Click on the image above to watch the discussion.
Tag Archives: John Braun
Forest land management more efficient now that Braun bill signed into law
OLYMPIA… Today the governor signed Senate Bill 6180 into law which changes how counties administer forest land and open space timber programs. This legislation authorizes counties to merge programs for more efficient and cost effective administration. Both programs are forestry related and the legislation will remove duplicative accounting while maintaining levels of tax revenue.
“The state should be doing everything it can to let communities plan and manage their forestry programs. This legislation is a simple fix to burdensome land management practices and allows counties to better manage their forestry programs without negatively impacting residents,” said Braun.
Lewis County Assessor Dianne Dorey noted the benefits to her county should commissioners choose to participate. “This bill will save time for us. We don’t know the direct savings yet as the Board of County Commissioners will decide whether or not we participate. If we do, we will be able to manage parcels with more efficiency by not having to dually assess property values and have property owner’s transfer between programs. Lewis County has 1/5 of the acreage that is currently in the Open Space Timber program in Washington State. Property owners will not have to deal with the cost and time of transferring between programs when their land falls below 20 acres.”
The bill places no requirements on counties to adopt changes; rather it lets them opt in. The bill also reduces the minimum size for land to be designated forest land from 20 acres to five.
Recent budget negotiations by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia have resulted in restoration of revenues to rural districts from forestry activities on federal lands. Local school districts would receive more than $350 thousand dollars under this legislation. Both House and Senate passed the measure today that partially eliminates reductions in basic education funding for low-income districts.
“It is past the time that we restored funding to our rural schools. This bill along with funding in the supplemental operating budget lets our resources go back into our community,” said Braun.
The proposed funding fluctuates yearly depending on forestry activities and is now dependent on federal action to reauthorize distribution of those funds. Currently, 21 percent of Washington is designated as national forests which are exempt from property tax. Rural districts have relied on timber sales and revenues from logging on federal land but the state retains authority in how those funds are allocated.
“We’ve been able to put funding back into the schools and communities that need it most. Our work on this year’s supplemental budget prioritizes education and this is another way we can direct money back where it is needed.”
Sen. John Braun introduced Senate Bill 6195 this session that would create a task force to study how the state can better market the state’s tourism industry. Tourism is the fourth largest export industry in the state and accounts for more than 150,000 jobs. Today the governor signed the House companion to Braun’s bill that directs the Washington Tourism Alliance to identify sustainable private funding sources for the state’s tourism marketing needs.
In 2011 the Washington State Tourism Commission was defunded due to budgetary constraints. The commission’s purpose was to find ways to expand tourism in the state with public and private stakeholders. Since the commission was defunded, Washington became the only state in the nation without a state-funded tourism office.
“We need to expand and promote the tourism opportunities in our state because they are such an important part of our economy. However, when identifying what government should do, I think we can look to the private sector to step up and find a sustainable solution for marketing our state’s tourism industry,” said Braun.
“The tourism industry applauds Sen. Braun for his leadership on the legislation. He recognized that this industry is a critical part of the economy in all parts of the state and that we need to have a statewide program to market our tourism assets. Because of this legislation we will be able to develop a plan for a statewide tourism marketing program,” said Cheryl Kilday, president of the Washington Tourism Alliance board of directors.
Sen. Braun speaking at the Jobs Now! press conference
Growth Management Act: A Burden on Our Communities
I have cosponsored legislation recently that addresses some serious concerns I have regarding the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA). The fact is that our communities know what is best for planning and managing growth. The GMA is overly burdensome and this proposed legislation allows for counties to have flexibility in adopting their own planning rules that makes sense for them. See this article in the Longview Daily News for more information about the issue.
Jobs Now!: Getting Washington back on Track
On Wednesday, the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus held a press conference announcing a new initiative focused on getting Washington back to work. The initiative is being call Jobs Now! and started with the passage of the Worker Recovery Act out in the Senate. I am proud to support this effort that would reduce barriers to injured workers of all ages and provide for options and flexibility to meet their needs.
As part of this initiative, my Senate colleagues I and hope to continue supporting sustainable reforms and bills that focus on our state’s economy. I want Washington to be the best place in the country to do business. As a legislator I want to build a better business climate by reducing bureaucratic red tape, supporting reforms to our workers’ compensation system, tax code and education system. This initiative seeks to assist employers in their efforts to create jobs, hire more workers and grow the economy. Click on the photo above to watch the press conference.
Sponsored Legislation
Here are some of the priorities I am working on this session. I am committed to making our state an attractive place to live and work. With the Majority Coalition Caucus, I continue to advance reforms that will make our state’s economy strong, create accountability in government and reduce the burden on our tax payers and job creators.
Senate Bill 5656 would create a one stop shop for businesses to renew business licenses for all jurisdictions.
Senate Bill 5697 reduces the frequency of local sales and use tax changes. Currently local sales and use tax changes may be implemented four times year. This bill allows changes three times annually. Current sales and use tax system is too complex for small businesses and is continuing to grow. This legislation would cut in half the burden for employers when changing their systems to reflect new sales and use tax rates.
Senate Bill 6182 would establish an annual B&O tax credit for employers that establish new apprenticeship positions where skills gaps exist.
Senate Bill 5727 exempts prevailing wage requirements for public works projects located in distressed counties. Projects would be exempt if at least 50 percent of the project funding comes from private sources. Distressed counties are defined as counties with an unemployment rate 20 percent above the state average for the previous three years.
Senate Bills 6175 & 6176 creates a tax tribunal to balance the relationship between tax payers and tax collectors to ensure fairness and efficiency.
Senate Bill 5647 establishes a stakeholder process for the Department of Revenue in publishing tax rulings and determinations. This bill seeks to balance tax payer confidentiality with open and transparent government and efficiency.
State Senator John Braun – “If 401(k) plans are good enough for Boeing machinists, they should be good enough for those who hold elected office.”
Via KPLU radio — “Republican John Braun on Wednesday said he will introduce legislation to end pensions for all elected officials in Washington. Click here for interview.
Braun is a freshman state senator and business owner who already doesn’t participate in the state pension system. He says he understands why some machinists were incensed recently when elected officials with pensions urged them to make concessions on theirs.
“For folks to say you need to take this deal and not be willing to is somewhat hypocritical,” Braun said.
Op-ed by Sen. John Braun
It’s time to get Washington’s transportation system moving again.
Here in Lewis County, we are highly dependent on a functioning highway system, without which our timber industry as well as other businesses would be unable to ship their products.
Many people also commute long distances to and from work. Our highways need to be first-rate to accommodate our need for mobility; unfortunately, they are not always up to the task. Continue reading
By Pete Caster
Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, on Wednesday sat across from a semicircle of small business owners and listened to a litany of state- and federal-business regulation horror stories.
Braun and the dozen local entrepreneurs were joined by Patrick Connor, Washington state director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, and Erin Shannon, director of Washington Policy Center’s Center for Small Business, at the event held at Braun Northwest in Chehalis. Continue reading
Washington State’s 20th District Senator, John Braun, R-Centrailia, and Chair of the Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee, talks about the 2013 legislative session, what the Majority Coalition Caucus is doing to promote job growth and how it plans to reform the education system in Washington State.
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