News

Today State Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Shelton, issued a formal demand for an immediate special session of the Washington State Legislature to address the compounding effects of skyrocketing fuel prices, hidden utility taxes, and looming double-digit electricity rate hikes. MacEwen is calling on Gov. Bob Ferguson and the Legislature’s Democratic majority to stop ignoring the financial...

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, issued the following response today to a state audit that uncovered widespread non-compliance and staggering overpayment rates within the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). The audit, which examined the use of federal funds during the 2025 fiscal year, was made public yesterday. “This audit confirms what many...

Governor should also bring lawmakers back to rework unaffordable budget OLYMPIA… Leaders of the state Senate Republican Caucus have called on Gov. Bob Ferguson to veto the income-tax bill passed by majority Democrats during this year’s annual session. In their letter requesting the veto, the Republican leaders also urged the governor to call legislators back...

OLYMPIA… Today’s Senate vote on a final supplemental operating budget for the 2025-27 biennium gave Senate Republican budget leaders another opportunity to express their concerns about the inability of majority Democrats to restrain government spending. Like the separate versions approved in recent days by Senate and House Democrats, the $80.1 billion budget compromise greatly outspends...

On Tuesday, House Democrats passed the state income tax (Senate Bill 6346) after more than 24 hours of debate, ignoring the impact it will have on our economy and the essential fact that it is unconstitutional. They did so despite all the opposition from across the state – voters, newspaper editorial boards, minority business owners,...

OLYMPIA… Leaders in the Senate Republican Caucus offered these reactions to today’s announcement by Gov. Bob Ferguson that he will support the proposed state income tax if a rewrite suggested by House Democrats is approved. From Senate Republican Leader John Braun, of Centralia: “Washingtonians have voted down an income tax 11 times. That should mean...

OLYMPIA… The Senate’s majority Democrats today adopted a supplemental operating budget that would raid Washington’s rainy-day fund and other accounts to push state spending above $80 billion for the remainder of the 2025-27 biennium. Republican budget leaders are disappointed that billions of dollars are being pulled from one-time sources to support spending far beyond the...

Senate Democrats passed their $80 billion operating budget Friday — a budget that relies on: The hope that $801 million in appropriated money WON’T actually get spent $114 million in higher taxes, on top of the record $12.3 billion in state and local tax increases last year One-time money: Drains unrestricted reserves by $2.4 billion;...

OLYMPIA… The budget leaders for the state’s Senate Republicans offered this assessment of the supplemental 2025-27 operating budget from majority Democrats, which will have a public hearing this afternoon before the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The proposal would push state spending above the $80 billion mark for the first time and represent an 11.3%...

Democrats in denial, gaslight opposition to the income tax as “bots” LISTEN: Tracy Ellis tells us more than 100,000 people signed in to oppose the income tax bill ahead of its hearing in the House Finance Committee. OLYMPIA…More than 100,000 Washingtonians made state history this week by signing in to oppose the 9.9% income tax...

Senator John Braun and Fostering Change Washington’s Jamie Williams discuss stalled child protection bills and the urgent need to update Washington’s child endangerment laws. They explore the fentanyl crisis, legislative roadblocks, and how citizens can push for accountability to protect vulnerable children from drug-exposed environments. Support Senate Bill 5071—contact your legislators today and demand action...

OLYMPIA… The agenda for today’s meeting of the Senate Ways and Means Committee has Senate Republican budget leaders suggesting only one party in Olympia is committed to making Washington more affordable. If the seven tax or fee bills on deck for committee votes today all become law, the combined annual cost is estimated at nearly $950...