Tag Archives: Sen. John Braun

SPECIAL EDITION: The truth about how the “Big Beautiful Bill” affects Washington

 

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

You may have seen headlines claiming that the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” recently passed by Congress will gut health care, close hospitals, or take food away from struggling families.

Let’s be clear: That’s false.

What this new law does is restore common sense to federal spending. It protects programs like Medicaid and food assistance by putting limits on fraud, enforcing eligibility, and ensuring benefits are focused on those who truly need them. Seniors, children, people with disabilities, and low-income parents aren’t affected. The reforms apply only to able-bodied adults without young children—and even then, they can meet the new requirements by working, volunteering, or going to school.

Here in Washington, we have time to prepare. These reforms don’t start to kick in until late 2026, with others phasing in gradually over the following years. There’s no crisis. There’s no need for the governor to call legislators back to Olympia for a special session. Instead, there’s just a lot of political grumbling from people who are taking more of your money through their tax increases but seem to have no interest in stretching and protecting your tax dollars by reforming inefficient government programs and systems.

While some are scaring people with political rhetoric and worst-case scenarios, they’re ignoring the real opportunities this law creates. It opens the door to hundreds of millions in federal funds for rural health care, trims bloated tax giveaways for energy companies and provides meaningful tax relief for working families and retirees.

An irony we can’t ignore is that the governor and legislators who are complaining about the effects of the OBBA are the same people who just passed the largest tax increase and operating budget in Washington state history. The budget offered by Senate Republicans would not have raised any taxes, nor would it have made any cuts to services. Under our budget, Washington would be in a more stable position to weather whatever adjustments need to be made to accommodate federal changes.

It’s also hard to take Gov. Ferguson’s concerns about the welfare of children seriously when he signed off on the defunding of a program to care for drug-addicted newborns, as well as the increase in childcare costs and taxes that will burden families who are already struggling to put food on the table.

You can learn more on our WEBSITE.

As always, I’ll keep fighting to make sure our community is heard—and that our tax dollars are spent wisely. If you have any questions, contact me atjohn.braun@leg.wa.gov. 

Sincerely,

Sen. John Braun

 

Drug-filled burritos and sexual misconduct at the Green Hill School

Last week I gave an interview with King TV about the latest news out of the Green Hill School, which is the juvenile detention facility in Chehalis that houses offenders who were convicted before age 18.

Drugs and violence have been a problem for a long time at the school. However, King TV’s story showed video evidence of a member of the Green Hill staff posing as a Door Dash driver and delivering a burrito that, as it turns out, contained drugs that she was smuggling in for an inmate.

The staff member was caught. But what authorities discovered was that she is allegedly part of a larger web of corruption among staff.

Police investigated a record 21 complaints of staff misconduct last year and this year is on track to have the same result.

At least six of those cases involved female staff who were fired for inappropriate sexual conduct with inmates. At least one of those inmates was convicted of two murders.

If you recall, most of the residents at Green Hill are over 18 and will stay at the facility until age 25 before they can be transferred to a Department of Corrections facility. This situation has caused severe overcrowding that has put everyone at Green Hill in danger.

It is stunning that problems such as these continue to surface, but this is what happens when you warehouse violent offenders in unsafe, overcrowded conditions — conditions that also make it hard to recruit quality staff who won’t commit crimes against, for or with inmates.

House Democrats killed my bill to provide the Department of Children, Youth and Families the tools to move inmates over age 18 to adult correctional facilities, thereby relieving the overcrowding and restoring order at Green Hill. Their ineptitude and political game-playing are direct causes for continuing issues.

I will offer similar legislation for the 2026 Legislative Session and it would be wise for the House Democrats to support it.

 

Survey results: Adult inmates housed at the Green Hill School

Many of you responded to my one-question survey about what should be done with residents at Green Hill School who are over 18, but are expected to remain at the facility until age 25. These adults are incarcerated alongside juvenile offenders and have created an overcrowding problem that is dangerous for staff and residents.

