Improving access to higher education
October 17, 2017
With all of the attention on K-12 education this year, some other important issues didn’t always receive the public discussion and recognition they deserve. One of the many important items we continued tackling this year was our state’s tuition policy. As I’ve mentioned in previous emails, the decade before 2013... Read More...
Preventing tolls between Washington and Oregon
October 03, 2017
Earlier this year the Oregon Legislature approved a new transportation budget that calls for the state to toll Interstates 5 and 205 at the Oregon-Washington border. Under the legislation, Oregon would need to request federal approval to implement the tolls by 2018. I joined a group of Southwest Washington lawmakers... Read More...
Using unexpected revenue to reduce taxes
October 02, 2017
With state tax collections and projected revenues continuing to rise (see chart), I have proposed using up to $1 billion of unexpected tax dollars coming into the state to smooth next year’s transition to Washington’s new education-funding system. While more than 70 percent of state taxpayers will see a net... Read More...
Critical water rights issue still not resolved
October 01, 2017
The Legislature’s failure to address a 2016 Washington State Supreme Court ruling known as the “Hirst” decision harms not only families wanting to build a home, but also our overall state economy. As a refresher, the ruling changed how building permits are issued when the home relies on a small... Read More...
Use unexpected tax revenues to reduce short-term property-tax impacts
September 20, 2017
With state tax collections and projected revenues continuing to rise, Sen. John Braun says he’s willing to use up to $1 billion of unexpected revenue to smooth next year’s transition to the new education-funding system lawmakers adopted in June. While more than 70 percent of state taxpayers will see a... Read More...
Thousands More Teachers in Classrooms
August 30, 2017
An unprecedented increase in teachers has occurred over the last four years, exceeding growth during all preceding years of the 21st century. Over 6,000 more classroom teachers than four years ago Take a look at that chart for a minute because what it conveys is remarkable: Since the Majority Coalition... Read More...
Improving career opportunities for Washington students
August 03, 2017
Sen. John Braun was presented with the Legislator of the Year for Career and Technical Education award today by the Washington Business Alliance for his work to support career opportunities and skills training in the new state budget. Braun, who serves as chief budget writer in the Senate, fought for... Read More...
Governor rejects statewide manufacturing jobs
July 07, 2017
Sen. John Braun shared great disappointment that Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed legislation that supports middle-class families by improving job opportunities in the manufacturing sector throughout the state. The Legislature overwhelmingly approved a new state budget that included a uniform statewide business and occupation tax rate for manufacturing businesses, the only... Read More...
Regular session recap, next steps
April 28, 2017
Lawmakers are currently in a special session to complete work on education funding and a new state budget. While it’s disappointing we were not able to get done on time, it’s important to understand what happened during the regular session to get us to this point. In January, I sponsored... Read More...