John Braun

Please join me for a telephone town hall meeting on Monday, February 19. The community conversation will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last one hour. Representative Ed Orcutt and I will share a brief update on the 2018 legislative session and spend most of the time answering your questions. The event is much like...

Following yet another positive revenue forecast, Sen. John Braun said property tax relief in 2018 was not only achievable but an obvious choice. Education funding legislation approved last year increased the 2018 state property tax before local levies are reduced in 2019 as part of transitioning to a new funding...

Members of the Washington State Senate remained on the floor into the early morning hours today to debate costly legislation that circumvents constitutional protections for Washington’s individual provider home care workers. Sen. John Braun, strongly opposes the proposed policy and process by which the Senate Democratic Majority attempted to advance...

Legislation aimed at improving management of Washington state’s forest trust lands was the subject of a public hearing in Monday’s Senate Ways and Means Committee. The bill, sponsored by Sen. John Braun, establishes an average annual goal of raising $230 million from activities on the state’s forest and trust lands....

Homeowners throughout the entire state would see tax relief under newly proposed legislation exempting $100,000 of the value of a primary residence from state property tax. Sen. John Braun sponsored a constitutional amendment authorizing a homestead exemption, which would go to voters in 2018, and legislation setting the $100,000 level,...

More than 170,000 students attending Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges would pay 10 percent less in tuition under new legislation sponsored by Sen. John Braun. “More jobs than ever require some training or education after high school,” said Braun. “The state’s community and technical colleges train students in a...

A bipartisan group of lawmakers are hoping to revive a reduction in the state’s business and occupation tax for manufacturers and reverse the trend of significant job losses in the sector. The proposal would implement a 40 percent reduction in the tax rate for manufacturers, which passed with overwhelming support...

The Washington State Legislature approved a new capital budget Thursday evening, bringing a variety of investments in infrastructure and community projects to Southwest Washington according to Sen. John Braun. The $4.2 billion budget, which runs through June 2019, makes historic investments in building schools, expanding mental health treatment facilities and...

Legislation sponsored by Sen. John Braun  and Sen. David Frockt asks voters to approve $500 million in state bonds to greatly expand community mental health treatment facilities statewide. This comes as reports and analysis show Washington’s inadequate options for people facing a variety of mental health crises. “Treating people with...