Tag Archives: 20th Legislative District

Don’t replace botched tax hike, says budget leader, just abandon it

Tax would balloon to $1 billion from $773 million under Senate majority proposal

The state Senate’s majority Democrats should simply repeal the badly flawed business-tax increase that took effect Jan. 1 rather than pursue a new plan that would take far more money from professional-service providers, says Sen. John Braun.

“The majority wants to replace a dysfunctional and unnecessary tax increase with one that’s still unjustified but is easier to collect, fully aware that the hit on employers would now soar to a billion dollars over four years,” said Braun, R-Centralia and Republican leader on the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The panel will have a public hearing on the proposed replacement at 3:30 p.m. today in Senate Hearing Room 4 at the state Capitol.

“Calling for a do-over that knowingly puts hundreds of millions more into government’s hands is a whole new take on the concept of ‘government greed’. It would be better to listen to the voters who gave this tax a thumbs-down, roll the rates back to the pre-2019 level and then just walk away. With the state’s revenue picture running 850 million dollars ahead of projections, Olympia can afford to let these employers keep more of their money,” Braun said. Continue reading →

Braun heads bipartisan call for veto of new $133 million tax

Governor will block hastily approved tax ‘if he’s consistent’, says budget leader

OLYMPIA… A bipartisan group of high-ranking state legislators today asked Gov. Jay Inslee to veto a new $133 million tax that came out of nowhere to zoom through the Legislature just before its annual session ended April 28.

“This was bad policy to start with, and the fact that it was hustled through in little more than 48 hours makes it even less defensible. That’s not how our state constitution intends for laws to be made,” said Sen. John Braun, Senate Republican budget leader.

Joining him in the veto request are Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, who heads the Senate committee on banking; Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler of Ritzville; House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox of Yelm; and Rep. Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, who is Republican leader on the House budget committee.

Inslee has until May 21 to veto House Bill 2167, which would effectively double the business-and-occupation (B&O) tax on out-of-state banks; otherwise it becomes law and takes effect July 28.

In their veto-request letter the lawmakers detail how the policy in HB 2167 wasn’t made public until the final Friday afternoon of the 2019 session, yet was through the Democrat-controlled Legislature and on its way to Inslee just two days later. Along the way it bypassed both the Senate and House committees that address policies concerning banks.

They also cite Inslee’s veto of a 2017 manufacturing tax-fairness bill that had moved rapidly through the Legislature. In his veto message the governor wrote that the “tax reductions should be considered in a thoughtful, transparent process that incorporates public input and business accountability.”

“If he’s consistent, the governor will veto this tax increase for the same reason. And in doing so he’ll also protect the taxpayers from any chance of a lawsuit on the grounds that this tax is in violation of the U.S. constitution,” said Braun, R-Centralia.

“It’s as though the majority simply wanted more money to spend and said ‘let’s go after the big banks’ without giving any consideration to the legislative process envisioned by the state constitution.”

Braun bill takes away excuses for school-levy ‘lift’

OLYMPIA…Sen. John Braun today proposed a way for lawmakers to answer school-funding concerns while protecting taxpayers against big increases in local school levies.

Senate Bill 6021, introduced with less than six full days left in this year’s 105-day session, is being offered as an alternative to two measures still in play: House Bill 2140 and Senate Bill 5313. Either would lift the bipartisan cap on local school levies and enable property-tax increases.

“There are members of the majority who realize it would be a big mistake to lift the limit on local school levies and endorse higher property taxes, but they also don’t want to go home without responding to funding concerns raised by school districts they represent. For them this new bill is a way forward that doesn’t raise taxes and would help avoid an overtime session,” said Braun, an architect of the landmark education-funding updates enacted in 2017.

He said SB 6021 would send more money to school districts on each end of the student-enrollment scale, taking away arguments in favor of what some districts and the state’s largest education union are calling “local levy flexibility.” It also would address special-education funding not found in another Senate measure pending approval by the House of Representatives.

