WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Rep. Brian Blake’s Legislative Update – Feb 19, 2013

Mark your calendar: 19th Legislative District Telephone Town Hall on February 27 at 6 pm.

You may get a call from us around 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27, inviting you to join our telephone town hall.  State Representative Dean Takko, Senator Brian Hatfield and I will host a one-hour town hall-style discussion with those of you who choose to stay on the line and participate. The last time we did one of these, around 7,500 of you joined the conversation. 

If you’ve never had a chance to participate in a telephone town hall, it’s very simple: you can just stay on the line and listen to the discussion, or you can ask a question by pressing *3 on your phone keypads.  

We’ll talk about the 2013 legislative session currently underway in Olympia, and will take questions on any topic relating to issues before the legislature or of importance to the district, including jobs, the economy, education, and health care. 

If you don’t get a phone call from us, you can still participate by calling the toll-free number 1-877-229-8493, and entering ID code 18646#.     

I sure hope you’ll join us!


It has been another busy week in the legislature, but also a week with moments of reflection and remembrance.  On February 13, members of the House and Senate held a Joint Session to honor former legislators who have left us in the last two years. 

sidFormer State Senator Sid Snyder passed away last October at age 86. I had the privilege of watching and learning how he brought people from both parties together to get things done. He served our 19th Legislative District for twelve years, but he worked in one capacity or another in the Capitol for over half a century. He was an old timer who dedicated his life to public service and earned respect and admiration from colleagues and constituents alike. Democrats and Republicans, along with nearly 100 other people, gathered in the Capitol’s State Reception Room for the launch event of a book about Sid Snyder.

“Across the Aisles: Sid Snyder’s Remarkable Life in Groceries & Government,” was written by Jeff Burlingame, who grew up in Aberdeen, and produced by The Legacy Project in the Office of Secretary of State and the Legislative Oral History Project. The entire book is online here, if you want to check it out. 


Our paramount duty

As you know, the Supreme Court ruled that we are not meeting our paramount duty to adequately fund education, so that’s the number one issue we have to solve this session.

Every child deserves a good education, which is in our best interest because education is the engine that drives our economy.  Secure families and a strong middle class depend on the next generation getting the education they need to compete against the rest of the world.

Have you heard Republicans say their plan is to “Fund Education First”? What that means is passing a separate education budget first, and then letting every other vital state service, including higher ed, economic development, and foster care, fight for what’s left. That’s not a plan, it’s an all cuts budget.

We’ve already cut $12 billion in services and laid off 4,500 teachers and school employees over the last few years, while passing unfunded reforms. 

A better plan this session is to “Fund Education Right,” without cutting even more services for the sick, the hungry and the homeless.


Higher education bills advance in House

House Democrats have five clear goals for the 2013 legislative session. One of our priorities is to ensure we provide our students with opportunities and skills they need for the real world. Our kids deserve the same chances to succeed that previous generations received.

This week, the House Higher Education committee passed several bills that will make college more affordable and accessible:

HB 1043 would end differential tuition authority for universities, but more importantly, would save the Guaranteed Education Tuition program. GET is a valuable tool to help middle class families save for college.

HB 1453 will provide more opportunities for working students to apply for State Need Grant assistance.

HB 1011 will make college more accessible and affordable for our military service members and veterans.

Our country was founded on hard work and opportunity. These are just a few of the many bills we’re working on to build a strong middle class.


Voters approved charter schools last fall. Now what?

Green Apple on BooksThe passage of Initiative 1240 last November gave the go-ahead for the creation of public charter schools in our state.  Would you like to be involved in the next step?

The State Board of Education (SBE) has started work on timelines and rules for opening these alternative schools, and they want to hear from the public as they move forward.  There will be a public hearing on draft rules pertaining to our state’s first public charter schools at the SBE’s February 26 meeting.

Can’t make it to Olympia on the 26th?  No problem.  You don’t have to attend the meeting in order to share your comments, concerns, or feedback.  You email the SBE directly at sbe@k12.wa.us.

Here is more information on the public charter schools and the ongoing process.


tthreminderWhat’s going on in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee?

Last week we focused mostly on executive sessions and passing bills out of committee.

On Tuesday we heard HB 1372, concerning natural resource management activities, and on Wednesday, we held a work session on Marine Spatial Planning.

To access the documents and presentations from all the legislative committee work sessions online, feel free to check the Electronic Bill Book.

committee

If you want to know what bills passed through committee or are interested in following what’s going on in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee you can sign up here to receive E-mail notifications. You can also check out our committee agenda to see what’s coming up next week. 

Several of you have contacted my office saying that you’re enjoying these electronic weekly updates. I’m glad and grateful for your kind words, but also for your input. Let me know what’s on your mind.

Take care,

Blakesig