Tag Archives: Sen. John Braun

Are you broke yet? Democrats ready to pass even more taxes in 2026

LISTEN: Jobs Tax. Income Tax. Innovation Tax. Sen. John Braun Says: Enough to Democrat Tax Hikes

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Affordability remains the number one concern for families across Washington, yet the policies championed by Democrats in Olympia continue to push our state further out of step with the rest of the country. Instead of easing pressures, their decisions are making Washington one of the least affordable places to live, work, and run a business.

Gas prices are falling nationwide, but Washington still ranks among the top three most expensive states in the country. Our restaurants face the highest operating costs in America while earning the lowest profit margins. Schools, nonprofits, and small businesses are still suffering from last year’s expansion of the sales tax.

As we approach the 2026 legislative session, people have every reason to be concerned. We are currently facing a $4 billion budget shortfall, but so far, we are hearing about proposals in the neighborhood of $11 billion in new or higher taxes.

Democratic leaders have already announced plans for a new tax on jobs—one that threatens our economy—and they have openly stated their intent to pass a state income tax this year.

When they tell you they plan to do this, believe them.

The reality about a state income tax

Washington’s constitution prohibits a graduated income tax. Any tax that applies only to individuals earning above a certain amount—while exempting everyone else—is unconstitutional. Despite this, Democrats appear determined to push one through anyway and send it to the state Supreme Court, hoping the court will reclassify it as an “excise tax.”

If that happens, the door opens for the very tax Washington voters have rejected 11 times at the ballot box.

Some voters mistakenly believe that adopting an income tax would mean eliminating our sales tax. That is not on the table. There is no proposal—none—to model our system after Oregon’s, which has an income tax but no sales tax.

Meanwhile, several of our largest employers have already stated publicly that they will leave Washington if an income tax is enacted. For decades, our Democratic governors touted the lack of an income tax as a key incentive for companies to locate here. Now, the majority party is prepared to give those same employers every reason to leave.

We have a fight ahead

Republicans will fight to protect you, your paycheck, and your job from any attempt to impose an income tax in Washington. But we cannot do it alone.

You can make a difference by contacting Democratic legislators and telling them to reject this tax. You can testify when the bill receives a hearing. And you can encourage your friends, neighbors, and family members to get involved as well.

Learn how to testify in committee

I will keep you updated as this and other harmful proposals move through the Legislature. Your participation matters. Your voice matters.

Together, we can make sure our voices are heard.

Sincerely,

Senator John Braun

Can Washington afford it?

Before passing another law, we should ask one question: Can Washington afford it – not just in dollars, but
in safety, trust and opportunity?

Families across Washington are struggling to pay bills, find affordable housing, and feel safe in their
communities. Polls show “affordability” is the people’s top priority. Every decision in Olympia has a cost,
and it’s time we make affordability the test for every policy – financial, moral and generational.

As the minority, our job is to hold the majority accountable for the cost of their leadership and to offer
common-sense solutions Washington CAN afford.
This session we will connect every issue – from taxes to education to public safety – back to this simple,
people-centered truth:

Washington can’t afford policies that make life harder for the families we represent.

Myth vs fact:

MYTH: So much was cut from the budget last year that there isn’t anything left to cut.

FACT: The budget actually GREW by 8.2% last year. Democrats didn’t make cuts – they changed their funding priorities and programs such as one caring for drug-addicted babies were defunded.

MYTH: Last year’s deficit was $16 billion to $20 billion.

FACT: According to NONPARTISAN staff, the true deficit was $7.3 billion. Democrats made a policy choice to fund $4 billion in pay raises for state employees. They did NOT need to pass the largest tax increase in state history.

MYTH: We need more “revenue,” including an income tax.

FACT: The Democratic majority doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem. Democrats need to reevaluate their priorities. Also, a graduated income tax, which taxes people at different rates based on their income, is unconstitutional in Washington and voters have rejected a state income tax 11 times. This hasn’t deterred Democrats from pushing for one and lobbying the state Supreme Court to consider it an excise tax instead.

By the numbers:

The fastest growing part of the budget is lawsuit settlements worth billions of taxpayer dollars paid to victims and their families for Democratic mismanagement of state agencies and their policies that result in the injury and death of the most vulnerable.
Washington remains dead last nationwide for the number of law enforcement officers per capita, despite the hiring of more than 300 new officers.
Washington is one of the three most expensive states for gas prices due to $0.52/gal in Democratic carbon taxes
The average household income in Washington is roughly half what is required to qualify for the median-priced home.
Washington’s restaurants have to charge the highest prices in the nation, but have the lowest profit margins in the nation (1.5% compared to the 4% national average).
Washington is rated 35th nationwide for business climate, down from 15th in 2022. The drop is due to the income tax on capital gains.
Washington ranks as the 7th least affordable state for infant care, with care for one infant costing 17.8% of a family’s yearly income.
Democratic policies will force an 18.6% electric rate hike over the next two years for many Western Washington consumers.
Washington could see blackouts across the state due to Democrats’ policies that will remove 1292 megawatts of electricity from the grid in 2026.

