Tag Archives: Education Funding

NEWSLETTER: Taxing seniors in nursing homes and their families

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Over the past year, I’ve written to you multiple times about the new and higher taxes Democrats sought to impose. While Senate Republicans successfully fought off billions of dollars’ worth of harmful tax proposals, the Democrat majority still managed to push several across the finish line.

Many of these new taxes have already taken effect—or will soon.

One of the worst, and least known, is a steep per-bed tax hike on nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Depending on the type of facility, the tax rate is doubling or even tripling. That amounts to an extra $126 million burden to our long-term care system over the next four years. Rather than cover that cost, the state is forcing care centers to pass it along to their most vulnerable residents—aging, sick, and dying Washingtonians—and the families who support them.

The irony? The vast majority of workers in our state are already being taxed through their paychecks for “Washington Cares,” a long-term care program Democrats claimed would ease costs. But by increasing the cost of care through this new tax, they’ve made that already-weak benefit even less meaningful. Their own actions undercut the very justification they gave for the program.

It didn’t have to be this way.

Senate Republicans proposed a balanced, responsible budget that didn’t raise a single tax and didn’t cut a single service. But when the opportunity came to debate it on the Senate floor, every single Democrat voted “no.”

Instead, the majority passed a bloated $78 billion budget that hikes taxes by $12.5 billion and cuts billions from essential services. The budget cut funding for the completion of a new 45-bed psychiatric facility and a governor’s veto ended funding for a care center for drug-addicted newborns and. Those critical services were traded away for $4.5 billion in new spending.

To make matters worse, their budget is already out of balance—just months after it passed—thanks to the latest state revenue forecast. The result? The governor is now contemplating calling for a special session to “fix” what Democrats broke.

And how do they plan to fix it? By raising even more taxes and cutting even more services.

I must ask the question: How much of your money is enough? Who will they burden next? How many more vulnerable people will suffer because Democrats insist on taking more and delivering less?

If a special session is called, I’ll make sure you know—because you’ll want to pay close attention to the excuses they give for taking even more from taxpayers.

Had the Senate Republican budget been adopted, we wouldn’t be in this mess.

And if Republicans were in the majority, the budget never would have been $7.5 billion in the red to begin with (to set the record straight, the budget shortfall was NEVER $16 billion; Democrats made that number up, and they’re still using it)

You may learn more about the taxes now taking effect by visiting our website.

If you have questions, you may email me at john.braun@leg.wa.gov.

Sincerely,

John Braun

Sales tax increases too?

Democrats passed a sales-tax increase of $4 billion over four years, and it’s no mystery who will pay for it — you, the consumer.

Just a few of the services that will now add sales tax to your bill:

Childcare
Legal services
Cleaning
Security
Computer/IT services

At a time when the average cost of childcare for an infant in Washington is $20,000 a year, Democrats decided to tax it.

The cost of food, health care, housing, prescription drugs and other everyday goods will take a bigger bite out of your wallet.

You get a little more time to prepare for this tax because it doesn’t take effect until October 1, but it will affect everyone in Washington.

What about the gas tax?

The following is an excerpt from my latest commentary in The Chronicle.

Many people are unhappy about the recent hike in the state fuel tax, especially since the average prices for gas and diesel were already much higher here than in every state except California and Hawaii.

But while that 6-cent jump is big compared to the other gas-tax increases our state has seen over the past century, the main drivers behind Washington’s inflated fuel prices continue to be the cap-and-tax law and the low-carbon fuel standard, both approved by majority Democrats in 2021.

Read the full commentary.

Taxing your home

We are in the middle of a long-term, serious affordable-housing crisis, but Democrats keep passing laws to increase your property taxes.

This time, it will cost taxpayers $1.6 billion, and it won’t just affect homeowners. It will hurt renters, too, as property owners have to pass along the expense through higher rents.

This latest move lifts the limit on the amount local governments can increase your property taxes each year through levies, taking us back to square one in the fight to close the education gap between rich and poor school districts.

Some people ask, “What’s wrong with voters deciding to tax themselves more?”

With regards to education funding, a district with residents who live in expensive houses and can afford to pay higher taxes could pass a higher levy rate and give their schools more money. However, a district with lower property values and a lower median income may not be able to afford to increase their levy and would go without the extra funding.

