Intro
Tracy Ellis:
It’s the Elephant in the Dome, the official podcast of the Washington State Senate Republican Caucus. I’m Tracy Ellis with Senate Republican Leader John Braun.
The governor has now signed the income tax bill into law. It will go into effect in a couple of years, right?
John Braun:
Yes. It takes effect in 2028.
Tracy Ellis:
So we have a couple of years — and it already looks like there will be a legal challenge.
John Braun:
That’s right. I think it’ll be an interesting couple of years.
Budget Concerns
Tracy Ellis:
At the bill signing there was a lot of talk about what this tax will pay for.
But one thing I find interesting about the budget situation is that it seems like every year the Legislature comes back to session claiming there’s another budget crisis.
They say they don’t have enough money to pay for basic government services — even though there hasn’t been a recession and the state has collected more revenue every year.
Yet we’re still in this situation.
One possible reason might be fraud.
A recent report from the state auditor about the Department of Children, Youth and Families uncovered a surprising number of overpayments and improper payments.
DCYF Audit
John Braun:
Yes, and the bigger concern is the agency’s lack of urgency in addressing it.
They have six people responsible for auditing roughly 400,000 monthly payments going out through various programs.
They only audit about 200 of those payments each month.
The audit found that about 67 percent of the payments reviewed had problems — overpayments or improper payments.
That’s significant evidence of mishandling public funds.
At the same time, the agency has twelve people working in communications and twenty-two people in government affairs.
That raises the question: are resources being used in the right places?
Taxpayer Frustration
Tracy Ellis:
There will always be people trying to rip off the government. That’s unfortunate, but it’s reality.
The government’s job is to watch out for that. And if it’s not happening, that becomes a serious concern — especially when the state is asking taxpayers for billions more through new taxes.
John Braun:
Exactly.
People across Washington get up every day, go to work, take care of their families, support their communities, and pay their taxes.
When they see government failing to manage those dollars responsibly, they get frustrated — and understandably so.
The audit showed clear problems. Yet the agency’s response was essentially to ask for more money to audit itself.
That doesn’t inspire confidence.
Growth of Bureaucracy
Tracy Ellis:
It also raises a broader question about the growth of bureaucracy.
There was a report before this legislative session showing that the number of teachers in school districts remained fairly flat while the number of administrators increased dramatically.
John Braun:
Yes, that trend exists across government.
We keep adding more administrative positions while front-line services struggle.
You see it in education. Test scores continue to decline while bureaucratic costs increase.
You see it in agencies like DCYF as well, where administrative staffing grows while critical services suffer.
Lawsuits Against the State
Tracy Ellis:
Another issue is lawsuits against the state.
Taxpayers are paying hundreds of millions of dollars each year because of litigation involving state agencies.
John Braun:
About $500 million a year.
Over a four-year budget cycle, that’s more than $2 billion.
And the real tragedy is that many of those cases involve vulnerable people — often children or individuals with disabilities who were in the state’s care and were harmed.
So taxpayers pay twice: first through poor services, and then through lawsuit settlements.
Government Growth
John Braun:
Even during periods when the state claims budget shortfalls, state government has added thousands of new employees.
In the private sector, organizations improve efficiency and productivity to stay competitive.
Government often takes a different approach — asking taxpayers for more money.
Can Things Improve?
Tracy Ellis:
You’ve spoken with Governor Ferguson about some of these issues.
Do you think there’s hope for improvement?
John Braun:
I hope so.
Governor Ferguson inherited many challenges after twelve years of the previous administration under Jay Inslee.
He has said the right things about improving accountability.
But at some point results have to follow.
So far, we haven’t seen meaningful changes yet.
Green Hill School
Tracy Ellis:
Let’s talk about one example in your district — Green Hill School, the state juvenile rehabilitation facility.
There have been serious problems there for years.
Have you seen improvement?
John Braun:
It’s difficult to say we’ve turned the corner.
There were long periods of delay and denial before the state even acknowledged the problems.
Republicans have proposed practical policy solutions in the last two legislative sessions to improve safety and management at the facility.
Unfortunately, those proposals were rejected by the Democratic majority.
As a result, the facility continues to face safety concerns, lawsuits, and ongoing instability.
Leadership and Accountability
Tracy Ellis:
Does this all go back to the larger issue you mentioned earlier — a lack of urgency about fraud, accountability, and crime?
John Braun:
I think it does reflect a broader leadership challenge.
There are many good people working in state government, but without strong leadership focused on accountability and performance, problems persist.
Governor Ferguson has said he wants to improve government operations.
But at some point we need to see concrete progress.
Closing
Tracy Ellis:
That’s Senate Republican Leader John Braun.
I’m Tracy Ellis.
This is Elephant in the Dome, the official podcast of the Washington State Senate Republican Caucus.