John Braun

The Senate Ways and Means Committee today set the stage for legislators to stand up and be counted on legislation proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee to increase taxes on Washington residents and employers by more than $8 billion per two-year budget cycle. Sen. John Braun, chair of the Senate budget...

Washington voters would decide in this year’s general election whether or not to enshrine the right to hunt and fish in the state constitution under a proposal sponsored by Sen. John Braun. If approved, the state would become the 22nd to constitutionally protect both activities. “Hunting is a major part...

Jaden Dean, an eighth-grade student from Rochester Middle School, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Jaden was one of 15 students who served as Senate pages for the second week of the 2017 legislative session. He was sponsored by...

OLYMPIA…Senate Majority Coalition Caucus members today introduced landmark reforms that would return state government to the role of primary provider for Washington’s K-12 schools while finally connecting school funding with the actual cost of educating students. The MCC’s Education Equality Act is the first complete, ready-for-voting solution proposed by lawmakers...

Daniel Hoel, a 10th- grade homeschooled student from Centralia, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Daniel was one of 15 students who served as Senate pages for the first week of the 2017 legislative session. He was sponsored by...

Following the release of the governor’s proposed two-year operating budget today, Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, questioned the impacts and need for what would be the largest tax and spending increase in state history. “While I’m pleased to see the governor shares our goal of a world-class education system, it’s disappointing...

Greetings Friends and Neighbors, In this newsletter you will find the eighth edition of my policy letter, Economic Sense. This edition looks into the Governor’s historically expensive proposed collective bargaining agreements and examines whether they are the best use of taxpayer funds. It addresses lost opportunities, and provides context around...

In advance of the Governor’s budget submittal due in December, Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, sent the attached letter to the director of the Office of Financial Management. The letter seeks to ensure that recent collective bargaining agreements (CBAs),that were conducted in secret, are financially feasible as required by law. The...

Closed-door negotiations began last week on state-worker contracts for the 2017-19 biennium, and Sen. John Braun hopes it is the last time the talks will be kept out of public view. “Washington does a better job than most states when it comes to open government,” said Braun, R-Centralia. “However, the...