Their students wouldn’t have the same quality of education or opportunity as those in the wealthier areas.

This makes the level of education funding a district receives dependent on their zip code, widening the gap between students from different economic backgrounds.

This is unfair and this is why, under the “McCleary decision,” we leveled the playing field by capping local levies at 1%.

However, districts that can afford to pay more were unhappy with the cap and they just happen to be represented by Democrats, who are in the majority.

The irony in this situation is that Democrats claim to want equity and this policy is anything but equitable.

Taxing your joy

Several of the taxes target things that give people joy in life. If you enjoy it, there’s probably a tax for it.

A 38% increase in the price of hunting and fishing licenses (Effective July 1)
A $100 increase in the cost of marriage licenses (Effective July 27)
An increase in the cost of liquor licenses, costing customers of bars, restaurants, grocery stores and liquor stores more than $8.5 million per year (Effective July 27)
50% increase in the Discover Pass, which is required to park in Washington state parks

Ferguson complicit in largest tax increase in state history

The Seattle Times criticized Gov. Bob Ferguson for signing the Democrats’ budget that included $12.5 billion in state and local taxes — the largest tax increase in state history.

Although the Gov. Ferguson said this wasn’t how he wanted to start off as governor, he also said he was proud to sign the budget. Which is it?

Is he ashamed or proud of approving a $12.5 billion hit to the people of Washington?

Note: The editorial refers to $9.4 billion in taxes, which only accounts for the state tax increases.

Read the full editorial.

Braun bill aimed at getting chronically absent students to re-engage with classes, resume path to graduation

OLYMPIA… Chronic absenteeism is among the major obstacles preventing Washington children from recovering from pandemic-related learning loss. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, has introduced legislation to help school administrators, teachers and parents get students to show up to school and take part in class.

Senate Bill 5850 would provide support for students who are at risk for not graduating high school due to chronic absenteeism. Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island and chair of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee, is co-sponsoring Braun’s bill. It’s based on a pilot program underway in the state’s Educational Service District 112, which serves southwest Washington.

“Nothing good happens when kids either don’t show up at all or do show up but wander the school halls without attending class,” said Braun. “The students who are already struggling to work at grade level risk falling so far behind that they may not graduate, which jeopardizes their future earning potential and quality of life. School administrators are frustrated because they feel ill-equipped to enforce attendance policies. And no matter how many billions of dollars go into K-12, some of that investment is effectively lost when desks sit empty day after day.

“Many students who chronically skip school or become ‘hall walkers’ are dealing with family issues, substance-abuse disorder, or mental-health issues. Others just don’t care to show up or they wander around as if school attendance policies mean nothing. This can’t continue,” Braun added. “Fortunately, it’s not a partisan issue, as no one opposes the idea of getting students back on track. This legislation is about improving the safety net in ways that will help school-age children to become students again – to reengage and resume their path to a high-school diploma.”

SB 5850, filed Dec. 15, will receive a formal referral to Sen. Wellman’s committee when the 2024 legislative session convenes Jan. 8. People who want to testify in support of this bill once it is scheduled for a committee hearing may do so in person or remotely.

Background:

Under Washington’s current compulsory attendance law, parents of students who are between 8 and 18 years of age must enroll them in a public school or private school, or they must provide the child with home-based instruction. If a child does not attend, the school district must designate and identify to the local juvenile court and to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) someone to coordinate school district efforts to address excessive absenteeism and truancy,

Under state law and OSPI rules, a student may be eligible to enroll in a statewide dropout-reengagement program if the student meets certain criteria including:

Has not met the high-school graduation requirements,
Is significantly behind in credits,
Has been recommended by a case manager, and
Is not currently enrolled in any high-school classes that receive state basic-education funding.

Summary of SB 5850:

Defines “students who are chronically absent” as students who miss 10% or more school days for any reason including excused and unexcused absences and suspensions.
Requires Washington’s nine educational service districts (ESDs) to develop and maintain the capacity to offer training and coaching for educators and other school district staff, including those designated under current state law, on the development of robust early-warning systems to identify and locate students who are chronically absent and connect them with necessary supports, subject to appropriations.
Directs OSPI to establish a grant program for community-based organizations and tribes to support students who are chronically absent, subject to appropriations.
Requires OSPI to allocate funding, subject to appropriations, to ESDs, school districts, and public schools to help eliminate barriers to high school completion for students who are:
1. 16 to 21 years of age,
2. are severely deficient in academic credits,
3. unable to graduate high school with their peer group, and
4. enrolled in a statewide dropout-reengagement program.
Specifies that OSPI must allocate funding on a per-student basis based on enrollment in a statewide reengagement program and that the funding be differentiated and include a base amount of funding for small and/or rural school districts.
Continues the grant program and per-student funding through December 31, 2026.

