2021 Focus on Advocacy – March 8 Report
Legislature passes half-way mark Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org With an eye towards the March 9 deadline for bills to be passed out of the chamber in which they started, legislators spent the past week meeting in caucuses and conducting floor action. Both the House and Senate met on Saturday; the House…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
PTA Supports Clean Drinking Water in our Schools
Advocacy. Powered by PTA. PTA supports clean drinking water in our schools to protect the health of our children. As such, WSPTA supports House Bill 1139, which would pay for and require testing for lead and remediation of public school outlets (faucets, etc.) that have elevated levels of lead (above 5 ppb). We encourage local…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2021 Focus on Advocacy – March 1 Report
Floor action to dominate legislative work Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Following the fiscal cutoff on February 22, Washington state legislators turned their attention to floor action in a virtual world. In both the House and Senate, a limited number of lawmakers and staff are present. Most discussion is conducted with a…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Reopening School Buildings – Role of PTAs
Advocacy. Powered by PTA. PTA is the oldest and largest child advocacy organization in the United States. Washington State PTA and all its affiliated PTAs have the mission to advocate for the health, safety, well-being, and education of the 1.1 million K-12 students across all of Washington state. The role of PTA in advocacy regarding…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Addressing Firearm Safety Measures to Increase Public Safety
Dear Washington State PTA Member, Every other day, a Washington child or youth dies at the hand of a firearm. High-capacity magazines make shootings more deadly and allow shooters to fire more rounds, faster. The Washington Post estimates that more than 240,000 American students have now experienced gun violence at school, including nearly 7,000 students…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2021 Focus on Advocacy – February 22 Report
Governor signs stimulus bill, fiscal cutoff looms Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org On Friday, February 19, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law ESHB 1368, putting $2.2 billion into play across the state for activities related to economic and small business recovery, reopening schools, rental assistance, and COVID-related contact tracing, testing, and vaccinations.…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA asks committee to pass lead in water testing bill
When the House Appropriations Committee heard testimony on HB 1139, taking action to address lead in water, Washington State PTA was there in full support. Hear Susan Baird-Joshi ask lawmakers to pass the bill and ensure districts have sufficient funding to complete any needed remediation. “Our children matter, and their health matters. Please pass this…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA supports broadband infrastructure expansion
Continuing to speak in favor of bills that would expand broadband infrastructure across the state, Nancy Chamberlain asked House Capital Budget committee members for an amendment to ensure projects tapping public funds consult with school districts as part of their overall expansion plan. Listen here.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies – Senate committee hears Youth Tip Line bill
Speaking in favor of SSB 5327, WSPTA member Tanya Aggar told Senate Ways & Means Committee members that stopping the silence could save lives. The Senate bill would create an anonymous youth tip line for reporting concern for self-harm or harm to others. Hear Tanya’s testimony here.
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
2021 Focus on Advocacy – February 15 Report
Ding, ding, ding – that’s the sign of the first cutoff! Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Monday, February 15, marks the first cutoff of the session, signaling the Legislature is one-third of the way through this 105-day session. Most committees finished up their work by Friday, February 12, while a few will…
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Advocacy
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Legislative