Today is the last day of our regular 2016 session. I wanted to send you a quick update. We don’t have a supplemental budget agreement with the State Senate, so a special session is likely.

Building better elections for Washington

My friend, Rep. Sam Hunt, and I have two bills headed to the Governor’s desk which will help improve our elections system. My bill, ESHB 2852, will create a statewide standard for election data and reporting and a biennial survey of each county’s ballot rejection rates and practices. These will make our elections more transparent and accountable to all voters statewide. It will also provide insights that can encourage the adoption of better practices when room for improvement is found. Rep. Hunt’s bill—HB 2624—will make the election results for ballot measures subject to the same kind of scrutiny and review that can be called for in a close race between candidates for office. Both bills received broad, bipartisan support. ESHB 2852 passed with a 93-2 vote in the House and a 47-1 vote in the Senate. Rep. Hunt’s bill achieved the rare feat of a unanimous vote in both chambers! While bold reforms like the Washington Voting Rights Act and automatic voter registration passed in the House, they were blocked in the Senate. These two bills are positive steps forward that will serve to make the system we currently have work better for all of us.

Breakfast After the Bell receives broadest House support, stalled in Senate

Those of you who have received my newsletters for some time are probably familiar with my work on E3SHB 1295, also known as Breakfast After the Bell. Ensuring that every student has the opportunity to start the day with a nutritious breakfast expands on existing programs and makes the most of our steps towards fully funding education. It makes sense for the kids, for their peers, and for better outcomes in our classrooms. For the third time, Breakfast After the Bell passed with a broad and bipartisan 69-28 vote. This latest floor vote has been the strongest yet for this effort and I was encouraged by the conversations I have had about it with my colleagues. The bill did not receive a vote in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. These programs already exist in districts like Tukwila—where they have just expanded Breakfast After the Bell to reach all across K-12. I remain hopeful that more kids across the state will be able to learn more effectively without being distracted by a growling stomach.

Simplifying access to school lunch programs

The answer to childhood hunger reaches beyond breakfast. I’m happy to be working with Rep. Mia Gregerson on SHB 2964 which will simply phase out the co-pay for reduced price lunch over several years for grades 4-12. Instead of requiring a token payment from families struggling to make ends meet, this will simply continue full coverage for students continuing from K-3 throughout the remainder of their education. Like Breakfast after the Bell, Rep. Gregerson’s bill passed in the House, but did not move beyond the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Helping families at home through efficient government

Our Basic Food program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or simply “food stamps,” just earned a boost for their hard work. Washington is among the top six states with the highest percentage of payment accuracy. The USDA awards bonuses to states that have efficient and effective SNAP programs. In recognition of this achievement, the USDA is awarding a bonus of $2,428,058 to Washington’s Basic Food program. This bonus will mean that even more kids and families can get the healthy, nutritious food they need to thrive.

Recognizing good things

Resolutions

Bills are not the only kind of legislation the House of Representatives can vote on.

Last week, I introduced and the House adopted House Resolution 4677, celebrating National African American Parent Involvement Day, which congratulates Tukwila and Seattle on their work to come together–as students, parents, educators, and communities–to help advance student success and address the educational opportunity gap.

House Resolutions are motions adopted by the House to congratulate or commemorate an individual, organization, or event. Although they do not have the power of law, resolutions are a beloved tradition in the Legislature.

Educational Opportunity Gap

I would like to congratulate my esteemed colleague from the neighboring 37th District, Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, on the passage of her legislation (4SHB 1541) to address the educational opportunity gap at a statewide level.

This excellent article from the Seattle Times highlights one of the many structural problems involving racial disparity within our public education system. Black students and Hispanic students are far more likely to be disciplined than white students. Unequal discipline practices within our public schools are just one of several problems contributing to inequality in education in Washington state.

The House of Representatives repeatedly considered legislation to fix these problems and close the educational opportunity gap. We’ve passed 4SHB 1541 over to the Senate – twice – where it finally passed as well and is now on its way to the Governor’s desk.

During the interim

You can reach my office at 206-501-2233 or zack.hudgins@leg.wa.gov. I will be out and around our community so please say hello if you see me. If you have an organization that you would like me to speak to, please reach out with an invitation. Thank you for letting me serve you and please stay tuned for our budget decisions. – Zack