News from the Caucus
A weekly summary of Senate Republican Caucus content, featuring links to videos, radio and podcast appearances, press releases, social media posts, priority bills, and a short list of bad bills to watch.
Republican budget leaders appreciate governor’s stance on budget situation
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:...
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43,153 people sign in to oppose property-tax increase being heard today in Senate budget committee
OLYMPIA…More than 43,000 people have signed in to oppose Senate Bill 5978, a proposal that would drastically raise property taxes — more than four times the opposition received for any previous bill to receive a public hearing in the Senate. SB 5978 is scheduled for a hearing today at 4 p.m. in the Senate Ways...
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NEWSFLASH: Increasing state spending to between $77.8 and $78.5 billion
REMINDER: Sign in CON Don’t miss the opportunity Monday, March 31 to sign in CON on the Democrat bill to increase the annual property tax growth rate that state and local governments can charge without your approval. It and other tax bills will be heard in the Senate budget committee (Ways & Means) at 4...
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ALERT: Sign in CON on bill to SKYROCKET your property taxes
SAY NO TO THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE Property tax increase will be heard in the Ways & Means Committee meeting at 4 p.m., Monday, March 31. Don’t let this bill out of committee. As part of the largest tax increase in Washington state history, the majority wants to remove the 1% cap on...
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Braun: Tell the majority “NO” on higher property taxes
OLYMPIA – A Democrat-sponsored bill that could dramatically increase Washington’s property taxes will receive a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee at 4 p.m. Monday, March 31. The public is encouraged to sign in CON, testify against the bill, and/or submit written testimony opposing it. Senate Bill 5798 would remove the 1%...
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Democrats’ budget proposals don’t justify massive tax hikes, say Republican budget leaders
OLYMPIA… Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, and Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, offered this reaction to the operating budgets proposed today by the Legislature’s majority Democrats. The Senate majority’s plan would spend $78.5 billion in the 2025-27 budget cycle – $3 billion more than the Senate Republican “$ave Washington” proposal – while the corresponding House Democrats’ plan...
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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...
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Legislative Republicans support ban to prohibit a personal income tax
Click here for a timeline of the 11 voter rejections of an income tax in Washington state. OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, and House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, released the following statement in response to the certification of I-2111, which would enact a ban that would prohibit any level of government from imposing...
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Republican leaders support Initiative 2117 to repeal carbon tax, call for public hearings on the measure
Senate Republican Leader John Braun and House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary released a joint statement today following the certification of Initiative 2117 (Concerning carbon tax credit trading) by the Secretary of State on Tuesday. “Governor Inslee and Democrats misled the public about the costs of the carbon tax on working families, farmers and small businesses. Now...
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Senator says Ecology must be open about program driving up fuel prices
OLYMPIA… While raking in more than $1 billion from the carbon-pricing program that is behind Washington’s crushingly high fuel prices, the state Department of Ecology isn’t being fully open about who is buying and holding the carbon credits. A state senator says that has to change. The state’s Climate Commitment Act requires Ecology to post...
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Let people choose whether payroll tax is right for them, Republicans say
OLYMPIA… Several of Washington’s Senate Republicans say the next time legislators are in session, they’ll try again to give workers an opportunity to opt out of the mandatory long-term care tax that began cutting into paychecks July 1. “Workers around our state are looking at their pay stubs and saying ‘I didn’t ask for this...
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Don’t count on Democrats for relief from high prices
At the risk of dating myself, I was a young mother right around the last time the inflation rate in our state was like it is now… very high and skyrocketing! I know what it’s like to do the dollar-stretching and prioritizing that has suddenly become a necessity for today’s younger generation, especially parents. I...
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