“We knew some policy and funding adjustments would need to be made as the school-funding updates took hold – but the local levy limit didn’t take effect until just this year, so let’s leave it alone and come at these adjustments from another direction,” said Braun, R-Centralia. “This bill checks some important boxes for big urban districts, and districts with enrollments less than 1,000 students, and it also complements the special-education funding that I hope is already on its way into the final budget.”

For instance, Braun’s bill would increase the annual allocation to Seattle Public Schools by $28.3 million, including an additional $1.6 million for special education. The Tacoma School District would see another $15.5 million per year, with an additional $1.3 million designated for special education.

Braun acknowledged that his bill may also save lawmakers from going into overtime due to the lack of agreement on a new state budget.

“If it’s true that some senators see their support for a new budget going hand-in-hand with a solution to the concerns about school funding, then this approach deserves serious consideration. I know it’s late in the session to put new legislation on the table, but this is a path that would be easy to follow if enough people recognize the advantages,” said Braun.

Braun said the cost of the new funding could be covered through improvements to the state-run health-care system for K-12 employees that would maintain access to care at a lower cost to the state and to school districts. He estimates those refinements, handled in separate legislation, could mean multimillion-dollar savings for Seattle Public Schools.

The risks of undoing the local-levy limit are detailed in a July 2018 edition of Braun’s Economic Sense policy paper.

Senate backs Braun measures to address mismanagement, improve care for developmentally disabled Washingtonians

OLYMPIA…The Senate today gave unanimous approval to bills from Sen. John Braun aimed at addressing concerns about the care of developmentally disabled Washingtonians and the management of health care for low-income residents.

“It’s wrong that developmentally disabled people who don’t have medical needs are effectively being abandoned at hospitals – but it happens, and the state agencies who are ultimately responsible for their care need to be held accountable,” said Braun, R-Centralia.

His bipartisan legislation, Senate Bill 5483, is inspired by a report from the state’s developmental disabilities ombuds that was featured in a January edition of Braun’s Economic Sense policy report.

The bill calls for the state Department of Social and Health Services and its Developmental Disabilities Administration to track and monitor client hospitalizations and improve the transition of clients from service providers. Also, hospitals would be reimbursed by the state when they are essentially forced to care for developmentally disabled people who have no medical need requiring hospitalization.

Braun’s SB 5523 is intended to bring more accountability to the delivery of health care to low-income Washington residents on Medicaid – the focus of another Economic Sense paper, issued in February.

“It costs our state’s taxpayers nearly $6 billion a year for what is called ‘managed care,’ yet the companies receiving that money can’t manage to provide care at levels even close to the national average,” Braun said. “That’s unacceptable, particularly when some of the measures are related to the health of women and children.

“This bill would tie performance to payment – and if performance improves, then both the clients and the taxpayers will benefit.”

Another Braun bill approved today is also directed at the DDA arm of DSHS, and has to do with requiring quarterly assessments of those receiving care at state-run rehabilitation housing centers.

The federal government recently announced it will decertify a program at one of those RHCs, Rainier School in Buckley, resulting in a loss of about $12 million annually in federal funding. The case, prompted by health and safety concerns, is similar to the issues that led to the recent loss of $53 million in federal funding for the largest state-run psychiatric hospital, Western State Hospital.

Braun said Senate Bill 5536 would start to address challenges involving the RHCs and federal requirements and “help put us on a good track for our state’s most vulnerable residents.”

Today was the final day of the 2019 legislative session for the Senate to act on Senate bills that are not part of any upcoming budget package. SB 5483 and SB 5536 will now go to the House of Representatives for its consideration.

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 state employee pay, retention, and impacts on the state budget.

Bottom Line: Up Front

Very Expensive & Unusual – The Governor negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreements for 2017-19 that are double the cost of any prior agreements. The result is nearly half of the state’s workforce receiving pay increases of more than 10% over the next two years.

