Leadership Blog

In the News

VIDEO: FOX News: America Reports: Sen. John Braun on Parental Rights

Published on February 10, 2025
Washington State Senate Republican Leader John Braun talks with FOX News’ John Roberts about parental rights.
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VIDEO: Protecting Parents’ Rights, Kids’ Safety & Fiscal Responsibility with Sen. John Braun

Published on February 07, 2025
Senate Republican Leader John Braun, 20th LD, shares his weekly legislative update. This week in Olympia, Senate Democrats pass SB 5181 — a bill that undermines the Parents’ Rights Act. Braun’s bill that adds fentanyl to the list of drugs in the child endangerment law passes in the Senate. Recent test scores show our kids...
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AUDIO: Senate Republican Leadership Update with Sen. John Braun

Published on February 06, 2025
Sen. Braun talks about a bill that cleared the State Senate that removes key parental notification rights codified in last year’s Parents’ Rights Initiative.
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AUDIO: Republicans oppose Senate passage of bill to undermine parental-rights initiative

Published on February 05, 2025
Controversial legislation that weakens the Parents’ Bill of Rights Initiative cleared the State Senate. Tracy Ellis reports the bill comes just a year after the Legislature approved the initiative.
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VIDEO: Legislative Republican Leadership Media Availability: Public Safety, Affordability, and Education in Focus

Published on February 04, 2025
Republican leaders in the Washington State Legislature discussed key priorities: public safety, affordability, and K-12 education. They support a $100M law enforcement funding bill, oppose rent control, and push for non-tax budget solutions. They criticize Democratic handling of parental rights and fentanyl issues while seeking bipartisan efforts in behavioral health and special education funding.
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News from the Caucus

March 31, 2023
Senate Republican Caucus

Sen. Braun’s leadership update: The Senate operating budget proposal

Senate Republican Leader John Braun shares how the 2023-25 Senate operating budget proposal invests in education.
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March 28, 2023
Nikki Torres

Torres ‘stunned’ by House failure to advance bill regarding missing and murdered Indigenous people bill

Today state Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, released the following comments in response to reports that House Democrats are preparing to kill her bill to implement recommendations from the state’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) task force. Torres’ bill is part of the Legislature’s efforts to identify the root causes of the shockingly...
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March 23, 2023
Senate Republican Caucus

Republican budget leaders encouraged by ‘inclusive’ Senate operating-budget proposal

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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October 03, 2022
Senate Republican Caucus

Price tag for public employee raises could have funded tax relief for everyone, says Braun

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following statement in response to the announcement today by the Office of Financial Management (OFM) that the collective bargaining agreements with the public employees union, negotiated by the governor and his campaign donors in secret, will cost more than $1 billion. “I don’t fault public employees for...
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February 11, 2021
Senate Republican Caucus

Senate Republicans unveil budget to help state restart and recover

Plan to get schools open and people back to work also doesn’t need more taxes OLYMPIA… Less than one-third of the way through the 2021 legislative session, Senate Republicans have stepped forward with a 2021-23 budget proposal aimed at restarting schools and bringing jobs back, while saving money for lower-income families. “Senate Republicans have been...
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June 21, 2017
Mark Schoesler

‘No government shutdown’ assures Senate majority leader

Schoesler maintains confidence that budget deal will be reached in time to avoid partial shutdown OLYMPIA…Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement of a third special legislative session to finalize negotiations on a budget for the 2017-19 biennium. “I fully expect the budget teams to submit a...
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February 16, 2016
John Braun

Braun bill to boost state’s mental-health system approved

Today the state Senate approved legislation introduced by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia to expand the pool of medical professionals capable of addressing mental-health needs of Washingtonians. Senate Bill 6445, which cleared the Senate unanimously, would clarify state law to include physician assistants in the delivery of mental-health services. “Our state needs more mental-health professionals to...
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July 27, 2015
Senate Republican Caucus

Senate majority makes college more affordable with historic tuition cuts

Senate Majority leader Mark Schoesler recaps the news coverage of an historic session: ‘Historic’ tuition cut sets state apart from rest of U.S. Seattle Times, June 13, 2015 Washington’s move isn’t well-known elsewhere in the country, but some say it could spur other states to think about cuts. “I don’t know how widely known this proposal...
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June 17, 2015
Senate Republican Caucus

2015: Best year for students and teachers in decades

Sen. Bruce Dammeier, vice chair of the Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee answers the question, “What have lawmakers done for students this year?” Senate education budget facts: Greatest new investment in K-12 of any budget in state history. 47 percent of the budget dedicated to K-12 education — a share not seen since the...
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May 11, 2015
Senate Republican Caucus

2015: Best year for K-12 education funding in decades

Washington’s education union is planning a series of one-day strikes protesting the Legislature’s work on education funding. See here for information on the strike. What have lawmakers done for students this year? Greatest new investment in K-12 of any budget in state history Bipartisan efforts would invest in all-day kindergarten, K-3 class size reduction and...
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May 07, 2015
Senate Republican Caucus

2015 – A great year for education

Washington’s education union is planning a series of one-day strikes protesting the Legislature’s work on education funding. See here for information on the strike. What have lawmakers done for students this year? Greatest new investment in K-12 of any budget in state history Bipartisan efforts would invest in all-day kindergarten, K-3 class size reduction and...
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April 29, 2015
John Braun

Tuition-cap bill approved by Senate

College affordability one step closer for Washington Families The Senate Majority’s College Affordability Program, Senate Bill 5954 passed with bipartisan support but surprising opposition from half of Senate Democrats. The bill, sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, and chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, Sen. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor would reduce...
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