And that’s a wrap!
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The second year of the 64th Legislature adjourned about 6:45 PM on Thursday, March 7th, after a record-setting number of bills were pre-filed and introduced on January 8th and a super-fast 60 days of session. Legislators also added more spending for the 2024 supplemental operating, capital, and transportation budgets, passed many…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
It’s the final countdown
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Friday, March 1st was the final deadline by which bills had to pass out of the opposite chamber to remain under consideration this session. Many bills were amended in the opposite chamber, which means they will return to their “house of origin” for concurrence, dispute, or conference committee. Typically, conference committees…
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Uncategorized
Less than two weeks to go in 2024 legislative session
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org As reported last week, the House and Senate began releasing their respective 2024 supplemental operating, capital and transportation budget proposals following the February 14th revenue forecast. During the week, budget committees in both chambers heard public testimony on the various proposals and made some changes to the operating budgets during committee…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
More deadlines hit session, while the latest revenue forecast and Senate budgets are released
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Week Six of the legislative session was a busy one. Bills continued to meet their demise with the February 13 5 PM cutoff for bills to pass out of the chamber in which they started. The Senate finished their work a little early that day, adopting “the Evergreen State” as the…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Bills advance, falter as Legislature reaches committee cutoffs
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastate.pta January 31st was the first cutoff of the session, signaling the start of deadlines that will become more compressed as the Legislature heads towards Sine Die on March 7th. The next cutoff is Monday, February 5th which is the last day for bills to pass out of the fiscal committees to…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2024 Legislative Session: Policy Cutoff Approaches
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Remember those 600+ bills introduced on Day 1 of the 2024 legislative session? Since then, nearly 600 more bills have been introduced – and this on top of bills not enacted last year that still have some juice! Policy and budget committees have been busy holding public hearings and voting on…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Annual Focus on Advocacy Day Brings Parents, Students to Olympia
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Even though the temperatures were frosty, and the fountains iced over, a little cold didn’t stop the more than 150 parents and students from visiting Olympia on Monday, January 15 for Focus on Advocacy Day. Members gathered in the Columbia Room and walked around the campus, meeting with legislators, listening to…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
2024 session kicks off with bills, hearings, work sessions and a dash of pomp!
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The state House of Representatives started the first day of session by welcoming a new member who was appointed last fall, and passing three bills. In addition, as reported last week, more than 600 bills were introduced in the House and Senate on Monday, January 8th. This gave committees plenty of…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative