Deadline for Policy Bills Looms in Week 5
Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Friday, February 17 is the deadline by which bills referred to policy committees must have passed out of committee to remain under consideration. While there are always exceptions, for the most part, this is a significant deadline and bills that were introduced in the previous week or haven’t had a…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Action! February 9, 2023
Thursday, February 9th was special education funding day in the House and Senate budget committees. Over in the Senate Ways & Means Committee, Advocacy Director Lizzy Sebring thanked bill sponsor Senator Lisa Wellman for her commitment to more fully funding services for disabilities but told legislators it was time for the cap to go. Lizzy’s testimony…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Action! February 7, 2023
Parent Advocate Devon Kellogg testified on February 6 in the House Appropriations Committee on SHB 1170, improving climate resilience through updates to the state’s integrated climate response strategy. She encouraged legislators to include K-12 schools in the coordination and engagement of the updated strategy. Devon’s testimony can be found here. Overcoming some internet connectivity issues,…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Action! February 6, 2023
The House Education Committee on Monday, February 6 was a busy place for WSPTA testifiers! Parent advocate Tori Emerson shared her experience as a beginning teacher with House Education Committee members while supporting HB 1565, strengthening the professional education workforce. Listen to Tori here. Speaking in favor of adding another graduation for high school pathways…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Funding Bills for Special Education and Transportation Continue to Advance in Week 4
February 5, 2023 Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Last week SSB 5174, the Senate’s solution to closing the transportation funding gap had a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. Testimony was mostly favorable, with some districts calling out issues with private contractors providing transportation services and the requirement for private contractors…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Action! January 30, 2023
Parent advocate Tanya Aggar shared testimony with the House Education Committee January 30th on HB 1479, an OSPI-request bill that would make changes to the isolation and restraint statute, including prohibiting the use of isolation rooms. Tanya shared that WSPTA supported the intent of the bill, but had some concerns about language in the bill…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Senate Committee Approves Increased Special Education, Transportation Funding in Week 3
Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org January 28, 2023 The Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee unanimously passed a substitute to SB 5311 that would lift the cap on total student population for special education services to 15%. The approved substitute bill also would increase the multipliers for K-12 students and for PreK children as…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Action! January 26, 2023
WSPTA member Dr. Gwen Loosmore encouraged House Education Committee members to pass HB 1230, a bill that would direct the state Department of Health to develop information about safe storage of medications and firearms to reduce youth suicide. As described by bill sponsor Rep. Lisa Callan, D-Issaquah, the department’s information could be accessed electronically and…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Action! January 23, 2023
Advocacy Committee member Natalya Yudkovsky raised four issues with a proposed substitute to SB 5243, high school and beyond plans, when she testified before the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee on January 23rd. While there is a lot to like in the bill, the new requirement for an electronic platform raises student data…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Committees Dig Into Policy Work in Week 2
Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org As we enter the third week of session, committee chairs and committees are getting into the groove of alternating between in-person and remote testimony, usually with good balance between the two forms of testifying. That said, the number of bills introduced in the first two weeks is overwhelming, with more…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative