Tag Archives: John Braun

Republican leaders say people deserve clear answers about state of emergency

 

New proclamation indicates governor will maintain tighter grip at least through September

OLYMPIA… With the state of emergency linked to the COVID-19 pandemic now past the 16-month mark, the state Legislature’s top Republican leaders say Gov. Jay Inslee needs to be up front with the people of Washington about how much longer he intends to maintain additional control over their lives.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun and House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox said a new emergency order from Inslee indicates the emergency declared Feb. 29, 2020 will continue at least through September.

“Without a declaration of emergency there can’t be emergency proclamations. Although the governor didn’t come right out and say he’s extending the state of emergency past the end of summer, it isn’t difficult to read between the lines,” said Braun, R-Centralia. “While we’re pleased the governor’s economic restrictions have finally been lifted, it’s hard for him to suggest the people can return to a sense of normalcy unless the emergency is declared over as well.”

“On May 13 the governor was able to declare June 30 would be the statewide reopening date, no matter how many Washington residents had been vaccinated by then. If he could make such a life-changing prediction six weeks in advance, he also should be able to declare when the state of emergency will be over,” said Wilcox, R-Yelm.

“Our state is not designed to be run by one person – especially for this long,” Braun said. “We’re not suggesting the pandemic itself is over. We simply aren’t hearing the governor explain why he should continue to have absolute authority – not when government’s response to the pandemic is clearly focused on vaccinations, and local governments should be trusted to take the lead. If something more serious arises, the legislative branch has proven it can meet quickly to make decisions, using technology if necessary, to ensure the voices of the people are heard.”

The Republican leaders said Inslee’s silence about ending the state of emergency is as perplexing as the refusal by the Legislature’s majority Democrats to even consider simple changes to the state law granting emergency powers to the governor.

“I have constituents asking whether the governor is going out of his way to continue wielding his extra powers,” said Wilcox. “They don’t see the justification for remaining under a state of emergency. Many in the legislative branch have the same concern. It’s time for the executive branch to answer.”

STATEMENT: Promise of good jobs defeated by Inslee’s climate agenda, says Braun

OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun offered this statement today after Northwest Innovation Works announced it is pulling the plug on a seven-year effort to construct a $2.3 billion methanol plant at the Port of Kalama.

“Knowing this announcement might come from NW Innovations doesn’t make it any less disappointing. Governor Inslee had supported this project until 2019, when he launched his presidential campaign as the ‘climate change’ candidate and did a quick flip-flop. When the Department of Ecology essentially derailed the permitting process a few months ago, the writing was on the wall.

“The economic boom seen in the Puget Sound area for most of the past decade never reached this part of the state. When NW Innovations came calling, with a solid plan, it was welcomed – until politics got in the way. If the bills passed during this year’s legislative session are any indication, the only things the governor’s climate agenda will produce are higher fuel costs for the people of Washington, regardless of their income level. There’s no reason to believe it will lead to the employment and economic activity Cowlitz County workers and families deserve. The promise of good-paying jobs in this part of Washington has been sacrificed on the altar of environmental activism.”

Braun disappointed by governor’s failure to define next phase of economic restart

OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, offered this statement today after Gov. Jay Inslee indicated Phase 3 of the “Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery” plan will not be defined for several more weeks.

“It looks like our entire state has hit a dead end on the governor’s roadmap. His administration has already had seven weeks to figure out what Phase 3 could look like, but now he says it will take several more weeks to ‘gather information’ before deciding what’s next. We should have had the details about Phase 3 already.

“Governor Inslee gave the impression that the number of COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions and other metrics tied to the roadmap may no longer be as relevant. Instead he’s talking about the variants of the virus, and the capability of the vaccines, as though those have become more important. The businesses that are now stuck indefinitely in Phase 2 – which is half as open as they could be four months ago – deserve more clarity than he offered today.

“The governor continues to speak of using ‘science’ in deciding how the regions of our state can move forward, and what that would mean. I would steer him toward the empirical kind of science, meaning he should go and visit some of the businesses affected by his restrictions. Then he can see for himself how they are prepared to take all the precautions necessary to protect their customers and employees, and safely move to a higher level of business activity.

“I’ve been encouraged that the governor is visiting schools to talk about how students can return to classrooms safely. Next time he should also stop by a local restaurant or two, or a fitness center, and gather information. That could help him to define Phase 3 sooner than April.”

Republican senators make new bid to get Washington children back into classrooms

OLYMPIA… A bill to help get children back into classrooms has been introduced by several Republican senators, just as a new report shows Washington is behind nearly every other state in providing in-person instruction.

Senate Bill 5464 was introduced Tuesday, the same day Senate Republican Leader John Braun wrote to Gov. Jay Inslee, encouraging him to do everything under his authority to reopen schools.

