WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Week 4 Update: Signing up for health insurance, closing the opportunity gap and funding early learning

Hello neighbors,

Today is Day 30 of the 105-day legislative session and time seems to be accelerating here on the Capitol Campus as we approach the last push to vote policy bills out before they “die.” Next Friday is our policy committee cutoff. This means Feb. 20 is the last day for House policy bills to be voted out of House policy committees or the bills do not progress any further in the legislative process. As I mentioned in my previous newsletter, I am the chair of the House State Government Committee. Therefore, a majority of my day is consumed with committee meetings as we hold public hearings and executive sessions before the deadline. Fiscal committee cutoff is the last week in February and then we begin day-long floor sessions where we consider all of the bills that made it out of committee.

I wanted to take a moment to thank the many constituent groups who have visited my office in the last four weeks for their legislative day on the hill. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy lives to drop in and share your legislative priorities. Please keep reaching out and sharing your comments.

Reminder: Sign up for Health Care by February 15!

In case you have forgotten, Sunday, February 15 is the last day you can sign up for health care coverage in order for it to start March 1. You can find a Qualified Health Plan through the Washington Healthplanfinder website at www.wahealthplanfinder.org or find free in-person assistance to see if you qualify for financial help to lower the cost of health insurance premiums.

NYT: Closing the Opportunity Gap Good for the Economy

It is critical that we provide equal opportunities for ALL students to learn. Right now, that isn’t happening. A growing opportunity gap in Washington state is leaving too many kids behind.

new study highlighted by the New York Times (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED) shows how opportunity gaps hurt everybody by slowing the economy. The U.S. ranks 24th out of 33 advanced industrial countries in math and science scores. The study determined that if we made enough investments to be in line with Canada, our Gross Domestic Product with increase $10 TRILLION (adjusted for inflation) by 2050. Closing the gap to ensure all students have an opportunity to grow and prosper is a high priority for the House this year.

The Case for Universal Pre-K

Investing in high quality early learning is not only a great for kids, but it’s good for taxpayers too. Emily Badger of the Washington Post lays out a great argument for why conservatives should support universal Pre-K. In a nutshell, it provides an excellent return on investment as the graph below shows. Spending money today on early learning means we spend less tomorrow on services like unemployment, health care, and incarceration. We have a bill in the House, The Early Start Act championed by Rep. Ruth Kagi, that would improve the quality of early learning in Washington state.