2012 Regular Session - Week 3

With just seven days left in both houses before the cutoff date for hearing any new policy items, it is not surprising that legislators heard testimony this week on a very wide range of important issues.  Monday was a big day for marriage equality legislation, with public hearings in both houses and an announcement by Senator Mary Margaret Haugen that she will cast the 25th vote needed to pass this legislation in the Senate.  In addition to marriage equality, legislators also held hearings on measures to abolish the death penalty, prevent and reduce youth involvement in street gangs, establish minimum standards for paid sick and safe leave, and expand voting access.

Monday was also an exciting day for education, thanks to the support of those who came down for AAUW-WA’s annual lobby day!  Thank you!  With so many policy items to consider and so little time before cutoff, legislators are making decisions right now about which bills will make it out of committee and where our state’s limited resources will go.  They need to continue to hear your perspective as their constituents and as champions for Washington’s investment in education.

We are still well over $1 billion away from closing the gap in our state budget and ideas for more cuts and reductions in spending are still swirling around the Capitol.  Without additional revenue, we are facing another one-sided budget full of devastating cuts to education as well as critical social and health services.

By taking just a few minutes this week to speak out to your legislators, and by inviting your friends and family to do the same, you can be part of a budget solution we are all proud of, one that does not leave our most vulnerable citizens behind or further slash access to higher education.  Calling the legislative hotline during business hours at 1-800-562-6000 takes just a few minutes and allows you to reach out to all three of your state representatives and the Governor in a single call.  Alternately, you can use the legislature’s online search tool, found here, to obtain contact information, including e-mail addresses, for each of your representatives.  The next several days will see lots of movement and activity in both houses.  Let’s build on the momentum from a successful lobby day Monday to make sure that our legislators do not forget that education – and the revenue we need to fund it fully – are amongst our highest priorities.

Questions?  Contact your lobbyist via email:  pjcrone  at  comcast.net