Special Session
We are nearing the end of the first special session and, if a budget deal is not reached by Thursday, May 28, we will go into a second 30 day special session. The House and the Senate have been hard at work negotiating a new budget, but significant obstacles remain in the way. One of the most important differences is how we fund education.
In the House, we are working hard to increase teacher pay and fully fund our public schools, while the Republican controlled Senate is short-changing teachers and students by using unsustainable budget tricks.
Reinvesting in Washington means investing in our teachers
What’s the best way to make sure every child succeeds in school and life? It’s pretty simple really – by having the best possible teacher in every classroom.
But how can we attract high quality educators if we continue to offer inadequate compensation and raise their health care costs?
If we don’t demonstrate that we value good teachers, we’ll lose them to the private sector, which can offer higher pay and better benefits.
It doesn’t have to be that way. We can turn the corner and invest in our kids by investing in their teachers.
It’s been six years since teachers received a cost-of-living adjustment from the state. The Great Recession forced the Legislature to make difficult decisions. Our state saw massive revenue shortfalls during the down years.
As a result, we had to cut over $12 billion since 2008 to balance the budget. Unfortunately, some of those cuts came at the expense of our teachers. Their salaries were frozen while their bills kept going up.
Continuing to balance the books on the backs of teachers is irresponsible and wrong.
As we continue budget negotiations with the Senate, keep in mind the House makes a significant investment in education and our teachers, the details of which can be found here. The Senate Republican budget comes up short for our kids.
Senate Republicans proposed a smoke-and-mirrors budget, full of unsustainable gimmicks that kick our problems down the road another two years. Many senators openly talk about defying the state Supreme Court’s order to fully fund our public schools.
That’s not leadership.
How can you invest in education if you don’t invest in educators?
In the News and Around the District
Recently, I was able to attend a gathering of vaccine experts in our community at the Snohomish Health District Building in Everett and speak to them about the importance of the work they are doing. Although my vaccine bill did not pass this year, it is important for our community and the State to continue to raise awareness about the effectiveness of vaccines in keeping our children safe.
I was also on the Fox News Channel last week about my aerospace accountability bill, HB 2147. This bill is still making its way through the House and I am working hard to get it passed this year.