News from the Caucus

A bill to increase the penalty for hard drug-possession failed in the House of Representatives in the final hours of the legislative session. No Republicans voted for the bill and legislative Democrats say that surprised them. Senate Republican Leader John Braun doesn’t understand how that’s possible.

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican Leader John Braun released the following statement after the 2023 Washington State Legislature adjourned after a 105-day legislative session. “Republicans have a lot to be proud of this year. We were able to address each of our top priorities: public safety, affordability and education. We had some big disappointments as well, but we...

OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun offered this comment following Rep. J.T. Wilcox’s announcement today that he is stepping down as House Republican leader, a position he has held since March 2018: “Representative Wilcox and I have similar experiences as legislators, from when we were elected and our budget-committee backgrounds to when we became leaders...

State Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, issued this statement after Democratic majorities in the Legislature passed House Bill 1240, which would ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons in Washington, and House Bill 1143, which would prohibit someone from buying a firearm from a dealer unless the buyer has passed a background check and has completed a...

 OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun today provided the following comments after the Senate’s narrow passage of legislation that is a half-step toward letting law-enforcement officers engage in vehicular pursuits in more situations than Washington law has allowed since 2021. Senate Bill 5352 was passed with a 26-22 vote, representing the mixed feelings about the bill on...

20 Senate Democrats think your property taxes are too low, so they have sponsored Senate Bill 5770. It would triple the growth rate of state and local property taxes by increasing the cap from 1% to 3%. In just six  years, it would cost taxpayers $4.1 billion. FISCAL IMPACT Read the Department of Revenue’s fiscal...

Sen. Keith Wagoner’s measure designating January as Americans of Chinese Descent Month in Washington has nearly reached the end of a long journey into state law.   “This is an important day and a great victory,” said Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, who has been working on the issue since 2020.   “This measure will provide our schools...

OLYMPIA… In what amounts to the ninth inning of the 2023 legislative session, more than two-thirds of the state Senate’s majority Democrats have slid an extreme tax-increase proposal into the lineup of bills still in play. Senate Bill 5770 would raise the limit on increases in state and local property taxes to 3% per year,...

OLYMPIA… All members of the Senate Republican Caucus voted against a bill passed today by majority Democrats to ban a specific group of semi-automatic firearms in Washington. The legislation, approved on a 27-21 vote, would prohibit the sale, offer of sale, manufacture, import, and distribution of modern sporting rifles, which Democrats call “assault weapons.” House...

Senate Republican Leader John Braun shares how the 2023-25 Senate operating budget proposal invests in education.

Gov. Inslee proposed a $4 billion housing plan and he’s critical of the Senate operating budget proposal because it spends $400 million. The governor likes to use a clever tag line for his approach, saying, “We need to go big so people can go home.” What the governor doesn’t say is that the $4 billion...

A bipartisan bill, sponsored by 4th District Sen. Mike Padden, that aims to impose longer sentences on sexually abusive jail and prison guards was signed today by Gov. Jay Inslee after receiving unanimous approval by the Legislature this session. The law created by Senate Bill 5033 reclassifies the crime of first-degree custodial sexual misconduct, (in...