The results by the numbers…

62% of you feel that inmates over age 18 should be moved to facilities operated by the Department of Corrections.

16% agreed, but only if they were convicted of murder or rape.

7% said they should only be relocated to DOC if they had committed a violent crime while residing at Green Hill School.

Only 3% of you said they should remain at the juvenile facility until age 25 – even though they would have gone straight to a DOC facility if they had committed their crime(s) after they turned 18.

Legislative leaders condemn political violence in Minnesota

OLYMPIA – The leaders of all four caucuses in the Washington State Legislature released the following statement regarding the assassination and attempted assassinations of Minnesota elected officials:

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and we are sending wishes for a complete recovery to Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. We stand with state and local law enforcement in Minnesota as they pursue the person responsible for this act of violence. While we don’t yet know his exact motivations, there is no doubt that this kind of political violence stokes panic and distrust in our system of democracy. We must stand united against it, no matter our party allegiance or personal beliefs.

“We are Americans before we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents and as Americans we need to continue to stand for truth, decency, democracy, and freedom. As political leaders of our caucuses we stand together to condemn all violence that threatens the safety of Washingtonians.”

 

Governor signs Braun bill providing schools with cost-saving student transportation options

OLYMPIA…Gov. Bob Ferguson today signed a bill sponsored by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, that will allow schools to use state funding for more appropriate student transportation options when using a school bus is not necessary or cost-effective.

Student transportation to and from school, and to various K-12 programs and services, is funded through the Student Transportation Allocation Reporting System (STARS). Senate Bill 5009 reforms the funding formula to now cover the use of district-owned passenger cars and vans when it is more cost-effective and reasonable than using a school bus to transport only a few students.

Braun said this about his bill:

“When we talk about finding ‘efficiencies’ in state government to cut costs, ensuring taxpayer dollars for K-12 education are spent wisely is at the top of the list. Allowing schools the flexibility to use passenger cars and vans to transport a handful of students may have a relatively small impact on the bottom line, but it makes a lot more sense than paying for only one or two kids to ride a bus that seats 80.

“This new policy will not compromise student safety – drivers still need to meet the same training requirements they do now. Students will need to use seatbelts and follow safety procedures. School districts will be encouraged to use the type of vehicle that is safe and cost-effective for a given situation. My hope is that this new flexibility will translate into savings that can be redirected toward other costs of providing basic education.”

While the section of SB 5009 encouraging schools to use the most cost-effective, approved vehicle option to transport students takes effect July 27, the superintendent of public instruction has until Sept. 1, 2026, to develop rules for drivers transporting students in vehicles other than a school bus.

Governor signs Braun bill expanding technical education to 6th graders

OLYMPIA…A bill sponsored by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, to expand exploratory career and technical education (CTE) to sixth-grade students was signed today by Gov. Bob Ferguson. It will become law 90 days after the Legislature adjourns.

Currently, K-12 education funding provides exploratory CTE to students beginning in seventh grade. Exploratory CTE introduces students to a variety of career paths and industry sectors, sparking their curiosity through early exposure to career options. Senate Bill 5358 expands funding to include sixth graders in the program.

“While we encourage students to attend college, we should also encourage middle school students to explore career options that don’t require a four-year degree – to see what’s out there,” Braun said. “Even if they do choose to go to college, they’ll have a greater appreciation for the trades.”

Middle-school CTE courses cover a wide range of topics, including computer applications such coding and digital design, business management and entrepreneurship, healthcare diagnostics, manufacturing, construction, automotive technology, fabrication and welding, horticulture, early education and the culinary arts. They focus on career exploration, teamwork and problem-solving and typically incorporate field trips and guest speakers to connect students with real-world opportunities.

“Right now, seventh graders can participate in CTE courses, but sixth graders in the same schools cannot,” he added. “My bill expands the funding so all middle school students can participate. At that age, CTE courses help students explore their interests. If they continue into high school, they learn more advanced skills and how to prepare for the workforce. For some students, this exposure can mean the difference between a minimum-wage job and a career that provides a living wage. The demand for workers with technical skills is growing all the time.”

