Legislative Update – Jan. 14, 2015
January 14, 2015
January 14, 2015 Greetings Friends and Neighbors, The 2015 legislative session began Monday. Considerable work will go into building a sustainable budget that prioritizes education. I believe that we can do this without significantly altering our state’s tax structure as Governor Inslee is proposing. Raising taxes should be a last... Read More...
Legislative Update – Jan. 12, 2015
January 14, 2015
January 12, 2015 Greetings Friends and Neighbors, The 2015 Legislative Session begins this coming Monday. It will be challenging, as we build a budget that reflects the values of the people of our state and district and prioritizes jobs, education and responsible spending. I will focus my efforts on policies... Read More...
Braun holds first Latino legislative forum in 20th District
December 17, 2014
More than 50 members of the 20th Legislative District’s Latino community joined Sen. John Braun on Sunday afternoon in Chehalis for a discussion about priorities for the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 12. “I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout,” said Braun, R-Centralia, who had invited members of the... Read More...
Braun elected deputy leader of Senate majority
December 08, 2014
The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus has elected Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, as Senate Majority Deputy Leader for the two-year legislative term that begins in 2015.  Braun was already a member of the MCC leadership team and is chair of the Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee. “We will have a... Read More...
Impact of Supreme Court Case in Washington
August 12, 2014
On June 30, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Harris v. Quinn which deals with the issue of workers being required to unionize. I sent a letter to the Attorney General requesting an informal opinion answering several questions about that case’s effects in our state. Does the U.S. Supreme... Read More...
Inslee seeks to expand Ecology’s reach, authority
August 05, 2014
I recently wrote a guest column in the Longview Daily News regarding the governor’s proposed changes to our state’s water quality standards and the challenges that presents. Please read below for excerpts and a link to the full story.     Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement regarding Washington’s water quality... Read More...
My Visit to Centralia College ECEAP Program
June 25, 2014
Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, spent Tuesday night visiting with local preschool students in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program at Centralia College, which heavily relies on state funding each year. Braun sat with the youths and helped them color pictures and play games. He said ECEAP is a high... Read More...
State neglects tourism at its own peril
June 25, 2014
I recently co-authored an opinion piece in the Puget Sound Business Journal regarding our state’s tourism industry. I worked on legislation this session to address this need. Washington State currently does not have a state funded tourism office, but tourism is a big driver of our economy and is the... Read More...
Legislative Update – April 30, 2014
May 01, 2014
Greetings, We adjourned this legislative session in March on time and on budget. During the following weeks, the Governor signed various bills passed by the Legislature, and I had the opportunity to see some of the bills I sponsored or their companion bills signed into law. Our work on the... Read More...