The Washington House wasted no time getting down to business today: the gavel dropped at noon, and before 1:00 pm, the Washington Dream Act was once again on its way to the Senate!
Passing legislation on the first day of session is virtually unheard of; in fact, nobody we could find today can ever remember it happening before.
In his opening day remarks, Speaker Frank Chopp told the story of a 17-year-old student named America Yorita-Carrion from Davis High School in Yakima who achieved her dream of going to college, thanks to the College Success Foundation.
The daughter of farm workers, she often was in the orchards picking fruit way before the sun came up, even as a young child. She is now a graduate of Whitman College, and her story was an inspiration to everybody listening today.
With other young students in the House Galleries, Speaker Chopp called on members to continue making a real difference in the lives of our young people. Within minutes, the House responded by passing the Dream Act on a strong bipartisan vote.
The next step is up to the Senate. We’ll keep you posted.
