Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org   House Democrats announced their 2023-25 operating budget on Monday, March 27, and the House Appropriations Committee immediately held a public hearing on the more than 1,200-page document that afternoon. Also released on the 27 was the bipartisan 2023-2025 capital budget.  Both budgets have some things in common with the Senate…

Each week, Marie Sullivan our Legislative Consultant puts together a list of bills and upcoming events that are associated with our legislative priorities. Reports are up-to-date as of the Sunday before the Legislative week begins. Week 15 – April 17 to April 21 (as of 4/16/23) *Days and times can be subject to change. Past…

Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org After a week of long nights, sometimes into the next day for the House, and some difficult policy discussions in both chambers, the Legislature reached the third major milestone of the session on March 8th – the deadline by which bills needed to pass out of the place in which…

Prepared by Susan Baird-Joshi, Federal Legislative Chair, WSPTA fedleg@wastatepta.org Fifteen WSPTA members met with five members of Congress (MOC) on March 8, 2023, including the first woman President Pro Tempore, Senator Patty Murray. Other MOCs our delegation met with were Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and staff, and the staff of Senator Maria Cantwell, Representative Pramila Jayapal…

Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org March 4th marked the 55th day of a 105-day session, leaving only seven weeks to go before lawmakers will wrap up the business of the 2023 regular session of the 68th Legislature. The House worked late several nights and on Saturday, finally adjourning at 2:15 AM Sunday morning. The Senate…

Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org   The Legislature is now on the downward slope towards the end of session in April, with the second deadline of Friday, February 24 ending the journey for many policy bills with fiscal impacts to the state. Bills with fiscal impacts to local governments or school districts usually don’t get similar…

Following on the success of our virtual Focus on Advocacy Week, during which PTA members sent over 3300 messages, advocates came to Olympia on February 20 to meet with their legislators. Members who met with legislators can let WSPTA know how the discussion went by filling out the meeting summary form.  PTA members also had…

Prepared by Susan Baird-Joshi, sbaird@wastatepta.org and Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Washington State PTA, the state’s oldest and largest child advocacy organization supports House Bill 1473.   According to the bill report, some of the revenues generated by this legislation would go to the Education Legacy Trust Account, an important source of ongoing funding for K-12 education.  Washington…