News from the Caucus

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, 20th Legislative District, welcomes you to the 2024 Legislative Session and outlines his top priorities. These include securing a safer Washington, fighting for an affordable Washington, and building a better future for Washington’s children.

In the response to Governor Jay Inslee’s State of the State Address, Republicans say his government has let people down. Cassidy Butler explains. Watch the entire response

Each state legislator takes an oath to uphold the state and federal constitutions. That promise applies to every part, not just the words with which we agree – or the words we know. The importance of this commitment came up Jan. 4 at the 2024 legislative session preview hosted by our state’s broadcasters and daily...

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, today responded to public comments recently made by Gov. Jay Inslee that attempt to divert attention from evidence in a Washington Policy Center blog showing the governor knew it was false to claim his “cap-and-trade” tax on carbon-dioxide emissions would not increase gas prices, or would do so only...

By John Braun Special to the Times In 2021 our state’s bipartisan, voter-created Redistricting Commission set Washington’s current legislative and congressional boundaries. In August, a federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Soto Palmer v. Hobbs, who claimed the map of Central Washington’s 15th Legislative District violates the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA)....

OLYMPIA… Chronic absenteeism is among the major obstacles preventing Washington children from recovering from pandemic-related learning loss. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, has introduced legislation to help school administrators, teachers and parents get students to show up to school and take part in class. Senate Bill 5850 would provide support for students who are...

Bipartisan bill would make K-12 curriculum Nazi genocide of Jews mandatory   OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, and Sen. Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline, pre-filed a bill today (Senate Bill 5851) for the 2024 legislative session that would make it mandatory for Washington’s K-12 public schools to teach the Jewish Holocaust curriculum developed by the Office...

Bill is part of plan to streamline disclosure, make transparency a priority OLYMPIA – Responding to complaints that the Washington Legislature doesn’t care about public records issues, Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, has introduced a bill that aims to revitalize the state’s ‘Sunshine Committee.’ Senate Bill 5779 is the first element in a Wilson plan to...

Sens. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, John Braun, R-Centralia, and Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley. OLYMPIA – Lawmakers need to expand protections for initiative campaigns, say Senate Republicans, following an effort to intimidate signature gatherers promoted by the Washington State Democratic Party and the Washington chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, filed a...

WSDOT actions latest example of executive mismanagement, lack of accountability OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, offered the following comments in reaction to a KING-TV story about a lawsuit that reportedly will be filed soon on behalf of a former employee of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The employee, an economist and formerly...

By Sen. Chris Gildon and Sen. Drew MacEwen   Our state’s Climate Commitment Act was passed in 2021 with the stated goal of reducing and eventually phasing out carbon emissions. Among other things, the law promises protections for Washington’s agricultural sector and marine trade, and we were assured revenue resulting from the “cap-and-trade” approach would...

CENTRALIA…Upon learning that 114 bags of contraband were discovered at Green Hill School, and that it was necessary for law enforcement to issue a search warrant because school officials refused to turn the items over, Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, shared the following comments. “I strongly support the call for an investigation of Green...