Keep Washington Livable

Reject policies that make life more expensive
Advance solutions that reduce costs and reward hard work and innovation
Protect jobs and keep job providers in Washington

Washington can’t afford higher taxes and fewer economic opportunities.

Keep Washington Safe

Prioritize victims over offenders
Expand and strengthen law enforcement
Protect kids from overdoses, abuse and exploitation

Washington can’t afford policies that put our communities in danger.

Keep Washington’s Promise

Improve public school academic attendance and performance
Support stronger, healthier families
Reinvest in foster care and childcare programs

Washington can’t afford to neglect its responsibility to our kids and to their future prosperity.

Local flooding and a state of emergency

The 20th Legislative District has been impacted by heavy rains this week, resulting in localized flooding and landslides. Randall is completely cut off and Highway 12 remains closed, officials do not know when roads will reopen.

The governor has declared a state of emergency, which includes the activation of 300 National Guardsmen to assist with response (pending approval from the federal government.)

Today, at noon, he held a news conference to update everyone on the status of the response. Watch the press conference.

According to the governor and emergency management officials, the situation is unpredictable. They do not know exactly what will happen when the second wave of water reaches the lower areas of the rivers. They expect rivers to crest around 10 p.m.

This is affecting areas on both sides of the mountains and up and down the entire state.

If you have been advised to evacuate, please do so. Do not drive through standing water. Stay off of the dikes – they could fail and cause serious injury. What we will see happen this evening will test the work done after the work done in 2021 on our levies. Do not assume that because you made it through previous floods okay that you won’t experience dangerous conditions now.

The next 12 hours will be critical and will place a lot of demands on our emergency services. You can help by following guidelines and staying away from evacuated areas and flood waters.

I am concerned for all who are impacted and urge everyone to continue to take necessary precautions. As always, I hear stories of our local emergency personnel, government officials, and community members who have stepped up to care for their neighbors. I am grateful to serve a community that is defined a strong sense of care.

My latest column: Soft-on-crime legislators have blood on their hands, local prosecutor says

On the surface, a pair of murders in our state nearly two months ago don’t have anything in common except for each occurring in mid-October and resulting in the arrest of a young man.

One occurred in north Seattle, the other in Spokane — far from our corner of the state. Yet it’s a local prosecutor, Lewis County’s Jonathan Meyer, who sees two common denominators.

Not only are the suspected murderers both former residents of Green Hill School, the county’s state-run juvenile facility, but he ties the timing of the crimes to this year’s passage of House Bill 1815.

It’s among the latest additions to a very long list of soft-on-crime laws supported by Democrats.

READ THE FULL COMMENTARY

$292 million failure shows state’s incompetence is a feature, not a fluke

CENTRALIA — Senate Republican Leader John Braun, Centralia, issued the following statement today in response to the Seattle Times report that the state has suspended a $292 million IT modernization project after more than a decade of failed progress:

“Suspending this project further exposes a long-standing problem with large state contracts – the chronic mismanagement of taxpayer dollars. That the dysfunction and incompetence of demonstrated here ever got this far without results or accountability is shameful. We have a culture of apathy, excuse-making, and blurred responsibility in our state government today, and this is just one example.

“If this had happened in the private sector, someone would’ve been fired years ago. Instead, we watched the price tag skyrocket and deadlines slip while agency leaders shrugged or got bogged down in power struggles and petty squabbles. That’s not public service — it’s public negligence.

Braun called for accountability for those responsible for overseeing, or hindering, the failed IT project and urged the development of a new oversight structure for large-scale state contracts.

“Washingtonians deserve better. We need a clear process where qualified project managers with real-world experience — not political appointees — are empowered to make decisions and stop waste before it spirals out of control. And this needs to extend beyond IT projects. This process should extend to all state agencies – including the Department of Transportation, which is constantly plagued with missed deadlines and blown budgets because no one provides serious oversight or enforces standards of performance.

“The upcoming 2026 Legislative Session provides an opportunity for the Legislature to rein in government waste and prove that we take our fiduciary responsibility to the people of Washington seriously. If the majority won’t sponsor legislation to hold those in charge more accountable, Republicans will.”