High school students in Washington also have access to CTE courses, but those are considered preparatory. Those courses offer in-depth training in a specific career pathway, including technical skills, certifications and work-based learning such as internships and apprenticeships. Preparatory CTE courses for 11th and 12th graders are taught at skills centers during the regular school day.

Munro showed what a difference one person can make, says Senate Republican Leader

Former secretary of state left his mark on Washington, advocated for disability rights, better social services, refugee housing, trail development, state parks and killer whales – just to name a few

OLYMPIA – Former Secretary of State Ralph Munro left an enduring stamp on the state of Washington over a political career that spanned six decades, said Senate Republican Leader John Braun.

Munro’s death at age 81 was announced Thursday. During a long career of public service, he made his influence felt in many areas, from special education to saving the orcas of Puget Sound, and his involvement in the public arena continued long after he left elective office in 2001.

“Ralph made so many contributions in so many areas that he was really the Renaissance man of Washington politics,” Braun said. “He demonstrated that one person really can make a difference, and you don’t need to be the governor to do it.

“It all started by chance. Ralph was just a couple of years out of college and doing volunteer work at the Fircrest Residential Habitation Center in Pierce County in 1968 when Gov. Dan Evans came out to dedicate a building. Ralph made such an impression on Dan that he quickly found a place on the governor’s staff as an adviser on volunteerism. Ralph’s compassion influenced everything he did, and what he got done was astonishing.

“Munro became a pioneer in the area of disability rights, and he worked to pass legislation requiring our public schools to serve students with physical and mental handicaps. Once the state Legislature passed this bill, it inspired similar ‘education for all’ legislation on the federal level, so I think it is fair to say Ralph played a major role in the national movement to integrate the disabled in society. We saw his impact in big ways and small. For instance, about 50 years ago we started seeing curb-cuts at every streetcorner in the state allowing people in wheelchairs to cross the street without help. Ralph got that bill passed, too, a full 20 years before the feds started requiring handicapped access.

“The disability issue was just the start. Ralph became special assistant to the governor and he was Dan Evans’ ‘boots on the ground’ for numerous projects. He helped transform our state’s hodge-podge of social service agencies into the Department of Social and Health Services, to better coordinate state programs for the disadvantaged. On loan to the Nixon Administration, Ralph helped establish ACTION, the agency that oversaw the Peace Corps and other federal volunteer programs.

“When other states turned their backs on Vietnamese refugees who had supported us in the war, Ralph flew down to Camp Pendleton in California to say Washington was proud to do its part. We wound up hosting 30,000 refugees in this state who faced oppression, imprisonment and death if they had remained in their homeland.

“And it was because Ralph was tooling around on his motorboat on Puget Sound one afternoon that our struggling Puget Sound orca population has managed to survive to this day. He heard the cries of the killer whale calves as they were being separated from their mothers, in what turned out to be the last orca hunt on Puget Sound by the Sea World aquariums. Ralph made sure this hunt was the last, by leading the Evans Administration in a fight that landed in court and ended whaling on Puget Sound forever.

“After Evans left office, Ralph served the state another 20 years as secretary of state. When Ralph was in charge of elections, no one questioned their integrity. He loved the ceremonial aspects of the job, and he made the most of them. He used the office as a platform for the causes he felt most strongly about – protecting the environment and especially Puget Sound, advancing disability rights, preserving our state heritage and promoting our state parks.

“Honoring our history and traditions was always of great importance to Ralph. He chaired our state’s centennial celebration in 1989, and he toured the state talking about the history of state government and our constitution. In the Legislature, at our annual ceremony for legislators who have passed, it was naturally Ralph Munro who led the ceremonies, by serenading us on bagpipes. And there was nothing he loved better than serving as ambassador to the dignitaries who passed through Olympia or whom he met on trade missions abroad.

