This Week in Olympia

Week of February 11   

Take action

WEA Lobby Day is Monday, Feb. 18, Presidents Day. You can join us in a virtual lobby by sending a message to your lawmakers  to fund additional counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses and others who support the mental, behavioral and physical health and safety of our students. 

We expect about 100 WEA members to visit Olympia in person with their lawmakers to advocate for student safety, educator health care, levy fixes and other items in our WEA legislative priorities.  

This Week in Olympia 

Heavy snow closed down the Legislature on Monday, an event so rare, the last time it happened was after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake.  

On Tuesday, the House Education Committee heard three bills that would delink graduation requirements from standardized test results. They could be up for committee votes as soon as next week. Those bills are HB 1720, HB 1599, and HB 1089. We like some features better than others in these bills, but are encouraged that all would delink graduation from standardized test results. 

HB 1815 and its companion bill SB 5497 would form a work group to make recommendations to the Attorney General on best practices for securing the rights of immigrant workers and students in our state. They had public hearings last week and could be voted out of their respective committees next week. WEA supports. 

SB 5393, is the College Promise bill, which eliminates the wait list for over 18,000 college students who qualify for the state need grant. It had a public hearing in Ways and Means on Thursday. WEA supports this bill which would increase opportunities for low-income students to attend college.

SB 5313 is Governor Inslee’s bill concerning school levies. It passed out of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 committee on Friday. It was amended to allow a school district to choose a maximum levy lid of either 20 percent of the total state and federal funds, or $3,500 per pupil. WEA supports this bill.  

Next Week in Olympia 

Retirees 

HB 1390 would provide the plan 1 retirees with a COLA. It was rescheduled due to the snow storm and will now be heard on Presidents Day in the House Appropriations committee. WEA-Retired members have been advocating for this bill. WEA supports. 

K-12 

House Education will be voting on a number of bills this week. In particular, WEA is watching three testing delink bills, HB 1720, HB 1599, and HB 1089.

Higher Education 

HB 2001 would provide scholarships for Native American students. It has a public hearing in the House College and Workforce Development committee on Tuesday, and could be voted on any day next week after that. 

Policy Cut-off: 

Friday is the policy cut-off date. This means that a bill must be voted out of its policy committee by Friday or it is considered dead for this year. The exceptions are bills necessary to implement the budget.