John Braun

The Ninth Circuit Court has dismissed an emergency motion to stay regarding a recent federal court ruling on legislative district boundaries in Central Washington. The court found that the petitioners requesting the delay lacked standing. The motion stemmed from a March 15 decision by the U.S. District Court for the...

Arrests at Green Hill School may be sign things are improving Friends and Neighbors, I toured Green Hill School this week to see for myself the conditions and protocols at the detention facility. Green Hill once housed only juveniles, but now houses adults up to age 25 if they were...

OLYMPIA – Two Republican bills addressing Washington’s fentanyl crisis are headed to the governor’s office for final consideration, but senators say they are surprised by a cutback in this year’s budget for local law enforcement drug task forces. Senate Republicans offered proposals this year to combat the spread of deadly...

Friends and Neighbors, The 2024 legislative session wraps up today. The 2025 session doesn’t begin until next January. In the meantime, we move into the period called “interim,” when legislators return to their districts and their regular lives… while continuing to respond to questions and concerns from their constituents. This...

Three of the six initiatives to the Legislature passed and will become law. They will ban a personal income tax in Washington, restore “reasonable suspicion” as the standard for police vehicular pursuit, and protect parents’ right to know in their children’s K-12 public education. Majority Democrats refused to grant hearings...

OLYMPIA…Half of the initiatives sent to the Legislature by the people of Washington passed in both chambers of the Legislature today with bipartisan support. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following comments after the final vote was cast. “The passage of three of the six initiatives today is...

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following statement upon learning that his Democrat counterpart will not run for reelection. Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, will finish out his current term and step down. “I congratulate Senator Billig on 14 years of distinguished service in the Washington State...

Friends and Neighbors, I am pleased to report that the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives voted today to pass three of the citizen initiatives to the Legislature. They will become law 90 days after March 7 — the day we adjourn. And because they are initiatives, the governor...

OLYMPIA…Bills sponsored by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, that would increase small-school access to special-education funding and student-transportation funding were passed by the House of Representatives today. Senate Bill 5852 was passed with a unanimous vote and now heads to the governor’s office for a signature. Senate Bill 6031 passed with...