“There’s no question that the longer our children are barred from classroom instruction, the more they suffer academically, socially and emotionally. It’s also clear that the shortcomings of remote instruction are being felt disproportionately by rural and lower-income families and communities of color,” said Sen. Lynda Wilson, SB 5464’s prime sponsor. “This is the equity issue of our time.”

Under the bill, schools may not be closed for in-person learning beyond 10 consecutive school days without the approval of the governor, the secretary of health, or a local health officer.

“We recognize that because of the pandemic there are added costs to operating our schools safely, and our Senate Republican budget proposal addresses that. We also know from the past year that being in classrooms is best for our children. Under this new bill, very few people would be able to stand in the way of that,” said Wilson, R-Vancouver.

Braun, R-Centralia, is among the co-sponsors of SB 5464. He noted an online school-opening tracker updated today has Washington ranked 47th among the states, with just 19.2 percent of its students receiving in-person instruction.

“Our children have a right to a level of education that many are still being denied. Being 47th in the nation is equivalent to failure,” he said.

“It’s been encouraging to hear the governor’s recent statements that schools should be able to reopen safely, just as it’s been discouraging to witness some of the recent opposition to opening,” Braun added. “The intent of my letter to the governor was to point out some areas where he can help get students back into classrooms. This new legislation is aimed at the same thing – and at keeping them there.”

Revenue forecast makes $30 car tabs even more viable, says Braun

OLYMPIA…Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia and budget leader for Washington’s Senate Republican Caucus, made this statement following today’s adoption of the first quarterly state-government revenue forecast for 2020.

The forecast indicates revenues for the 2019-21 budget cycle are $606 million ahead of the November 2019 forecast, for a total estimated revenue gain of $1.5 billion since this past year’s legislative session ended in April.

“Senate Republicans are listening to the people across our state, and the people clearly want $30 car tabs. We have legislation to make that happen, and today’s revenue forecast makes our legislation even more viable. It’s no surprise that House Republicans are on the same page, as they also respect the message sent by the passage of Initiative 976.

“Government can always find something to do with more money; the question is whether the majority side will do something that is good for all of Washington. Lowering the cost of car tabs certainly qualifies. This forecast should make it harder for the majority to ignore the wish of the people; it also crushes the governor’s false claim that K-12 funding would be affected by our common-sense proposal to fund transportation needs with tax revenue from vehicle sales.

“This session, the majority side has passed a new billion-dollar tax on employers. As of today, revenues are running $1.5 billion ahead of predictions. If the forthcoming supplemental-budget proposals from the House and Senate Democrats don’t include a clear path to $30 car tabs, taxpayers will have even more reason to wonder who has the majority’s ear.”

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 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.

Braun calls on state’s top officials to ensure school starts on time

With the threat of teacher strikes looming in local school districts throughout the state, Sen. John Braun called on Washington’s top elected officials to fulfill their moral and legal obligation to ensure students can return to the classroom on time. On Thursday Braun sent a letter to Washington state’s governor, attorney general and superintendent of public schools requesting their assistance in discouraging teacher strikes and taking legal action to prevent them if necessary.

“Forcing children to remain out of the classroom reduces educational opportunities and creates a major burden for families,” said Braun, R-Centralia, who sponsored the 2017-19 state operating budget that made historic investments in Washington’s K-12 public schools. “Classroom time is precious and especially important as students return from a long period off. A strike would also force families to make last-second plans to keep their children safe and supervised, which for some would require taking time off of work. This is incredibly difficult for single parents and households where both parents work.”

Recent weeks have featured many reports of local teachers authorizing strikes and even the Washington Education Association training teachers for the picket line. According to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, start dates vary by school district, but the overwhelming majority begin over the next two weeks, while some are already underway.

“A dispute between adults should never harm children,” said Braun. “In addition to being illegal, a strike would be especially concerning as many districts already agreed to a contract for the upcoming school year and are only re-negotiating for additional pay. Unfortunately, we’ve already seen public comments from union officials that they would ignore the legal prohibition against public employee strikes. That is why I am asking our top officials to fulfill their duty to ensure the law is upheld.”

Since the Washington State Supreme Court ruled the state was not amply funding public education in 2011, the Legislature has committed to nearly doubling state education funding, going from $13.6 billion in the 2011-13 budget to $26.8 billion in 2019-21. As a result, Braun says Washington state will almost assuredly rank in the top five nationally in state education funding per student.

“Whether our top officials side with local union officials or the school district, they must execute the duty we all have to provide a world-class education system, which includes having children in the classroom learning.”

Under the current budget, the state will provide on average more than $72,000 for teacher salaries during the 2018-19 school year, which does not include additional pay from local levies. This also does not include pension, health care or time off benefits paid by the state.