News from the Caucus
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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Sen. John Braun’s leadership video update — education in the Senate budgets
Senate Republican Leader John Braun shares a few of the details in the Senate’s capital and operating budget proposals that with our top three priorities.
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Washington State Supreme Court got it wrong, says Braun
Court’s ruling ignores overwhelming evidence capital gains tax is an income tax OLYMPIA…The Washington State Supreme Court today ruled that the income tax on capital gains passed last year by Democrats in Legislature is an excise tax, contrary to overwhelming evidence that it is a graduated income tax. Graduated income taxes are unconstitutional in Washington...
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Republican budget leader has warning for taxpayers after Supreme Court backs capital-gains income tax
OLYMPIA… Sen. Lynda Wilson of Vancouver, budget leader for Senate Republicans, offered this reaction to the state Supreme Court’s ruling today that the tax on capital-gains income adopted by Democratic legislators in 2021 is constitutional. The 7-2 decision overturns a lower-court ruling issued in March 2022 by a Douglas County Superior Court judge in the...
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Braun: Bipartisan Senate budget addresses ‘equity issue of our time’
Provides nearly $70 million for to address students’ learning loss, additional $800 million for special education OLYMPIA…The 2023-2025 Senate operating budget proposal released today includes nearly $70 million to help Washington’s students recover from learning loss resulting from remote learning and school closures during the pandemic. It also includes an additional $800 million over the...
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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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Democrats ‘gaslight’ those calling for police pursuit reform
Members of Legislature’s majority blame police, alleged ‘misinformation’ from Republicans for interest in rolling policy back to ‘reasonable suspicion’ standard OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, shared the following comments in response to accusations by a House Democrat that the public’s interest in reforming the current police pursuit law is a result of lies...
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Senate Republican Leader John Braun addresses what’s happening in education
Learn more about what the Legislature is working on to deal with student learning loss and the needs of special education students.
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Senate Republican Leader John Braun updates us on the progress of police pursuit reform
Click to watch Sen. John Braun’s latest update on the 2023 Legislative Session, including the progress of police pursuit reform. Read Sen. Braun’s statement on the passage of Senate Bill 5352.
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Catalytic converter theft in WA state is organized crime, so let’s treat it that way
Note: The following op-ed appeared in the Tri-City Herald March 5, 2023. As the Washington Legislature debated the catalytic converter bill last session, someone parked this car across the street from my house in Longview. Within days, thieves had it up on blocks, the wheels were stripped and the catalytic converter was lopped off...
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STATEMENT: Police-pursuit bill narrowly passed by Senate today is ‘half step’ in the right direction, says Republican leader
OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun today offered this statement following the Senate’s narrow passage of legislation that would let law-enforcement officers engage in vehicular pursuits in more situations than Washington law has allowed since 2021. Senate Bill 5352 was passed with a 26-23 vote on the final day of this session for the Senate...
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Torres bill on missing and murdered Indigenous people passes Senate
Today the state Senate passed Sen. Nikki Torres’ measure implementing the recommendations of the Washington state Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People task force. The bill is part of the Legislature’s efforts to identify the root causes of the shockingly large number of Native Americans who have turned up missing or murdered in Washington....
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