“We’ve just scratched the surface here. Ralph stayed active in public life right to the end. But I want to single out one of his accomplishments as secretary of state because I think it showed the breadth of his vision. Ralph’s leadership saved the old Milwaukee Road corridor across the Cascades to the Idaho border. When the railroad went defunct, Ralph recognized this would be the state’s only chance to preserve this corridor for public use.

“He helped organize a coalition of lawmakers, horseback riders and other recreational groups to pass legislation to buy the roadbed. Critics asked what on Earth for? But within two years the state made its money back by leasing it out for fiber-optic cables. Today of course this unpaved roadbed has become an increasingly popular trail for mountain bikers, and it has taken on a national significance as a vital link in the projected Great American Rail Trail, a paved bicycle route across the country. If it hadn’t been for Ralph, likely none of this would be happening today.

“We would probably be talking about naming the trail for Ralph if he didn’t have one named for him already. His name lives on in the 4-mile Ralph Munro Trail in Olympia, which he also was instrumental in creating, and in the Ralph Munro Institute for Civic Education at Western Washington University, dedicated to promoting ‘civic literacy.’ For nearly sixty years, Ralph gave us an education in what government can do, and it is hard to think of an honor more fitting.”

Washington State Senate Republicans will honor former Secretary of State Ralph Munro with a Senate floor resolution in April. Details TBD.

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.

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

Republican leader calls for new path toward housing affordability

20th District senator says Democrat colleague’s proposal
to reduce pain at pump also deserves consideration

CENTRALIA… The excessive financial windfall from Washington’s cap-and-tax policy should be used to address the affordability crisis facing the state’s homeowners and renters, says Senate Republican Leader John Braun.

As of last month, state government had already raked in $919.5 million from the combination of quarterly and other auctions of “carbon allowances” allowed under the cap-and-tax policy – formally known as the Climate Commitment Act. The state Department of Ecology announced Wednesday that nearly 8.6 million more allowances sold at a “settlement price” of more than $63 apiece at its third-quarter auction, held Aug. 30. The exact proceeds from that auction will be announced later this month.

Under the cap-and-tax law, roughly $720 million in cap-and-tax proceeds are to be reserved for transportation purposes each fiscal biennium. Braun says the remaining auction proceeds, which could easily top $1 billion before legislators convene for their 2024 session, should be turned into financial relief for property owners and renters.

“While Republicans are determined to address our state’s affordability crisis, many on the majority side seem content to let the cost of living climb even higher,” said Braun, a Centralia resident who serves the 20th Legislative District. “The governor and majority Democrat leaders apparently believe they must discourage fossil-fuel emissions by any means available, even though their climate policy is functioning just like another one of the regressive taxes they often complain about. It’s obvious to everyone but Governor Inslee that cap-and-tax is the reason Washington has had the highest or next-to-highest gas prices since June – which are blowing up the budgets of working people and families, with low-income families hit hardest of all.

“As Democrats are clearly unwilling to join Republicans to reduce the cost of gas in our state, let’s at least bring housing costs down instead,” Braun said. “Take the excess proceeds from their cap-and-tax policy – meaning the money not promised for transportation – and commit those to providing property-tax exemptions and credits to renters, as Republicans had proposed during this year’s legislative session.

“Those who truly believe Washington’s tax system is regressive and are convinced that higher gas prices mean less consumption and therefore fewer emissions should jump at this. They can be true to their climate agenda while putting those carbon-pricing dollars to work making housing more affordable, especially for low-income people. It is inexcusable not to do this.”

Braun also voiced support for a new proposal from Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, that is aimed at reducing the cap-and-tax policy’s inflation of Washington gas prices.

“Senator Mullet has put a thoughtful package of ideas on the table. It appears to respond to concerns I’ve heard and also is in line with some of what a group of lawmakers proposed to Ecology in July. I appreciate that he also is proposing tax relief, in the form of a temporary reduction in car-tab costs, and following through on the fuel-cost exemption that was promised but has not been delivered to our state’s agricultural and maritime industries.

