Fiscal committees worked overtime this past
week, with the House meeting into early
The session is nearing the half-way mark of
the 105-day session, and the focus shifts over the next two weeks to floor
action. Bills must pass by 5 p.m. on March 8 from the chamber where they
started to remain under consideration. The biggest exception would be budget
bills. Speaking of which, an economic review will occur March 2, with the
Economic and Revenue Forecast Council meeting at 10 a.m. on March 16 to get the
most current report on projected revenue for fiscal year 2017, and the 2017-19
biennium.
Status
of Top Five Legislative Priorities - Update
1.
Social
and Emotional Learning
·
All
three bills, HB 1377, HB 1518, and HB 1621 died in House Appropriations. Two of
the bills (HB 1377 and HB 1621) are somewhat linked to the House Democrats’
education funding bill – ESHB 1843 – so may be resurrected soon. Elements of HB
1518, which included an extension of the SEL benchmarks work group and a summer
ECEAP pilot project, may be inserted into the House operating budget as
provisos. Members talking with their legislators should share this request.
2.
Amply
Funding Basic Education
·
ESHB
1843, the House Democrat education funding plan, was sent to the Senate on a
party-line vote of 50-48. It is expected that negotiations on the two major
plans (HB 1843 and SB 5607) will begin in earnest. New
district-by-district fiscal impact charts have been released by Senate
Republicans.
·
On
Monday, February 27, at 10 a.m., the Senate Ways & Means Committee will
hear public testimony on a substitute
of Senator Mark Mullet’s education funding plan, SB 5825.
3.
Closing
the Opportunity Gap
·
A bill
that would increase funding for LAP, HB 1511, and two bills (HB 2075 and SB
5758) that would have added $400 per student for various academic-focused
activities both failed to pass their respective fiscal committees. Like the SEL
bills above, it is possible elements of these bills will show up in the
education funding solution.
4.
Standards
for Para-educators
·
SHB
1115 and SB 5070 were passed from their fiscal committees and are in the Rules
Committee. The Rules Committee is the stopping point before bills are referred
to the floor for action.
5.
Breakfast
after the Bell
· Even
as amended, SSB 5696 failed to pass the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
· SHB
1508 passed out of House Appropriations and is in the Rules Committee.
2017 WSPTA Supported Issues:
·
Improving
Educational Outcomes for Foster Children
o
SSB
5241 is in the Senate Rules committee.
·
Engaging
Families in Student Success
o
SHB
1618 is in House Rules.
·
Post-Secondary/Higher
Education Access and Affordability
o
Many
of the access and affordability bills died last Friday. These include: HB 1425
(next generation education savings account); HB 1840 (Washington promise
program); and HB 1847 (state goal of 50/50 cost-share for state/attendee
tuition and fees);
o
Those
that are still in play include: HB 1452 (expansion of the opportunity scholarship)
and HB 1512 (expansion of College Bound Scholarship eligibility).
·
Removing
Barriers to Implementing ECEAP
o
Two
bills to create a grant and loan program to increase the number of early
learning facilities are both still under consideration. The bills are HB 1777
and SB 5753.
·
Restorative
Justice and School Safety
o
SSB
5155, focused on limiting the number of days students in grades K-2 could be
suspended or expelled is eligible for floor action.
Week
in Review
Northshore parent Corina Pfeil testified
for the first time before the House Appropriations Committee in support of HB
1508, the breakfast after the bell bill. She did a lot of research to prepare
for the meeting, and represented WSPTA very well.
Senate Republicans
announced revised materials and district-by-district analyses of their
proposal, SB 5607. Follow the link here to read the various documents.
The
Week Ahead
Monday,
February 27
10 a.m., Senate Ways & Means, SHR 4
Tuesday, February 28
8 a.m., House Education – HHR A - tentative
·
Work
Session on teacher shortage
_______________________________________________
Prepared by
Marie Sullivan
WSPTA Legislative Consultant
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