Legislative Update

January 2020

The 2020 Legislative Session

Is Upon Us

by Samantha Miller

It's th at time again! Welcome to the legislative session for 2020, which will officially begin next Monday, January 13 . My name is Samantha Miller, and I am the new Legislative Updates Coordinator for CSTP. A little it about me... Before my kids were born, I worked as an elementary school teacher. I was fortunate to teach both primary and intermediate grades, my last and most favorite being third grade. As a University of Washington undergraduate, I studied Political Science and History. How wonderful that I can finally put those degrees to use! I am excited to have this opportunity, and a bit nervous, as we all know Marianne Hunter left some large shoes to fill. So hang in there with me, and I will do my best to keep you posted on the need-to-know bills that legislators introduce and pass that will affect our everyday lives in education.

Being an even-numbered year, 2020 is scheduled to be a short session at 60 days. Governor Inslee proposed his 2019-21 supplemental budget and priorities earlier this month. He highlighted several small education initiatives including: increasing ECEAP (Early Childhood Education Assistance Program) access to children in foster care, expansion of nursing services in schools and stronger behavioral supports in schools.

Some state education agencies have also released their priorities for this coming session. OSPI has laid out their legislative priorities and budget requests . The State Board of Education (SBE) has also set their priorities for the session.

Legislators began pre-filing bills in December. There are several bills that relate to public schools, but I will spare you the details until session officially begins. Neal Morton's article in the Seattle Times does a great job highlighting the few pre-filed bills that might be up for debate when the legislature convenes next week. If you're interested in checking out the entire list of pre-filed bills, you can find them here .

Education Committee Hearings This Week

The House of Representatives Education Committee Hearings:

Monday, January 13^th at 1:30pm
Tuesday, January 14^th at 3:30pm
Thursday, January 16^th at 8:00am

The Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee Hearings:

Monday, January 13^th at 2:00pm
Wednesday, January 15^th at 1:30pm
Friday, January 17^th at 8:00am

Reminder - All hearings are broadcast on TVW .

That's it for this week. Look for a full update from me next Friday, January 17 , after session has begun.

Odds and Ends

From The Atlantic - When Schools Try to Tweak Winter Break, Families Fight Back

From NPR - Laugh, Cry and Gasp Along with The Best Viral Classroom Moments of 2019

From the Seattle Times - Big Obama Administration Grants For Washington's Worst Schools Paid Off, New Study Shows

Happy Friday!

Samantha Miller

Legislative Links:

Legislative Website: Get information on bills, legislators, hearings and more.

Bill Tracker: Track specific bills, read bill reports.

TVW: Watch live and archived legislative proceedings.

Note about

l egislative updates:

CSTP relays these legislative updates to provide information on bills, budgets and legislative processes. CSTP doesn't have a legislative agenda, but does track legislative issues most relevant to teaching.

STAY CONNECTED