News from the Caucus

OLYMPIA…During their reorganization meeting this morning in Spokane, members of the Senate Republican Caucus elected 13th District Sen. Judy Warnick as their caucus chair and 10th District Sen. Ron Muzzall as caucus vice chair. Warnick had served as caucus vice chair since 2017. As caucus chair, Warnick will preside over internal meetings of the Senate...

House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox and Senate Republican Leader John Braun released the following statement on the Legislature’s win over Gov. Jay Inslee in the Washington Supreme Court today: “The Legislature knew Governor Inslee overstepped his constitutional authority by vetoing single lines of the transportation budget in 2019. The four caucuses agreed to bring legal action against the governor on...

House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox and Senate Republican Leader John Braun released the following statement today: “We oppose the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate for the private sector. This policy will be counterproductive. It will also endanger successful Washington businesses, which have already adjusted to protect public health, and risk more shortages of critical goods and...

OLYMPIA…Repeatedly in recent press interviews, Gov. Jay Inslee has characterized those who have chosen not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as conspiracy theorists who believe false information about the vaccine found on the internet. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following remarks about the governor’s overgeneralizations. “While I encourage people to get the...

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...

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...

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...