Unnecessary? – Reports from the Governor’s own budget office show that Washington does a good job retaining employees. The turnover rate is well-below the national public sector average.

Huge Opportunity Cost – Budgeting is about priorities. For approximately half the cost of the CBAs, inroads on significant public policy issues could be made…

Please click here to read the entire newsletter.

John Braun,

20th District State Senator

Contact Me:

Email:John.Braun@leg.wa.gov

Olympia Office:

407 Legislative Building

PO Box 40420

Olympia, WA 98504-0420

Phone:(360) 786-7638

Website: SenatorJohnBraun.org

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Braun letter takes Governor’s budget proposal to task – previous budget decisions were “indefensible”

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 cost of the CBAs total over $700 million from the state’s general fund in the next two years and more than $1.7 billion over the next four.

Braun points out “indefensible” budget decisions from the previous budget cycles collective bargaining agreements that:

Reduced nursing home payments by over $100 million;
Eliminated funding for “Safe Babies, Safe Moms”;
Reduced breast, cervical and colon cancer screenings for low-income individuals by 15 percent;

And much more…

Read the full letter here.

Braun renews call for transparency as secret negotiations begin on state-worker contracts

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 exemption of state-employee collective bargaining from the Open Public Meetings Act is something that needs to be changed. The last time these contracts were negotiated it resulted in a 300-million-dollar commitment from taxpayers without their input.”

Braun was the sponsor of this year’s Senate Bill 5329, which would require collective-bargaining meetings to be open to the public. Braun noted the secret talks are getting under way during the week when most people seeking statewide public office later this year are filing as candidates. The governor’s office will be among those on the ballot.

“The timing is probably a coincidence, but it serves as a reminder that the governor’s people are negotiating behind closed doors with organizations that not only represent state workers but also have political agendas as well,” he said.

“Other states are successfully engaging the public in these decisions and I don’t see why Washington shouldn’t do the same,” said Braun. “Our current system does not allow for any deviation from the commitments made in secret between the governor and public-employee unions. The Legislature can only approve or reject the agreements. That wasn’t the case before 2004 and if the people’s representatives are unable to give input on the contracts, we should at least have transparency in the process.”

Sen. Braun’s E-newsletter – May 09, 2016

Greetings Friends and Neighbors,

The Legislature finally adjourned after a 20-day special session to conclude work on the state’s supplemental budget. As the lead budget negotiator in the Senate this year, I worked to ensure a sustainable and responsible budget that would allow us to live within our means.

I believe we accomplished those goals with the budget we passed. The final agreement meets the requirements of Washington’s 4-year balanced budget law, preserves the rainy day fund, and refuses to go back to the irresponsible budgets of years past.

This is in contrast to the original proposal from House Democrats that drained the state’s rainy day fund, reduced K-3 class-size spending by $500 million, and proposed news taxes to pay for new state programs. Instead, we continue our investments in K-12 education, fully fund historic tuition cuts, and improve treatment for our state’s most vulnerable including the disabled and mentally ill. We said no to higher taxes and insisted on a sustainable budget with no gimmicks.

Unfortunately, some of our work was undone when Governor Inslee vetoed several cost-saving measures in the budget before signing it.The result was the loss of over $200 million in cost savings. The governor’s vetoes undercut this work and will make our job building a balanced two-year budget next year much more difficult.

I firmly believe that without the influence of the Senate Majority Coalition, the future of our state would be much different. Over the past four years, we have brought needed discipline to our state’s budgeting process. We have consistently lived within our means, funded our state’s real priorities such as education and our most vulnerable, and held the line on new taxes.

My work in the Legislature

In addition to working on the state’s budget, I had the opportunity to sponsor a number of bills aimed at improving our state and local community. Several of these bills were requests from constituents and local businesses who have already experienced benefits from this legislation such as changing the way the state provides industrial insurance for students and volunteers as well as expanding access to mental health services by allowing qualified physician assistants to deliver critical services. Click here for more information on bills that I have sponsored.

