OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun released the following statement after the 2023 Washington State Legislature adjourned after a 105-day legislative session. “Republicans have a lot to be proud of this year. We were able to address each of our top priorities: public safety, affordability and education. We had some big disappointments as well, but we […]
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OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun offered this comment following Rep. J.T. Wilcox’s announcement today that he is stepping down as House Republican leader, a position he has held since March 2018: “Representative Wilcox and I have similar experiences as legislators, from when we were elected and our budget-committee backgrounds to when we became leaders […]
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OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun today provided the following comments after the Senate’s narrow passage of legislation that is a half-step toward letting law-enforcement officers engage in vehicular pursuits in more situations than Washington law has allowed since 2021. Senate Bill 5352 was passed with a 26-22 vote, representing the mixed feelings about the bill on […]
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20 Senate Democrats think your property taxes are too low, so they have sponsored Senate Bill 5770. It would triple the growth rate of state and local property taxes by increasing the cap from 1% to 3%. In just six years, it would cost taxpayers $4.1 billion. FISCAL IMPACT Read the Department of Revenue’s fiscal […]
Read MoreOLYMPIA… All members of the Senate Republican Caucus voted against a bill passed today by majority Democrats to ban a specific group of semi-automatic firearms in Washington. The legislation, approved on a 27-21 vote, would prohibit the sale, offer of sale, manufacture, import, and distribution of modern sporting rifles, which Democrats call “assault weapons.” House […]
Read MoreSenate Republican Leader John Braun shares a few of the details in the Senate’s capital and operating budget proposals that with our top three priorities.
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Court’s ruling ignores overwhelming evidence capital gains tax is an income tax OLYMPIA…The Washington State Supreme Court today ruled that the income tax on capital gains passed last year by Democrats in Legislature is an excise tax, contrary to overwhelming evidence that it is a graduated income tax. Graduated income taxes are unconstitutional in Washington […]
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OLYMPIA… Sen. Lynda Wilson of Vancouver, budget leader for Senate Republicans, offered this reaction to the state Supreme Court’s ruling today that the tax on capital-gains income adopted by Democratic legislators in 2021 is constitutional. The 7-2 decision overturns a lower-court ruling issued in March 2022 by a Douglas County Superior Court judge in the […]
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Provides nearly $70 million for to address students’ learning loss, additional $800 million for special education OLYMPIA…The 2023-2025 Senate operating budget proposal released today includes nearly $70 million to help Washington’s students recover from learning loss resulting from remote learning and school closures during the pandemic. It also includes an additional $800 million over the […]
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OLYMPIA… Key Senate Republicans say there is much to appreciate about the 2023-25 operating-budget proposed by the state Senate majority today, starting with a lack of new taxes and a much lower spending increase than in recent years – and how it responds to Republican concerns, especially regarding K-12 education. The $69.2 billion Senate proposal […]
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