Week 10: Senate Advances Special Education Bill
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Be sure to check out our comprehensive Week 10 Bill Tracker to see how bills we support have fared. Wednesday, March 12 was the deadline for bills to pass out of the chamber in which they began. The Senate celebrated the cutoff by passing E2SSB 5263 by a vote of 48-0…
Week 9: Spring ahead to the second half of the 2025 session
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Be sure to check out our comprehensive Week 9 Bill Tracker to see how bills we support have fared. Last week, the Legislature crossed the half-way mark of the 105-day session, which means there is still a lot of time left on the calendar to advocate for priorities, share concerns, and…
WSPTA Testifies: Lowering the Thresholds
Advocacy in Action! WSPTA Board member Tori Emerson, a parent and educator in the 39th legislative district, urged members of the Senate Ways & Means Committee to pass SSB 5186, which would lower the threshold to pass bonds by a simple majority. Tori shared her frustration and concern about her school district failing five bonds…
First deadline signals end of the line for many bills, Big 3 remain alive
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Over the course of the 105-day session the Legislature has set deadlines for bills to remain under consideration and possibly cross the finish line for signature by Governor Bob Ferguson. The first of these “cutoffs” was Friday, February 21st, when bills needed to pass out of policy committees. Bills with a…
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…
WSPTA Testifies: Closing the Funding Gaps
Advocacy in Action! On Monday, February 3, WSPTA President Angela Steck testified in favor of HB 1338, a bill that would close the gaps between what the state funds and what it costs to operate schools across the state. Angela asked House Appropriations Committee members to pass the bill and pointed out that PTAs have…
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: Establishing a Statewide Network for Student Mental and Behavioral Health
Advocacy in Action! Dr. Gwen Loosmore, long-time WSPTA Advocacy Committee member, testified in favor of SB 5126, establishing a statewide network for student mental and behavioral health at the January 29th Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education committee meeting. With student mental health at the top of WSPTA’s priorities again this year, Gwen welcomed the…