol Campus in Olympia.   February 3, 2021 Governor Jay Inslee Office of the Governor PO Box 40002 Olympia, WA 98504-0002 Dear Governor...
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January 28, 2021

Let people gather in safe, regulated public places – open Washington

Senator John Braun and Senator Jeff Wilson encouraged, hopeful for governor’s announcement OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, and Sen. Jeff Wilson, ranking Republican on the Senate State Government and Elections Committee, released the following remarks after reading in the media the Senate majority leader’s comments that the governor would be...
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