NEWSLETTER: How did Washington issue this driver a CDL?

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

By now, you’ve seen the stories on the news about the commercial truck driver who caused the deaths of three people while performing an illegal U-turn on a three-lane highway in Florida. The press has reported that the driver, Mr. Harjinder Singh, was issued a commercial driver’s license here in Washington.

As it turns out, Mr. Singh is in the United States illegally, but legal immigration status is required by both federal and state law to qualify for a CDL.

A post-crash assessment administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) revealed that Mr. Singh had a significant language barrier. He answered only two out of 12 questions correctly on a verbal English test and failed a road sign test, identifying only one of four signs correctly.

How then, did Washington state issue Mr. Singh a commercial driver’s license?

The simple answer is: Because DOL violated both federal and state law.

Existing Law

To legally obtain a CDL in Washington, you must:

Be at least 18 (or 21 for interstate driving)
Hold a valid Washington driver’s license
Submit documentation verifying legal presence or lawful status
Pass both knowledge and practical driving (skills) tests
Meet medical fitness standards

Similarly, federal law also requires proof that someone is in the United States legally in order to qualify for a CDL. As I mentioned, Mr. Singh did not meet this basic requirement and should not have been issued a CDL in any state.

Both the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Washington State Department of Licensing have said they will investigate the incident. When nonpartisan committee staff asked DOL what their timeline would be for their investigation, DOL’s legislative and policy director sent an email reply that included the following statement:

“Regardless of what type of license was issued, Mr. Singh would have received a commercial driver license because he passed all of the required tests and met all requirements.”

Since he is in the United States illegally, we know this is not true. So, how did this happen?

DOL Failure

Simply put, DOL violated state and federal law by issuing the CDL to Mr. Singh.

This glaring oversight will have political ramifications for Washington. Depending on the results of the federal investigation, we could lose $10.5 million a year in federal funding.

Was the law overlooked or ignored? Is staff receiving the proper training to deny licenses to illegal immigrants? We deserve to know.

We also deserve to know how many other unqualified individuals are driving commercial trucks on our highways. Depending on what we learn through the investigations, we may need to address this during the upcoming legislative session. We should, at the very least, align our law with federal law, requiring commercial drivers to be proficient in English, so they are able to read road signage and read emergency notifications.

Democrat-perpetuated Problem

My colleague, Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, sponsored a bill (Senate Bill 5464) last session that would have required DOL to update its CDL/immigration status code for clarity. It also would have required the agency to make available the information on how immigration status impacts the ability to get a CDL.

Most importantly, Sen. King’s bill would have required better training for department staff on what kind of documentation is required to prove citizenship/residency.

Unfortunately, majority Democrats killed the bill. Thanks to them, Washington is a “sanctuary state,” and they argued SB 5464 would lead to the DOL reporting illegal immigrants to the federal government.

Did our “sanctuary state” status influence the process at DOL that allowed Mr. Singh to get his license? That remains to be seen. But it’s clear that the law was not followed and three people died because of it.

I’ll be watching as this develops.

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

Sincerely,

John Braun

$292 million failure shows state’s incompetence is a feature, not a fluke

Following is a news release I sent to the press this morning.

CENTRALIA — Senate Republican Leader John Braun issued the following statement today in response to the Seattle Times report that the state has suspended a $292 million IT modernization project after more than a decade of failed progress:

Braun called for accountability for those responsible for overseeing, or hindering, the failed IT project and urged the development of a new oversight structure for large-scale state contracts.

Majority’s massive expansion of sales tax is costly, chaotic and unnecessary

The following is my commentary that appeared in The Centralia Chronicle on Aug. 22.

A colleague of mine was recently told by his teen’s drivers-education school to expect a larger bill this fall because of the “crazy tax hikes signed by the governor.” In this case it’s the new law that will force even more businesses in our state to collect sales tax, starting Oct. 1.

The person who delivered the bad news was apologetic; however, this is the fault of the state’s majority Democrats. A teen-driving course that now costs $650 will soon be closer to $715 once you add the new sales tax — passed primarily to cover the multibillion-dollar pay raises for state workers approved by the previous governor.

Even though it’s estimated to cost nearly $4 billion over four years, the sales-tax hike isn’t the largest of the tax increases that will hit when October arrives. That title belongs to the jump in the business-and-occupation tax rate, which is expected to take another $5.6 billion from Washington employers over four years.

Read the full column.

Fairness in Sports, Food Access, and Forest Stewardship: A Triple Challenge for Washington

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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