March 03, 2023

STATEMENT: Bipartisan special education funding bill step in right direction

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, shared the following comments upon the passage of Senate Bill 5311, which provides $800 million in additional funding for special education programs in Washington schools. “Special education programs in Washington’s schools have been chronically underfunded. Although the funding in this bill still doesn’t go...
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March 02, 2023

STATEMENT: Bill threatening rights of parents passes Senate

Senate Bill 5599 removes parents from health and mental health care decision-making process OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, made the following remarks after the state Senate’s majority Democrats passed legislation that would give youth-related facilities a troubling new excuse for withholding the whereabouts of runaway children from their parents....
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February 16, 2023

STATEMENT: Police-pursuit bills favored by Democratic legislators still fail to respond to auto-theft epidemic

OLYMPIA… Senate Republican leaders are encouraged by a House committee’s approval of legislation to loosen restrictions on police pursuits, but concerned that the bill still would not restore the ability of officers to pursue suspected car thieves. This morning the House Community Safety, Justice, and Reentry Committee passed House Bill...
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February 01, 2023

Leadership Video Update – Day 23

Sen. John Braun updates us on the progress of the 2023 Legislative Session. Unfortunately, the highlight is the lack of progress on police pursuit. Learn more:
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January 24, 2023

STATEMENT: Scarce storage for Seattle-King County’s dead shameful, preventable

Record increase in fentanyl overdoses due to lax Democrat approach to hard drugs OLYMPIA…Properly storing the dead is proving to be more than the Seattle-King County Morgue can handle. Public Health Director Dr. Faisal Khan attributes the shortage of morgue space to record increases in fentanyl overdoses across the county...
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January 16, 2023

STATEMENT: Senators for southern Thurston County stand with residents outraged by planned sex-predator home near Tenino

OLYMPIA… The state senators who represent southern Thurston County reacted today to an effort to convert a residence near Tenino into “less restrictive” housing for convicted sex predators – thought to be Level 3 sex offenders now in custody in a Department of Social and Health Services facility on McNeil...
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October 06, 2022

STATEMENT: Republican leader says California tax refunds make Washington Democrats look heartless

CENTRALIA… Tomorrow, middle-class households across California will begin receiving tax-refund payments to help with what one state official calls “inflated costs for everyday necessities.” Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, responded by pointing out how in Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic legislators have refused all year long to offer...
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August 31, 2022

STATEMENT: Republican leader says lowering tuition is fairer to students, families than subsidizing unpaid loans

CENTRALIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun says the renewed debate about the rising cost of college tuition is the one good thing about the Biden administration’s move to write off hundreds of billions of dollars in outstanding college loans. Braun, prime sponsor of 2015’s historic College Affordability Program, offered the...
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July 21, 2022

New statewide crime numbers confirm importance of reestablishing public safety, says Republican leader

CENTRALIA… The state Senate’s Republican leader says new numbers showing crime has continued to increase across Washington should give legislators even more reason to focus on public-safety measures next year – beyond what the governor is belatedly supporting. The 2021 Crime in Washington report has murder, rape, robbery and aggravated...
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