WSPTA Speaks in Favor of HB 1699
Former WSPTA President Michelle Nims kicked off a panel of speakers in favor of HB 1699 in the House Appropriations Committee January 20. The bill is designed as a short-term approach to helping address the serious workforce shortages facing our schools.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Focus on Safety
Dear Washington State PTA Member, Students and families deserve to be safe and healthy in their school, homes, and communities, with a livable future for our children. But unfortunately, what we are seeing in our state is concerning: Firearms are the second leading cause of death in children and 4.6 million children live in a…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Student Voices Testify for Financial Literacy
At the request of Washington State PTA, two students testified January 18 in favor of financial literacy in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee. Jackson Adams is a student in the Walla Walla School District and Kellen Hoard is a student in the Northshore School District. Hear their testimony here and here. Both students…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Focus on Preserving Funding
Dear Washington State PTA member, Right now, we need your voice more than ever as our Washington state legislature grapples with funding choices. We still have not returned back to school the way it was prior to the pandemic, and we need you to speak up. Legislators often comment that they don’t hear enough from…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Speaks in favor of Simple Majority for Bonds
Speaking in favor of WSPTA’s long-standing position in support of simple majority for bonds, Melissa Stone urged legislators to pass HB 1226 and HJR 4200 to build a foundation that supports student success. The bills were being heard in the House Education Committee and are scheduled for executive action Friday, January 21.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies in Favor of SB 5217
On Monday, Martin Luther King Jr., Day, it was fitting for Dr. Gwen Loosmore to testify in favor of SB 5217, urging legislators to adopt a common sense approach to reduce and prevent gun violence. The issue remains one of WSPTA’s top legislative priorities this session.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2022 Focus on Advocacy – January 17 Report
And … they’re off! Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org As expected, legislators “virtually” convened on January 10 for the start of what is shaping up to be a fast and flush short session. While some lawmakers made the trek to Olympia, committee hearings are being conducted virtually, and floor action is limited…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2022 Focus on Advocacy – January 10 Report
2022 Session Starts under Virtual Protocols Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Get your computers out, turn your light filters on, and update your virtual platform subscriptions. For the second year in a row, the Legislature will begin a formal regular session using protocols that allow only a few legislators to be on…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2021 Focus on Advocacy – April 26 Report
And … that’s a wrap! Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The Legislature is expected to adjourn “sine die” April 25 by midnight. Over the past week, there was a lot of action, including the release of the compromise, agreed-to two-year operating, capital, and transportation budgets. Once released from a conference committee, the…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2021 Focus on Advocacy – April 19 Report
All that’s left is for the lady to sing… Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Only one week remains in the 67th legislative session, and there is actually a lot that’s left to do before that famous lady sings the final song: budgets, the climate commitment act, a capital gains tax, and a…
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Advocacy
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Legislative