###

Follow the Washington State Senate Republican Caucus
at www.src.wastateleg.org and @washingtonsrc.

STATEMENT: 2022 session didn’t work for all of Washington, say Republican legislative leaders

OLYMPIA… The Legislature’s Republican leaders say the just-completed 2022 session fell short on addressing concerns they and other Republican lawmakers have been hearing from people across Washington.

House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox, of Yelm:

“The 2022 session will be remembered for lawmakers attempting to fix problems created in recent sessions, a partisan transportation package that raises fees on Washingtonians, and a failure to deliver meaningful tax relief to families despite a historic budget surplus. And for the second year in a row, House Democrats showed no interest in emergency powers reform. When lawmakers return in January 2023, hopefully we’ll have a wiser and more collaborative Legislature that listens to all parts of the state.

“I’m proud of the real solutions introduced by House Republicans. We offered detailed budget frameworks that included significant tax relief, a comprehensive public safety package, transportation alternatives, true emergency powers reform, and a plan for our environment. We were not just the loyal opposition; we showed Washingtonians they have a choice when it comes to governing.”

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, of Centralia:

“The contrasts between Senate Republicans and our majority colleagues were on full display this session. Our priorities were public safety, affordability and trust – things that are important to all the people of Washington, regardless of where they live and who they are. The people can see how Democrats went a different direction, choosing against meaningful tax relief for families despite a 15-billion-dollar surplus. They’ll feel the fee increases tied to the partisan new transportation package, and notice how Democrats struggled to do even the bare minimum to make our communities safer. Parents will wonder why the majority fell short on responding to concerns about the pandemic learning loss. People who have become distrustful of government will question why only Republicans are serious about installing the checks and balances that will allow the public’s concerns to be heard during a future state of emergency.

“We challenged the majority’s proposals with what we still view as better ideas, like immediate gas-tax relief and a plan to help our communities afford more public-safety resources. Sometimes we were successful – it’s because of Republicans that law-enforcement agencies are getting some crime-fighting tools back. Otherwise, our proposals to reestablish public safety, rebuild public trust, and make life in Washington more affordable were blocked. If there was any question where the interests of our Democratic colleagues lie, it’s been answered by the decisions made these past 60 days.”

Using unexpected revenue to reduce taxes

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 property-tax decrease once reforms are phased in, the new K-12 funding system has the entire state slated for a tax-rate increase of $0.81 per $1,000 assessed value in 2018.

Creating an equitable and long-term education funding system for our state required a great deal of compromise. Anything more than a short-term property-tax increase necessary to transition between funding systems was not my preferred method.

Ultimately, a one-year increase was necessary to reach a bipartisan agreement.

Every year our state’s chief economist issues quarterly, four-year revenue projections. My proposal would use 75 percent of the unexpected revenue growth – the amount that exceeds the June 2017 forecast – over the next four years to reduce the impacts of the $0.81 state property-tax rate increase in 2018.

The most recent quarterly forecast anticipates another $500 million coming into the state under the current tax structure (again, money beyond what was forecast in June), which would reduce the current $0.81 rate increase to less than $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.

With the Legislature having already passed a budget that balances and provides property tax relief for a majority of our state over the next four years, this approach would provide us with an opportunity to amply fund state government and reduce the short-term impact on working families and people with fixed incomes.

Use unexpected tax revenues to reduce short-term property-tax impacts

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 net property-tax decrease once reforms are phased in, the Legislature’s overhaul of the K-12 funding system has the entire state slated for a tax-rate increase of $0.81 per $1,000 assessed property value in 2018.

“Creating an equitable and long-term education funding system for our state required a great deal of compromise,” said Braun, R-Centralia, who serves as chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and a member of the education funding negotiating team. “Anything more than a short-term property-tax increase necessary to transition between funding systems was not my preferred method. Ultimately, a one-year increase was necessary to reach an agreement across the aisle.

