AAUW Weekly Session Report Week 2

AAUW Weekly Session Report

A Recap of Week 2 of Regular Session

January 16 – January 20, 2011

Even as more than a foot of snow fell on Olympia this week, hearings and meeting schedules were as busy as ever, with education remaining a frequent subject of discussion around the Capitol.  At the House Ways & Means Committee Hearing on Monday, where legislators continued to hear briefings on the landmark McCleary decision, Committee Chair Representative Ross Hunter noted that he expected “a robust debate” on this topic as session continues.  A recent spate of newly-introduced bills suggest that Representative Hunter may be right.  House Bill 2533, introduced Tuesday, would require the legislature to make all Basic Education and other K-12 education appropriations before taking action on any other areas of the budget.  28 Representatives have already formalized their support for this measure by “signing on” to the bill, and statewide press have certainly been paying attention.  For a brief story on this measure, as reported by The Olympian, please click here.

House Bill 2534, which would repeal the nonresident sales tax exemption and direct that revenue towards funding K-12 education, and House Bill 2470, which aims to provide increased educational opportunities for underserved youth, were also introduced early this week, joining a number of other education policy bills now before the legislature.  With several such bills scheduled for committee hearings next week, AAUW-WA’s Lobby Day on Monday, January 23^rd will provide an excellent opportunity for you to share your thoughts with the women and men who represent you here in Olympia.  Listed at the end of this report are a number of hearings being held both on Lobby Day and throughout the week.  We hope to see you here on Monday!

Amidst the continued talk of education, there was also continued talk of revenue, with a number of noteworthy bill introductions this week.  Some of these ideas included a capital gains tax put forward by Representative Jinkins, a proposal to create an income tax while lowering the sales tax from Representative Reykdal and Senator Frockt, and an attempt to increase accountability for tax breaks sponsored by Representative Carlyle.  This last proposal was filed on Tuesday, one day after both the House and the Senate heard presentations on Washington’s tax breaks from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, which recommended discontinuing or reviewing 11 out of the 25 tax breaks it studied.

As legislators continue to reflect, seek out new ways to create savings, and work on the policy bills before them, they are eager to hear your thoughts and ideas!  Make your voice heard either by reaching out to your representatives in person on Monday, or by contacting them via email or over the phone.  As always, you can find your representatives’ names and contact information by entering your address into the form, found here.

  

Next Week – Hearings of Interest:

Monday, January 23 – AAUW Lobby Day!

§  SB 6239, Senate marriage equality bill.  Senate Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee, Cherberg Building, Hearing Room 2.  10:00 AM.

§  HB 2470, regarding educational opportunities for underserved students.  House Education Committee, O’Brien Building, Hearing Room A.  6:00 PM.

§  HB 2516, House marriage equality bill.  House Judiciary Committee, O’Brien Building, Hearing Room A.  1:30 PM.

§  Work Session on higher education awards for AmeriCorps members.  House Higher Education Committee, O’Brien Building, Room C.  1:30 PM.

Tuesday, January 24

§  SB 6232, creating the office of the Student Achievement Council.  Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee, Cherberg Building, Hearing Room 3.  10:00 AM.

§  SB 6229, regarding paid sick leave.  Senate Labor, Commerce & Consumer Protection Committee, Cherberg Building, Hearing Room 4.  1:30 PM.

Thursday, January 26

§  HB 2199, requiring children to attend school starting at age 6, and HB 2493, reconfiguring the membership of the state Board of Education.  House Education Committee, O’Brien Building, Hearing Room A.  8:00 AM.

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