News from the Caucus

No matter how many times the governor said it in his news conference and no matter how many times the press repeats Democrat talking points…   The TRUE budget shortfall number was never higher than $7.5 billion.   The nonpartisan legislative staff with Senate Committee Services (SCS) and the House Office of Program Research (OPR),...

OLYMPIA… Senate Republican leaders say the governor chose the wrong side today in signing a new state operating budget that relies on the largest package of tax increases in Washington history. Despite earlier denouncing new taxes that would hit the state’s working families, Gov. Bob Ferguson decided not to veto bills that will extend the...

Silence: Still no word on budget negotiations How much will the 2025-27 operating budget increase state spending and taxes?     How much will the 2025-27 operating budget increase state spending and taxes?   That’s a good question. We’re not sure yet what the full scope of the budget and its taxes will be because...

Areas outside Seattle will see an increase of nearly 20% next year and 55% over the next 6 years.   OLYMPIA…Contrary to news-media reports indicating the Legislature’s majority Democrats have abandoned their push for higher property taxes, House Bill 2049 would still allow significant property-tax increases by raising the cap on local school-district levies, which...

OLYMPIA… Today the Senate majority approved a sales-tax increase that will hit lower- and middle-income families harder, a tax increase that will drive capital out of Washington, and a collection of unrelated tax increases that includes a new tax on self-storage rentals. Sen. Chris Gildon of Puyallup, Senate Republican budget leader, offered this reaction to...

Republicans provide a no-new-tax budget option Democrats ignore our fiscally sound approach   It’s official. The Senate Republican operating budget proposal known as $ave Washington is now an official bill and could easily be adopted by the Legislature. Senate Bill 5810 does not rely on ANY new or higher taxes. It also does not make...

    Addition of even MORE taxes will double what you’ll pay!   In response to the record opposition to the BILLIONS in new and higher taxes Democrats plan to implement this year, they decided to DOUBLE DOWN by more than doubling the number of tax proposals. Let’s take a closer look: A new property...

WATCH: Sen. John Braun telling it like it is on property taxes and rent control     Senate Republican Leader John Braun tells us how it really is with the majority’s effort to: Remove the annual growth rate cap on your property taxes (SB 5798) so government can increase your property taxes by four or...

OLYMPIA…Today, majority Democrats in the Washington State Senate passed a misguided rent-control bill they claim will address the state’s critical shortage of affordable housing. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, voted against House Bill 1217, as did his Republican colleagues. Braun shared this reaction to the vote: “We all agree that rents across our state...

“Regular people” will share personal impacts of bill to remove cap from annual property tax growth rate   OLYMPIA — The Washington State Senate Republican Caucus will hold a news conference to oppose continued efforts by majority Democrats to eliminate the 1% cap on the annual growth of state and local property taxes. Community members...

    “Sometimes we need to tell our friends hard truths.” Earlier this week, the governor announced at a press conference that he will not sign any version of an operating budget that does not meet the following requirements: Protects the “rain-day fund” Is based on realistic revenue projections Minimizes new investments Includes savings and...

OLYMPIA… The senators behind the no-new-taxes, no-cuts operating “$ave Washington” budget proposed by Senate Republicans offered this reaction to comments made today by Gov. Bob Ferguson about the operating budgets adopted by the Senate and House of Representatives in the past few days. From Sen. Chris Gildon of Puyallup, who is Senate Republican budget leader:...