“Having heard similar concerns about property-tax increases from the governor and my Democratic colleagues, I expect we will see bipartisan support for this legislation.”

Every year state government issues quarterly, four-year revenue projections. Braun proposes using 75 percent of the unexpected revenue growth – the amount that exceeds the June 2017 forecast – over the next four years to reduce the impacts of the $0.81 state property-tax rate increase in 2018. The total offset to the state property tax would be capped at $1 billion.

“With the Legislature having already passed a budget that balances for the next four years, this would provide us with an opportunity to fully fund state government while reducing the impact on working families and people with fixed incomes,” said Braun.

Beginning in 2019, under Washington’s new education funding system, a school district’s local levy will be limited to a maximum of $1.50/$1,000 of assessed property value, up to $2,500 per student. Braun said more than 70 percent of state property owners will have a lower tax rate between 2019 and 2021 than they do now, even if all school districts fully utilize local levy capacity. The amount of people receiving property tax relief would grow if school districts used only a portion or none of their locally allowable levy.

Once this year’s education-funding reforms are phased in school districts will receive the same or more money in state funding alone as they currently take from state and local taxes combined.

Education funding discussion on TVW

I recently had the opportunity to appear on TVW’s “Inside Olympia” program to discuss the Education Equality Act alongside a member of the House of Representatives and host Austin Jenkins.

TVW is Washington’s version of C-SPAN, and the 30-minute segment provided us with a chance to discuss the important details of our work to improve Washington’s public schools.

Click here or on the screen below to watch the segment.

Brief filed by the Legislature to the State Supreme Court concerning public charter schools

Click on the image above to open the file.

Sen. Braun’s E-newsletter – October 6, 2015

Washington’s Paramount Duty

A look at education funding in our state

Greetings,

For the past 30 years, starting in the early 1980s, growth in general government spending outpaced the state’s investments in public education. Billions of dollars were diverted from the state’s paramount duty toward other state programs. As the state’s portion of education funding declined, that burden shifted to school-district taxpayers and their ability to raise funds through local levies. These two issues have culminated in the McCleary decision where the state Supreme court found the state was not meeting is constitutional duty to adequately provide for K-12 education.

In just a few short years, our Senate majority has been able to change that and make education the first priority in the state’s budget. Since 2013, education spending has increased by $4.5 billion and 47 percent of spending in the most recent budget is going to our K-12 system. However, funding is only part of the challenge. We also need common sense reforms to give teachers the freedom to do their jobs well and help schools and students succeed.

Looking ahead at the upcoming legislative session, we have more work to do to make the right investments for our students and provide a more equitable solution for school funding by the 2018 deadline. As we continue to prioritize schools in our state there will be many issues to address, but funding is a major piece of the puzzle. State Sen. Andy Hill, our lead budget writer, recently put out a series of policy papers that goes in depth on education funding and reform. Please see below for links to the three-part series.

Windows into the Budget

The Paramount Duty Series

Part I: 30 Years of Shirking the Paramount Duty & Understanding the Ruling that Followed

“It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders[.]”

– Article. 9, Sec. 1 of the Washington State Constitution

Despite being ascribed preeminent importance in Washington’s Constitution, education was a decidedly declining state budget priority over the last generation as non-education spending dominated budget growth from 1983 to 2013… Click Here to Read More

Part 2: Turning the tide–state spending radically reprioritized under Majority Coalition Caucus

The Majority Coalition Caucus (MCC) took the reins of the Senate in 2013, determined to turn the tide of the previous 30 years and reprioritize education. The results are as follows… Click Here to Read More.

Part 3: What’s left? Bringing fairness to K-12 funding via levy reform,debunking the myth that new taxes are needed,and the vital importance of education policy reforms

The quality of a child’s education should not depend on their ZIP Code.That is a fundamental principle that unites all of us in the Legislature, and while we cannot ultimately control the quality of a child’s education, we in the Legislature must ensure the funding system in place is equitable, regardless of where a child lives in our state.Sadly, that is not the case at present–and it must be remedied… Click Here to Read More.

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: johnbraun.src.wastateleg.org

Share my E-newsletter

Do you know others who live in our district who may not be receiving my e-news updates? Please feel free to forward this e-mail to them or click on the share button below.