News from the Caucus

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… On April 10, the state House of Representatives approved legislation from Sen. Matt Boehnke that is intended to make college or a technical school more accessible for Washington students. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for further consideration. Senate Bill 5543 would extend eligibility for...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/CREDIT: Washington State Legislature OLYMPIA… Friday, Sen. Matt Boehnke voiced strong opposition to the Senate majority’s approval of House Bill 1296, calling the legislation “a direct assault on parental authority and local control in education.” The bill would significantly expand the power of the state’s superintendent of public instruction to investigate and...

Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… State Sen. Keith Goehner today raised serious concerns about the Senate majority’s support of House Bill 1296, criticizing the measure as an unwarranted expansion of state authority that would sideline parents and erode local oversight in education. Goehner, R-Dryden, issued this statement following the Senate vote: “This legislation...

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…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, says Washington teachers don’t deserve to have incentive bonuses cut in half by Democrats. Educators in Washington currently qualify for a bonus for achieving certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. They can receive an additional bonus for teaching in a school that the state classifies as...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Two of Sen. Matt Boehnke’s pro-education bills have cleared the first deadline for legislation to move forward from policy committees in the Senate. “Both of these bills will allow our higher-education system to accommodate more students to be successful as they move beyond the K-12 level,” Boehnke...

OLYMPIA… A bill introduced by Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, to help school districts address chronic absenteeism has been approved by the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee and now awaits consideration by the full Senate. Senate Bill 5007 is aimed at supporting students at risk of falling behind academically due to excessive...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Legislation from Sen. Matt Boehnke aimed at improving access to education was endorsed today by the state Senate’s higher-education committee. Committee members, who include Boehnke, supported two of his bills. One is Senate Bill 5542, to accommodate more enrollment in high-school completion programs at community and technical...

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, today shared his reaction to comments made by Seattle school teacher Ian Golash during an interview posted Friday to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. When asked if the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas terrorists on Israeli citizens was justified, Golash responded, “Yes.” As the...

OLYMPIA…A bill from Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, that would require Washington public schools to teach about the Jewish Holocaust and other campaigns of genocide will receive a public hearing tomorrow (Jan. 17) before the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee. The committee meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m. Senate Bill 5851, which...

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...

Bipartisan bill would make K-12 curriculum Nazi genocide of Jews mandatory   OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, and Sen. Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline, pre-filed a bill today (Senate Bill 5851) for the 2024 legislative session that would make it mandatory for Washington’s K-12 public schools to teach the Jewish Holocaust curriculum developed by the Office...