Leadership Blog

In the News

AUDIO: Sen. Gildon Pushes Back on Income Tax Plan on The Jason Rantz Show

Published on December 23, 2025
On The Jason Rantz Show, Sen. Chris Gildon tells Tim Gaydos (filling in for Jason Rantz) that he’s disappointed in Gov. Ferguson’s push for a future income tax and warns it won’t fix looming budget shortfalls. He argues Democrats’ policies fuel affordability problems and says Republicans want a budget that truly lives within its means.
Read More

AUDIO: Republican budget leader concerned about future income tax, cautious about governor’s budget proposal

Published on December 23, 2025
Governor Bob Ferguson says he isn’t proposing new taxes to balance his supplemental budget — but he is backing a future income tax to deal with shortfalls down the road. Tracy Ellis has more.
Read More

The Elephant in the Dome Podcast—Washington’s Power Crunch: John Braun on the Future of the Grid

Published on December 19, 2025
Senate Republican Leader John Braun joins The Elephant in the Dome to break down Washington’s looming power shortage, the TransAlta coal‑to‑gas transition, the role of hydro and nuclear, and what it will take to keep energy reliable and affordable. TRANSCRIPT
Read More

VIDEO: Washington senators propose bill aiming to make state release of serial rapists more difficult

Published on December 11, 2025
Two months after the release of the late Kevin Coe, Senator Mark Schoesler is proposing a bill that would make it harder to release those convicted of rape.
Read More

AUDIO: Wilson bill would permit voluntary contributions for sea lion control

Published on December 11, 2025
Sea lions are taking a big bite out of Washington’s salmon runs — and Senator Jeff Wilson says boaters can help. Tracy Ellis explains.
Read More

News from the Caucus

May 13, 2025
Keith Goehner

Goehner bill on siting energy projects becomes law

Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Yesterday, the governor signed a bipartisan measure from Sen. Keith Goehner that strengthens local governments’ ability to collaborate with the state on locating major clean-energy projects. The new law clarifies that cities and counties assisting the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC)—the state’s centralized permitting authority for large...
Read More
April 15, 2025
Keith Goehner

Goehner bill to promote responsible growth awaits governor’s signature

Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Legislation sponsored by Sen. Keith Goehner to support counties in updating their land-use policies has received final approval from the Legislature and is now headed to the governor for consideration. Senate Bill 5558 would grant 10 counties—including Chelan and Douglas—an extra six months to review and update their...
Read More
April 04, 2025
Keith Goehner

House committee backs Goehner government-efficiency bill

Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… A House committee has unanimously endorsed legislation from Sen. Keith Goehner that would make it simpler for water-sewer districts to offload surplus property. “Senate Bill 5467 is a common-sense update that ensures our water-sewer districts can operate more efficiently without unnecessary bureaucratic delays,” said Goehner, R-Dryden. “By adjusting...
Read More
February 09, 2024
John Braun

Property tax increase bill dies, won’t get a vote

  OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, made the following comments in reaction to the announcement that the proposal to allow local governments to raise property taxes by up to 3% annually without a vote of the people is dead for this legislative session. The Democratic sponsor of Senate Bill 5770 told The Washington State...
Read More
1