We are halfway done with the 2016 legislative session! We have passed policy cutoff last week and fiscal cutoff last night, which is the final deadline for bills with fiscal impacts to make it out of committee. Today we will be heading to full-time floor action for the next week where we will be passing House bills to the Senate. Starting next Wednesday, we will reconvene in normal session to start hearing bills that were introduced by Senators. Short session move very quickly and we have already done some good work, but there is certainly more to do.
You can view my Legislative Update video here.
Update on 405
Last week House Democrats wrote a letter to DOT requesting changes be made to 405. We have since received a response from DOT which indicates their willingness to implement our suggested changes, with many changes beginning right away and others in the next few months. Look forward to some relief on weeknights and weekends and holidays. we are working hard to find solutions that accommodate increased demand and the need for effective traffic flow. It is critical that we take a measured approach to assure we make the right changes which will serve the corridor for decades to come.
Addressing Teacher Shortages
In the last two budgets the legislature has allocated funding to reduce class size in K-3 and to implement all-day Kindergarten state wide. This increased number of classrooms will require a significant increase in the number of teachers in Washington. To address this teacher-shortage problem, I have been working with fellow legislators to draft legislation that increases the supply of quality teachers in Washington, especially in the small, rural districts.
Stay tuned
I always welcome your comments so do not hesitate to contact me at larry.springer@leg.wa.gov.
Larry