This Week in Olympia
Week 6
February 15-19
Wednesday was the last day bills could be heard on the floor of one chamber and sent to the other.
We saw a “corporate tax accountability proposal” from a handful of House democrats taking on the lack of transparency regarding tax loopholes for Boeing, fossil fuels and big banks, among others.
The revenue forecast came in this week, paving the way for supplemental budget proposals from the House and Senate. The House will release its budget on Monday, and the Senate will likely follow within a day or two.
The Senate and House agree on McCleary Plan
This is the “plan to plan” for implementing McCleary. Thanks in part to efforts by our members, the Senate abandoned, for now, its proposal to limit TRI bargaining rights. The House passed the final bill and sent it to the Governor for signature.
We expect that the TRI issue could come back, if not this year, then in the session next year.
Teacher shortage
SB 6455, covers a variety of issues which nibble at the edges of the teacher shortage. It adds some money to alternative route to certification scholarship programs, allows retirees to work as substitutes consistent with HB 1737, and it includes tuition waivers for K-12 classified staff. WEA supports those issues. Unfortunately the bill would allow a small number of teachers to meet lesser licensure standards, which WEA strongly opposes. The bill passed on the Senate floor and has not yet been scheduled for a hearing in the House Education Committee.
HB 2743, combines many ideas that also nibble at the edges of the teacher shortage. It passed off the House floor and has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee this Tuesday. It addresses some recruitment plans, allows retirees to work as substitutes, and adds various conditional loan scholarships and grants.
At some point, SB 6455 and HB 2743, or parts of each, could be combined into one bill. If the final bill is too costly it might not pass.
WEA supports efforts to reduce the teacher shortage if they maintain high standards. We believe that increasing pay and respect for educators is critical to effectively addressing the shortages.
HB 1737, was heard in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee on Thursday, but no action has been taken. It would allow retirees who used the 2008 Early Retirement Factors to work as substitutes for up to 630 hours per year until August 2020. We support this bill.
Paraeducators
SB 6408, is the rewrite of a bill WEA stopped last session. While it addresses the need to establish and fund high quality professional development for instructional paraeducators, it ties the PD to a licensure/certification system.
Paraeducators would be required to take specific courses with no guarantee that the courses would be affordable or accessible. Failure to do so could result in loss of their jobs if the bill passes as written without adequate funding.
This bill passed off the floor of the Senate. It has a hearing in the House Education Committee on Monday. WEA continues to strongly oppose this legislation.
Charter Schools
SB 6194, was heard in the House Education Committee Friday afternoon. As anticipated, there were many people who testified on both sides of the issue, and several that, in the interest of time could not speak, though they likely submitted written testimony. No vote was taken.
This is the Senate bill that is nearly identical to the charter school initiative the State Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional. WEA opposes this bill.
Higher Education
SHB 2615, is our bill to begin the process of converting some part-time to full-time faculty in community and technical colleges, and increasing the pay of part time faculty. We are pushing for it to receive a hearing in the Senate Higher Ed Committee. We support this bill.
Other
SB 5559, would provide tuition waivers for state and education employees. This bill appeared to die, but was amended in to SB 6455 which addresses teacher shortages. We are advocating for the House to keep it in their version when they hear it next week.
Look ahead
Wednesday is WEA member lobby day!
Next week will be dominated by budget news. The House is scheduled to release its budget proposal on Monday. The Senate is expected to follow relatively quickly.
In addition, policy bills need to make it out of the policy committees by the end of the week to stay alive.
Paraeducator bill, SB 6408, will be heard on Monday in the House Education Committee. WEA supports improved PD for paraeducators, but we do not support any licensure requirements that do not have funding associated with them.
Teacher shortage, HB 2743, will be heard on Tuesday in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee. WEA supports efforts to reduce the teacher shortage if they maintain high standards. We believe that increasing pay and respect for educators are critical to effectively addressing the shortages.
