Senate Republican Caucus

Let people choose whether payroll tax is right for them, Republicans say

OLYMPIA… Several of Washington’s Senate Republicans say the next time legislators are in session, they’ll try again to give workers an opportunity to opt out of the mandatory long-term care tax that began cutting into paychecks July 1. “Workers around our state are looking at their pay stubs and saying ‘I didn’t ask for this […]

OLYMPIA…The Washington State Legislature passed a compromise bill on the possession of hard drugs such as fentanyl today during a one-day special session. Senate Republican Leader John Braun and House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary provided the following comments in response: “This bill isn’t perfect, but it is a strong step in the right direction and […]

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 […]

Members of Legislature’s majority blame police, alleged ‘misinformation’ from Republicans for interest in rolling policy back to ‘reasonable suspicion’ standard OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, shared the following comments in response to accusations by a House Democrat that the public’s interest in reforming the current police pursuit law is a result of lies […]

Sen. John Braun’s weekly leadership update – week 6

Watch: Police pursuit and drug possession remain top concerns for Senate Republicans as we try to convince Legislative Democrats to grant hearings for the bills that would remedy some of these issues.

Where is the ‘equity’ for victims of crime?

— August 8, 2022 It was apparent then, and is even more apparent today: The 2021 legislative session really pushed our state in the wrong direction. Governor Inslee and others who longed for a state income tax finally got their way. Hard drugs were essentially legalized. Even worse, it was done in a way that […]

Governor, you’re no Tom Brady

July 12, 2021 The governor’s use of football metaphors when speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic got old a long time ago, but he really fumbled recently by equating his administration’s pandemic response with winning the Super Bowl. Good grief. Has Governor Inslee forgotten about Suzi LeVine? Countless Washington families suffered because he drafted her for […]

Republican leaders again call on Gov. Jay Inslee to fully reopen the state

House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox and Senate Republican Leader John Braun released the following statement today: “We are calling on Governor Inslee to fully reopen the state immediately. He had left the door open to a reopening before June 30, and we viewed June 15 as a more appropriate target. Now, with vaccination rates continuing […]

Republican lawmakers: Move schools, employers to next phase now

‘Open Safe, Open Now: A Republican plan for Phase 3 and Beyond’ shows trust in the people READ THE PLAN OLYMPIA…In response to sharply declining COVID-19 case rates and hospitalization rates statewide, legislative Republicans today announced a simple, practical and consistent plan to get all communities in Washington fully open for both school and […]

Positive revenue forecast doesn’t reduce need for special legislative session, says Braun

OLYMPIA… While this year’s final forecast of state-government revenues for 2020 shows an increase of $634 million for the current two-year budget cycle, Sen. John Braun says the news masks serious concerns about the state economy that require attention from the Legislature ahead of its 2021 session. Braun, R-Centralia, who is Republican leader on the […]