“Like our housing-affordability proposal, his deserves serious consideration sooner rather than later from the leaders on his side of the aisle. We must do better.”

STATEMENT: Just in time for summer driving, Inslee cap-and-tax scheme pushes Washington gas prices to highest in nation

CENTRALIA… The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in Washington is now worst in the nation, and Senate Republican Leader John Braun says the state’s controversial cap-and-tax law is clearly the main driver of the price jump.

Braun, from Centralia, serves Washington’s largely rural 20th Legislative District. He offered this statement regarding the harm being caused to low- and middle-income Washington families, especially those in rural areas, by a law that functions as a gas tax while doing nothing to improve the state’s roads:

“No matter what you call it – cap-and-trade, cap-and-invest, or the more accurate cap-and-tax – this is also a case of bait-and-switch from Governor Inslee and the Democrats who currently run Olympia.

“Almost a year ago the governor defended this scheme by claiming any effect on gas prices would be ‘minimal’ or ‘pennies’ once 2023 arrived, and more of the law took hold. That was either ignorant or dishonest. A gallon of regular unleaded in our state cost $3.84 on average the first week of January. Today it’s $4.89. No one would call that ‘minimal’ or ‘pennies.’

“Those responsible for this harm keep trying to pin the shocking cost increase on the oil companies, yet I don’t hear them explaining why any oil producer would have incentive to raise prices in our state so dramatically in comparison to our neighbors. In Oregon you will pay $4.58 today, and $3.98 in Idaho. The Democrats’ cry of ‘price gouging’ just doesn’t stick when you set all the gas taxes aside and see Washington’s base cost is 20 cents more per gallon than Oregon and 54 cents more than Idaho.

“Midway through this year’s legislative session, as gas prices were falling most everywhere but here, Republicans again proposed a temporary suspension of the state gas tax. An immediate savings of nearly 50 cents per gallon obviously would have helped families lower their cost of living and employers lower the cost of doing business. But our Democratic colleagues showed no more empathy than they had in 2022, when Olympia had a $15 billion surplus and easily could have acted to make driving more affordable.

“If there is price gouging, it’s being done by the governor and his political allies. They have used the power of the state to turn carbon emissions into a commodity, as part of their crusade against fossil fuel and internal-combustion engines. And there’s no end in sight to the pain at the pump, just as the arrival of summer has people looking forward to some traveling and recreation. We must do better.”

STATEMENT: Republican leader cautious about drug-law ‘special’ session

CENTRALIA… State lawmakers have been called into a special session to continue work toward a new state law on the possession of controlled substances, after failing to come to an agreement before the regular legislative session ended April 23.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun offered this comment following Gov. Jay Inslee’s proclamation that the Legislature will reconvene May 16.

“The governor had indicated he would not call a special session until legislative leaders reached an agreement that is worth bringing in front of each chamber. To be clear, we’re not to that point yet, although there have been productive bipartisan discussions over the past week. In that sense his announcement today was unexpected.

“Republicans worked in good faith throughout the regular session toward a new law that will give drug offenders more incentive to enter and complete treatment. We remain committed to that. While I am hopeful for a better outcome this next time around, there is also reason to be cautious. The House Democrats will need to demonstrate a combination of bipartisanship and leadership that was missing during the 105 days of the regular session – especially at the end, when they failed to pass a proposal that was still far from reasonable, and Democrats from all corners falsely claimed that failure was somehow the fault of Republicans, even though we are in the minority.

“All along, Republicans have insisted on a new drug-possession policy that truly works for the stakeholders – law enforcement, the criminal-justice system, and local governments. They need more leverage to save lives, lift people out of the despair that goes with being addicted to drugs like fentanyl, and also reclaim our streets and sidewalks. That’s still the right path for the upcoming special session. We must do better.”