Week Six: Make way for Focus Day!
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Click here to view the comprehensive Week 6 bill tracker. More than 280 people have registered for Washington State PTA’s Focus Day in Olympia, and the capital will be a crowded place, with many rallies and protests taking place on the Capitol campus. WSPTA members will be meeting with legislators and…
WSPTA Testifies: Fully Fund Special Education and Student Transportation
Advocacy in Action! President Angela Steck testified in favor of SSB 5263, a bipartisan bill that would increase funding for special education services. Angela also asked for funding to support inclusionary practices and a study that would identify how other states fund programs to support students with disabilities. Listen to Angela here. Angela also spoke…
Week 4 is done, two weeks to go for policy cutoff
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Click here to view our comprehensive Week 5 Bill Tracker We are one month into the 105-day session and policy committees are really digging into hearings and voting on the bills in their committees before the first deadline for bills to remain under consideration – February 21st. Bills on “the Big…
Week Four: Big 3 Bills Continue to Advance
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Click here to see the week four bill tracker. Last week the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee advanced three bills related to special education funding, Materials, Supplies & Operating Costs (MSOC), and student transportation. SB 5187 would direct OSPI to update the student transportation funding formula (report due June 1,…
WSPTA Testifies: Close the Funding Gaps
Advocacy in Action On January 22, the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee heard public testimony on bills that would close the funding gaps in what are being called “The Big Three” – special education, school operating costs (MSOC), and student transportation. WSPTA Board Secretary Melissa Stone was part of a panel of education…
WSPTA Testifies: Preventing and Reducing Gun Violence and Suicide
Advocacy in Action! Dr. Gwen Loosmore testified in two committees on January 21st, bringing Washington State PTA’s priority position of preventing and reducing gun violence and suicide to the forefront of bills related to common sense solutions to approach escalating gun violence. In the House Finance Committee, Gwen shared statistics about suicide and gun deaths…
Pomp, Ceremonies, Committees and an Inaugural Ball Kick off 105-day Session
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Newly elected state House of Representative members and Senators were sworn in at opening ceremonies in the House and Senate on January 13, the first day of this long session. On Tuesday, former Governor Jay Inslee, who had served three terms (12 years), addressed a joint session of the House and Senate…
WSPTA Testifies: Disappointment with Operating Budget Proposal
Advocacy in Action! WSPTA President Angela Steck testified in both the House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means committees on Monday and Tuesday, sharing members’ disappointment with the lack of investments in K-12 education in outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee’s operating budget proposal. Steck focused on the Big 3 – MSOC (materials, supplies, and operating costs),…
2024 Washington Legislative Page Applications are Open
Last day to apply is February 9, 2024 During the legislative session, students from across Washington come to Olympia to serve as pages for the Washington State Legislature. Each week, the House and Senate provide pages the opportunity to take part in the legislative process and observe the Legislature and other branches of state government…
WSPTA Testifies: Students and Leaders Convene in Olympia for Focus on Advocacy Day
Advocacy in Action! Washington State PTA was rocking Olympia on January 15, testifying both in person and remotely before three different committees and talking with their legislators. Here’s a look at the day’s testifiers. While he was in town for Focus on Advocacy Day, Paultoro Tanaka, a student at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, testified…