WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Rep. Sam Hunt’s Electronic Newsletter – January 30, 2013

The second week of the 2013 legislative session began on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, and legislators honored the slain civil rights leader with a resolution on the House floor.  While his birthday is celebrated each year as a federal holiday, Dr. King’s message of equality for all is relevant every day of the year.  As he once famously said, “No one is free, until everyone is free.” 

Representative Roger Freeman gave a moving speech, which I encourage you to watch here.

Increasing access to voting 

The Government Operations and Elections Committee, which I chair, is considering a number of bills to increase access to voting and increase election turnout and improve voting accountability. 

  • HB 1279 would allow 16 and 17 year-olds to register to vote when they get their driver’s licenses.   The information would be automatically transferred to county auditors but not entered onto the voter rolls until a person reaches his/her 18th birthday.
  • HB 1267 would enable Washington voters to join voters in 8 other states, including California and Idaho, that allow voters to register to vote up to and including election-day.  Newly registered voters could vote on a provisional ballot so local election officials would have time to verify that the person is eligible to vote.
  • HB 1103 would establish a uniform ballot format for all state ballots.  Currently each county designs its own ballots and gets the format approved by the Secretary of State.  The bill requires all counties to have a uniform ballot design by 2020 in order for them to phase out current vote counting technology.
  • HB 1290 would increase the number of ballot drop boxes across the state so people will have the ability to deposit their ballots in a secure drop box without having to pay postage.
  • HB 1278 would require pre-paid postage for all ballots in state elections—primary and general elections in even-numbered years.  This would remove an impediment to voting for people who cannot afford postage or do not have ready access to stamps in this electronic age.

The committee has heard several of these bills, and they will be acted upon by the committee in the next several weeks.

Bills are going into the Hopper

It’s a phrase we hear a lot within the legislature:  “putting a bill in the Hopper.”  What does that even mean?

Every piece of proposed legislation that’s introduced goes to the Code Reviser’s Office, where it is stamped and then examined by Code Reviser staff (who are all skilled attorneys) to make sure it’s in the proper format to become a law. The place where bills are dropped off for Code Reviser staff is called “the Hopper.”  These days, the Hopper is pretty busy as legislators from the House and Senate submit bills for consideration in the 2013 session.  Here’s an easy-to-follow guide on how a bill becomes a law.  And if you want to find out about or track a particular piece of legislation, here’s where you can access the info you’re looking for.

Rising college costs and student debt

More than half of Washington’s college students have some amount of school debt, and the average debt amount per student is $22,244.  At the same time, the cost of higher education continues to rise.  The trend of rapidly-increasing tuition and corresponding rise in debt loads is becoming a barrier to obtaining a college degree for many students. This has lawmakers – and employers looking to hire skilled workers in our state – very concerned.

The discussions have already begun about ways to rein in tuition increases and help students access higher education without incurring crushing debt.  The chair of the House Higher Education committee wants to hear from students across Washington who are struggling to afford their education.  Students can submit their stories via photo or video, and these will be shared with lawmakers and the general public during committee work sessions.  For more information on how to submit your story, click here.

Closing the STEM gap

Did you know Washington ranks fourth in the nation in technology-based corporations, but 46th in participation in science and engineering graduate degree programs?

To address this issue, in 2010 the legislature passed House Bill 2621, directing the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to designate six “lighthouse” schools each year to promote and develop Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, including technical assistance and advice for other elementary, middle and high schools that are creating their own STEM environments.  In the 22 months since the law went into effect, 24,000 students and 800 teachers have participated in 58 STEM programs across Washington. This week, OSPI announced the schools that will receive STEM funding in 2013:

  • Delta High School (Kennewick)
  • Bremerton High School (Bremerton)
  • Stevens Elementary School (Aberdeen)
  • West Valley Junior High School (West Valley Yakima)
  • West Hills STEM Academy (Bremerton)
  • WF West High School (Chehalis)
  • San Juan School District

Thanks for taking the time to read my electronic newsletter.  I welcome your comments.

Sincerely,

 Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt