This Week in Olympia

Week of May 1

Occupy Olympia -- Resist the Senate’s plan  

Lawmakers are thanking us for the great presence by WEA members at the Capitol this week, demonstrating our support for the House education budget and our opposition to the Senate’s plan. Governor Inslee even stopped by to encourage us to remain visible and vigilant in supporting public education funding. 

Tuesday was the only day that most legislators were in town for the special session. The House once again passed SHB 1046 with strong bipartisan support. It’s the bill that would fully delink high school graduation from all standardized test results retroactive to the class of 2014. The Senate likewise passed its biology-only delay bill, SB 5639. WEA continues to support the full delink. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. This issue will be alive through session because the House and Senate have both banked savings from their bills in their budgets. 

Education plan negotiators are still meeting behind closed doors. 

Next week, Governor Inslee will sign the paraeducator bill. WEA member Cathy Smith dedicated hours and hours to getting this bill passed, and will speak at the bill signing ceremony with Governor Inslee on Monday. 

Occupy/Resist continues next week. 

WEA members will continue to occupy the Capitol every day next week, and are now making plans to extend the Occupy/Resistance through May 24, the end of the first special session. 

On Wednesday, Washington Paramount Duty parents group will join us for a “Dandelion Dash.” If you don’t get the reference, check this out. Join us if you can.  

Can’t make it to Olympia? That’s OK. We also need activities back home because most legislators aren’t in Olympia on most days during special session anyway. WEA is joining Washington Paramount Duty’s meetings with to drive legislative action. Here are two this week: 

Mountlake Terrace with Rep Derek Stanford
10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 6th, Mountlake Terrace public library

Snohomish County with Northshore EA
7 p.m., Tuesday, May 9th, Northshore Education Association