News from the Caucus

A bipartisan bill prime-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Holy to increase public safety by boosting the number of law-enforcement officers in Washington communities was approved by the Senate Law and Justice Committee today. Senate Bill 5060 would have the state Criminal Justice Training Commission develop and implement a grant program to help local and tribal governments...

A bipartisan bill to increase the number of law enforcement officers in Washington is a step closer to being signed by Governor Bob Ferguson. Tracy Ellis explains.

Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Sen. Keith Goehner has been appointed to the Legislative Committee on Economic Development and International Relations (LCEDIR) by Lt. Governor Denny Heck. This marks Goehner’s second special committee appointment since his term as a state senator began Jan. 13 and reflects his commitment to fostering economic growth and...

Legislative Democrats are attempting to overturn the Parental Rights Initiative 2081 through Senate Bill 5181. The initiative, which was endorsed by over 400,000 Washingtonians, enshrined and clarified parental and familial rights in public education.

Washington taxpayers are being asked to cover the costs of unfortunate spending decisions by majority Democrats in Olympia, according to a state legislator. Tracy Ellis explains.

Senators John Braun and Shelly Short and other Legislative Republican leaders hold their weekly media availability to discuss the 2025 legislative session.

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, introduced a bill today that would better position Washington to manage the critical demand for 3.2 million additional health-care workers within the next five years. Senate Bill 5424 would change the mission of The Evergreen State College (TESC), which, as an institution of higher education, has declined in recent...

Welcome to the first legislative update of the 2025 session from Senator Braun. Throughout this session, Senator Braun will provide regular updates to keep you informed about the latest developments and legislative activities. Stay tuned for more insights and progress reports as we work together to make a positive impact.

In this episode of “The Elephant in the Dome,” the official podcast of the Washington State Senate Republican Caucus, hosts Tracy Ellis and Laudan Espinoza are joined by Senate Republican Leader John Braun. They discuss Governor Bob Ferguson’s inaugural address and some key issues facing legislators. They also touch on the potential for new taxes...

OLYMPIA… The state’s failure to deal with water contamination at the Special Commitment Center for sex offenders on McNeil Island has led to a $7.325 million judgment in a class-action lawsuit brought by hundreds of residents of the center. Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, says this is the latest in a long and expensive string of...

An in-depth conversation on the state budget with the lead budget writers in the Senate: The Ways and Means Chair and the ranking Republican on that committee, Chris Gildon. Gildon’s take on how we got here: “The Legislature a few years back basically put a number of bills on layaway, they said we want to...

Republican leaders are cautiously optimistic after Gov. Bob Ferguson’s inaugural speech. Featuring Senators John Braun, Judy Warnick and Drew MacEwen.