John Braun: Pass I-2109 to end tax on capital gains
There are many reasons to repeal Washington’s tax on income from capital gains by approving Initiative 2109. One is that Washington voters, when asked about an income tax, have already said “no” 11 times. The vote folks may remember best was from 2010.That ballot measure would have taxed the top 3% of incomes in Washington. […]
John Braun: Say no to lies and economic injustice by voting yes on Initiative 2117
There’s a school of thought that says people don’t start paying close attention to election campaigns until after Labor Day, when summer family activities are brought to an end by the start of a new academic year. Whether that’s accurate or not, we also are approximately five weeks away from the beginning of Washington’s general-election […]
John Braun commentary: Vote Republican, say ‘no’ to Democrats’ dream of supermajority
Now that the August 6 primary is behind us, voters across our state know who will be on the general-election ballot. While knowing the names of the finalists is important, knowing what all is at stake in this election is even more important. That’s because Washington State Democrats are dreaming of seizing a supermajority in […]
Braun says new Senate rules severely limit access to democracy
OLYMPIA, WASH., JANUARY 11, 2021 – After an historic day in the Washington State Legislature where changes to the rules were adopted to allow for the 2021 Legislative Session to continue remotely, Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released a statement. Braun said he’s disappointed that majority Democrats refused to bend on new Senate operating […]
A Crisis of Leadership in Washington’s GOP: Missteps, Mismanagement, and Missed Opportunities
Election season is the one time during a two-year cycle when the legislative caucuses (House and Senate) and the State and County Party align with a singular purpose: to get Republicans elected. Period. Full stop. For the rest of the cycle, legislative caucuses focus on representing constituents in the legislature, while the State and County […]
Inslee, Democrats use your tax dollars to support anti-initiative propaganda
Now that the general election voting period is open, watch for opponents of the money-saving initiatives on the ballot to crank their attacks up another level. You may have already seen ads opposing Initiative 2124, which would make our state’s long-term care payroll tax optional. Those ads are funded largely by the labor union that […]
Reader Opinion: Vote NO on Initiative 2124
In his October 6th opinion in the Lynnwood Times, Senator John Braun said that people should vote yes on I-2124 to discard Washington’s long-term care program and “pay less.” Senator Braun’s view is sadly shortsighted. The fact is, one day, most of us are going to need long-term care. Maybe it will be due to […]
Approve I-2124 to get a pay raise, end government’s monopoly on long-term care coverage
All four of the citizen initiatives on the upcoming general election ballot would let people keep more of their own money. That alone is a good reason to support each. Initiative 2124 stands out among those measures, as it literally offers a fast track to a larger paycheck. The passage of I-2124 would give many […]
Tribal leaders urge No on 2117
EVERETT—Tribal leaders, fish habitat and salmon recovery experts, and members of the No on 2117 campaign announce that a majority of federally-recognized Tribal Nations in Washington state oppose Initiative 2117, that if passed by voters this November, would prohibit carbon tax credit trading, also known as “cap-and-invest,” which would gut Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. Spencer […]
WSDOT awards Port of Everett a $4.3 million CCA grant to electrify South Terminal
EVERETT—The Port of Everett was one of 11 recipients awarded a capital grant, funded with Climate Commitment Act (CCA) funds, by the Washington Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Port Electrification Program. The Port of Everett was awarded the $4.3 million competitive grant in August to be used to help fund a $5.8 million project to construct […]