I have also been developing a policy newsletter, called “Economic Sense,” that takes an in-depth look at issues facing the Legislature. Please take a moment and read highlights from the latest editions and visit my website for more information.

SJR 8215: A Compromise Giving Voters a Say in Tax Increases

Simple majority of Legislature to raise taxes that must be referred to voters

The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus has tried twice to give voters the opportunity to make the popular two-thirds majority tax-vote rule part of Washington State’s constitution, where it would be safe from judicial or legislative interference. Senate Democrats have stood in the way, saying it would allow a minority of legislators to block the actions of the majority. SJR 8215 offers a compromise resolving the Senate minority’s concern, while ensuring voters have a say before tax increases are enacted.

Click here to read more.

Pension Liability & Debt Service – A Growing Share of the Budget Pie

Pension liabilities and debt service are the fastest growing areas of the state budget, costing almost $4 billion together. This is more than the combined state support of the mentally ill, those with developmental disabilities, nursing homes, early learning and the UW & WSU.

These costs are putting our ability to provide essential services at risk. Reforms are needed to ensure taxpayer dollars are not consumed by long-term debt service and pension liabilities.

Click here to read more.

Who Makes our Laws?

During each legislative session I take an in-depth look at significant economic policy issues. The most recent edition of my “Economic Sense” policy paper concerns administrative rule making. My legislative proposal will rein in executive agencies that have increased the number of rules, which have the force and effect of law, by 38 percent over the past decade. The Washington Administrative Code (WAC) now contains 22,000 pages of rules that impact every aspect of our lives. The problem is that those rules are made by unelected and unaccountable agencies with minimal input from the public. My bill, SB 6396, will require all new rules to automatically sunset the year following their enactment unless legislative action is taken.

Click here to read this most recent edition of “Economic Sense” and take a look at my website to catch up on previous editions on topics ranging from state employee compensation to higher education.

Staying in Touch

You received this email report because you are a 20th Legislative District resident. Under election-related rules, Senators who are up for re-election later this year – including me – are allowed to send two e-newsletters to those who have not actively subscribed to them. If you wish to continue to receive additional updates you must subscribe.

I hope you will take a moment to sign up so I may provide you with more news about your state government. Just click on the link below. Due to those restrictions this will be the last communication you will receive from my legislative office until after the 2016 elections.

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It is an honor to serve as your state Senator. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with questions or concerns regarding your state government.

Sincerely,

John Braun,

20th District State Senator

Contact Me:

Email:John.Braun@leg.wa.gov

Olympia Office:

407 Legislative Building

PO Box 40420

Olympia, WA 98504-0420

Phone:(360) 786-7638

Website: SenatorJohnBraun.org

Share my E-newsletter

Click here to subscribe!

Braun lauds approval of bipartisan budget

Tuesday evening the Legislature approved a supplemental budget, concluding the legislative session. Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, voted in favor of the bipartisan proposal that makes minor adjustments to the state’s two-year operating budget approved last year.

“This is a good supplemental,” lead budget negotiator Braun said. “It meets the requirements of Washington’s 4-year balanced budget law, preserves the rainy day fund, and refuses to go back to the irresponsible budgets of years past.”

This is in contrast to the original proposal from House Democrats that drained the state’s rainy day fund, cut nearly $500 million from K-3 class-size reductions and proposed news taxes to pay for new state programs.

“The final budget continues our investments in class-size reduction, fully funds historic tuition cuts, and improves treatment for our state’s most vulnerable including the disabled and mentally ill,” Braun said. “We said no to higher taxes and insisted on a sustainable budget with no gimmicks.”

The budget passed in the House of Representatives 78-17 and 27-17 in the Senate.

Budget documents are available online, here.