2022 Focus on Advocacy – February 7 Report
Half-way there: legislature winnows bills Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org February 3 marked the first deadline for bills to remain under consideration this session. Bills that cleared this hurdle and were sent to a budget committee have until the end of the day February 7 to pass out of those committees, so…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Advocate Testifies
Speaking in favor of a bill that would phase in funding to support additional school nurses, counselors, psychiatrists and social workers, WSPTA Advocacy Committee member Mike Uehara-Bingen urged legislators to pass SHB 1664. Listen to Mike’s testimony here.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Testimony by WSPTA Advocates
Monday, January 31, was a big day for testimony on Washington State PTA’s legislative priorities, spanning topics of enrollment stabilization, increasing school staffing, and funding school seismic safety upgrades. Listen here as WSPTA parent advocates spoke in favor of these bills: Natalya Yudkovsky on SB 5563, stabilizing funding due to enrollment decline (listen here); Heidi…
2022 Focus on Advocacy – January 31 Report
Whose bills are on the chopping block? Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org During 60-day sessions, deadlines to move legislation out of policy and fiscal committees are compressed. February 3 represents the day bills need to pass out of policy committees to remain under consideration this session. While there are always exceptions, some…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2022 Focus on Advocacy – January 24 Report
Senate and House advance improved school staffing bills Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Student mental health and the lack of school nurses and other professionals focused on student social and emotional health has been the topic of work sessions, public hearings, and executive action during the first two weeks of this 60-day…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA testifies in favor of safe storage of firearms and medications
Safe storage of firearms and medications is the topic of HB 1759. Dr. Gwen Loosmore testified in favor of the bill and encouraged the Legislature to adopt the measure that will help districts share information with students and families through websites and social media on this important topic.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Speaks in Favor of HB 1699
Former WSPTA President Michelle Nims kicked off a panel of speakers in favor of HB 1699 in the House Appropriations Committee January 20. The bill is designed as a short-term approach to helping address the serious workforce shortages facing our schools.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Focus on Safety
Dear Washington State PTA Member, Students and families deserve to be safe and healthy in their school, homes, and communities, with a livable future for our children. But unfortunately, what we are seeing in our state is concerning: Firearms are the second leading cause of death in children and 4.6 million children live in a…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Student Voices Testify for Financial Literacy
At the request of Washington State PTA, two students testified January 18 in favor of financial literacy in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee. Jackson Adams is a student in the Walla Walla School District and Kellen Hoard is a student in the Northshore School District. Hear their testimony here and here. Both students…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Focus on Preserving Funding
Dear Washington State PTA member, Right now, we need your voice more than ever as our Washington state legislature grapples with funding choices. We still have not returned back to school the way it was prior to the pandemic, and we need you to speak up. Legislators often comment that they don’t hear enough from…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative