News from the Caucus

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, and House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, released the following statement as thousands of people expect to lose their jobs this week thanks to Gov. Jay Inslee’s unnecessarily punitive vaccine deadline. Inslee imposed the deadline as a condition of employment for most state employees and contractors, health-care workers, those...

CENTRALIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun offered this response to today’s announcement by Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, that she will step down as the 18th Legislative District’s state senator: “Having served with Senator Rivers for nine years, from a neighboring district, I know how hard she has worked for the people of the 18th...

Focuses on keeping communities together within compact regions   OLYMPIA…Commissioner Joe Fain of the Washington State Redistricting Commission today released his draft plan for revisions to the state’s congressional districts based on results from the 2020 census. Fain’s plan follows a logical and easily identifiable structure rooted in the idea that the different geographical regions...

VANCOUVER… Despite the ongoing pandemic, Washington state government’s third-quarter revenue forecast indicates a gain of $927 million for the current two-year budget cycle and $931 million for the 2023-25 cycle. The forecast was adopted today by the state Economic Revenue and Forecast Council. When coupled with the increase projected in this year’s second-quarter forecast, the...

OLYMPIA…Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center and a member of the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee, offered this statement today after a bipartisan group of senators asked Gov. Jay Inslee to suspend the payroll tax and exemption deadline connected with the state’s new long-term services and supports trust program. “However well-intentioned the long-term care act...

Focuses on state’s paramount duty while promoting competitive elections   OLYMPIA…Commissioner Joe Fain of the Washington State Redistricting Commission released his draft plan Tuesday for the 2021 legislative redistricting cycle. Proposed as part of the state’s 10-year redistricting effort, Fain’s map of 49 legislative districts focuses on keeping communities together and fostering competitive elections. A...

With goal of ‘reducing incarceration,’ governor and Legislature create new public safety risks To read report, click here. OLYMPIA – As if new restrictions on law enforcement weren’t enough, an effort by Washington lawmakers to empty prison cells and return convicted felons to the street is creating new public safety risks across the state. That’s...

Inslee’s vaccine mandate on K-12 could backfire, hurt students   OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, issued the following statement in response to the governor’s announcement requiring teachers and other K-12 education employees to get the COVID vaccine or risk losing their jobs and jeopardizing their district’s funding. “I am vaccinated and urge others to...

Democrat sponsor of legislation admits fixes are necessary OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, and House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, issued the following statement in response to continued Democrat insistence in the press that law enforcement and legislators are overreacting to controversial new laws on policing that lack clarity and endanger the public,...

OLYMPIA… At a news conference today, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a new vaccine mandate for most state employees, private health care and long-term care workers. House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox and Senate Republican Leader John Braun released the following statement on the announcement: “Vaccinations can save lives and we have strongly encouraged people to get...

Republicans warned House Bill 1310 and House Bill 1054 would make communities less safe, offered amendments that were rejected Law enforcement, EMT, and local elected officials across the state are expressing their concerns with new police-related bills passed by Democrats this year and explaining how the legislation will jeopardize the safety of first responders, impact...

July 12, 2021 The governor’s use of football metaphors when speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic got old a long time ago, but he really fumbled recently by equating his administration’s pandemic response with winning the Super Bowl. Good grief. Has Governor Inslee forgotten about Suzi LeVine? Countless Washington families suffered because he drafted her for...