Educators continue their opposition to Senate GOP budget in Olympia

WEA members are telling legislators at the capitol to oppose the Senate GOP budget.

WEA members traveled to Olympia Thursday to talk with legislators, wave signs, sing songs and deliver postcards.

Regardless of how they delivered the message, it was the same: Pass the House Democratic budget and oppose the Senate Republican budget.

“Spokane, Seattle, Whatcom County, the Olympic Peninsula, Vancouver – WEA members from all over the state are coming to join us in Olympia to oppose the bad Senate budget,” said Phyllis Campano, Seattle Education Association president. “Legislators we talk to are telling us to keep it up. They want to hear from us.”

Campano is helping to organize the Olympia actions. Groups of WEA members are headed to the capitol Friday and May 8-12 to “Occupy Olympia and Resist the Senate Budget.” Campano encouraged other educators to take personal leave and join them.

On Wednesday, Gov. Jay Inslee stopped by the Occupy Olympia HQ, a canvas shelter on the north side of the Capitol. WEA members thanked him for proposing a budget that invested heavily in K-12 schools, and Inslee thanked them for their presence in Olympia.

Legislators are encouraging WEA members to continue speaking out in support of amply funded public schools.

The Legislature is well into a 30-day special session, and there’s no sign lawmakers are anywhere close to a final budget agreement. Most legislators aren’t in Olympia.

Still, Campano says that being in Olympia is worth it.

“We want legislators to know we haven’t gone away and that we’re going to make sure they amply fund the education our students deserve,” she said. “We need the Democrats to stand strong and united in support of their budget, and we need all legislators to know that the Senate GOP budget hurts kids and their families.