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Sen. John Braun poses for a photo outside The Chronicle in Centralia on Thursday, July 17.
John Braun: Instead of failing our children, focus on making their lives better
In November 2020, about eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, I called attention to how classroom closures were causing academic, emotional and social harm to the majority of K-12 students across … more
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Commentary: For families and employers, Washington state is becoming unaffordable
Whether you look at the price of gasoline, groceries or housing, it’s easy to see how costs are going up across Washington. It’s harder sometimes to understand why. While … more
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WAGOP Chairman and State Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, speaks to supporters during a rally parental rights, organized by Let’s Go Washington, in front of the Capitol in Olympia on Saturday, Feb. 15.
Jim Walsh: EPA proposal a step in the right direction for common sense environmental policy
About two weeks ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it was beginning the process of rescinding its 2009 “Endangerment Finding” on greenhouse gas (GHG) … more
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Sen. John Braun poses for a photo outside The Chronicle in Centralia on Thursday, July 17.
John Braun: Legislators must preserve fair competition in girls’ sports
Should biological boys play in girls’ high school sports? Of the Thurston County residents responding to that question in a recent poll, 84% voted no. You wonder how the remaining 16% … more
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State Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, represents the 20th Legislative District and is the House Republican Caucus chair.
Peter Abbarno: Olympia’s decisions make back-to-school shopping more difficult for families
As our kids head back to school this fall, many families across Washington are feeling the sting — not just from the cost of backpacks, pencils and notebooks, but from the crushing financial … more
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Sen. John Braun poses for a photo outside The Chronicle in Centralia on Thursday, July 17.
John Braun: Reaction to federal shift on homelessness highlights state Democrats’ failures
Democrat leaders in our state have found a new reason to criticize the federal government. This time it’s the July 24 executive order about ending crime and disorder on America’s streets … more
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State Rep. Jim Walsh speaks during a “Let’s Go Washington” rally at the Capitol in Olympia on Thursday, June 6. Walsh, R-Aberdeen, represents the 19th Legislative District in the state Legislature. He also serves as chairman of the Washington state Republican Party.
Jim Walsh: Cutting through Democrats’ hysterical rhetoric on Medicaid program
The questions I hear most often from people in Southwest Washington right now involve the state’s Medicaid program. Is D.C. defunding it? Is Olympia destroying it? These questions are … more
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Sen. John Braun poses for a photo outside The Chronicle in Centralia on Thursday, July 17.
John Braun: Something else we didn’t need — higher fees for fishing, hunting and parks
Republican legislators have rightfully focused on how majority Democrats just approved the largest tax package in Washington history, which will raise state and local taxes by a combined $12.2 … more
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Don Brunell
Commentary: Polish people perplexed by New York embrace of socialism
The Polish people are perplexed by some Americans lack of appreciation for our market-based economic system where consumers, not government bureaucrats, decide what to buy, manufacture and consume. … more
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Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, stands in the wings of the Senate floor at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia on Friday, April 25.
John Braun: A big step toward restoring public safety: Auto thefts fall to historic low
The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs has kept a record of the auto thefts reported across our state for each month since 2002. In those 23-plus years, the statewide number never … more
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Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, stands in the wings of the Senate floor at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia on Friday, April 25.
John Braun: Deal in facts when reacting to federal budget actions, not partisan fiction
Gov. Bob Ferguson’s first speech to the Legislature included several declarations that were encouraging to Republicans in the audience. One was that he was not here to defend government, but to … more
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Rep. Peter Abbarno represents the 20th Legislative District and is the House Republican Caucus Chair.
Peter Abbarno: Washington state’s child care crisis demands real solutions
Washington is in the midst of a child care crisis — and families across Southwest Washington are paying the price. In communities throughout the 20th Legislative District — from Centralia … more
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The Mariners Moose mascot cheers during a game in Seattle on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.
Richard Stride: Baseball, hot dogs and American dreams — a Seattle Mariners story
There’s something about the smell of grilled onions and sizzling hot dogs wafting through a ballpark that feels like pure summer. It’s July, the sun hangs stubbornly in the sky long … more
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Commentary: Washington state Supreme Court hides the ball on state employee compensation offers
In a shocking 8-1 ruling , the Washington Supreme Court has given its official blessing to a secretive process that allows the offers and counteroffers leading to more than a billion dollars in … more
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Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, looks through documents during the legislative session at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia on Friday, April 25.
John Braun: No one likes gas tax, but it isn’t the main driver of our high fuel prices
Many people are unhappy about the recent hike in the state fuel tax, especially since the average prices for gas and diesel were already much higher here than in every state except California and … more
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Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez smiles during a tour of Napavine High School’s CTE program at the Tiger Sandbox on Tuesday, April 22.
Gluesenkamp Perez: With vote on big bill, Congress makes terrain more uneven for hardworking families
Editor’s note: Following is the full statement of U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, following the U.S. House passage of the budget reconciliation bill best known as the Big … more
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Commentary: Changes made — and not made — to the WA Cares in 2025
Let’s start with a change that was not made to the WA Cares fund in 2025. Lawmakers did not pass a law requiring recertification from people who received exemptions from WA Cares because they … more
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Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer, and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and now lives in Vancouver. You can contact him at theBrunells@msn.com.
Commentary: Grades alone cannot measure knowledge and skill
With high school and college commencements wrapping up, employers now worry about the graduates’ preparedness to enter the work world. This year, 3.9 million students graduated from our … more
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Julie McDonald
Commentary: Learning from librarians at a Pacific Northwest conference
If you have a Timberland Regional Library card, you can obtain a card for libraries in King County, Pierce County or even Fort Vancouver Regional Library, expanding your access to even larger … more
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Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, stands in the wings of the Senate floor at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia on Friday, April 25.
John Braun: State needs to make vulnerable individuals a priority again
Ideally, legislators would have to respond to most needs only once. Our branch of government makes the appropriate change in law, the executive branch implements it, and away we go. Back in … more
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