2020 Legislative Session – Week 2 Recap and Look Ahead to Week 3
January 26, 2020 Focus Day meetings a success Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Nearly 100 WSPTA members visited Olympia on January 20, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to focus on legislative priorities, meet with their legislators and testify on bills before the House and Senate education committees. In addition, Superintendent Chris Reykdal…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies on HB 2440 – The Time to Act is Now
One of WSPTA’s top 5 legislative priorities is Gun Violence Prevention, and this session one focus is on restricting access to high capacity magazines. Parent volunteer Gwen Loosmore testified in the House Civil Rights and Judiciary committee Tuesday, January 21, in support of a bill that would restrict the manufacture, sale, purchase, and possession of…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Supporting funding flexibility
Heidi Bennett, long-time WSPTA member, testified in support of SB 6132, which would create more flexibility within the Learning Assistance Program to use funding for staff that support student behavioral issues and mental health. Watch her testimony here.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA asks Legislature to Make Broad Investments in Special Education
On January 22, parent volunteer Susan Leusner testified before the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education on SB 6117, a bill that would add about $11 million to special education funding to support students who spend 80% or more of their time in general education classrooms. Here’s her testimony.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2020 Legislative Session – Week 1 Recap and Look Ahead to Week 2
Historic day kicks off 2020 session Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The House kicked off the 2020 session January 13 by swearing in Rep. Laurie Jinkins, D-27, as the first woman Speaker of the House in Washington state history. Jinkins and many colleagues wore white in celebration of women’s suffrage, and Jinkins…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – January 2020
The newness of the year and decade feel like a blank page, just waiting for us to write the next chapter in the history of WSPTA. I testified on behalf of our members recently. As I stood in front of the capitol, I reflected on all those who have advocated for children and families, all…
Category:
Leadership
WSPTA Testifies before House for Budget Priorities
Click to hear President Kutzera’s testimony Washington State PTA President Janice Kutzera testified in front of the House Appropriations Committee today, January 13, on the opening day of the legislative session. Read her full testimony. She spoke to HB 2325 Supplemental Operating Budget. President Kutzera asked the committee to support four budget priorities. Fund the…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2020 Legislative Session – Pre-session Report
Legislature expected to act quickly in 60-day session Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The second year of the 66th Legislature will convene Monday, January 13, with Democrats holding the Governor’s office and majorities in the House and Senate. The Senate will swear in one new member, Republican Ron Muzzall of Whidbey Island,…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Olympia 2020
PTA members adopt and add to the legislative priorities each year. Our platform focuses on all aspects of the health, safety, well-being, and education of children and youth – and 1.1 million kids need YOU to be their voice on Focus Day, January 20, 2020. What ARE our legislative priorities? How do you learn enough…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
January 2020 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear Members, Happy New Year! Wow, it’s 2020. I can hardly believe it. I have been a lifelong fan of science fiction and grew up on Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein. In the annals of science fiction, these are the years when space operas play out, the years when robots have either enslaved us all…
Category:
Leadership