Dear friends and neighbors,
Today wraps up week 4 of the legislative session. If you’ve been following along, you know that we’ve been working hard to address Washington’s housing crisis, make higher education more accessible, and keep kids safe.
Last week my student safety bill (HB 1296) was heard in the House Education Committee. This bill provides clear language to establish the right to learn in a safe environment for every single child regardless of race, gender, sexual identity, or immigration status. You can read more about what the bill does and doesn’t do in this article from the Seattle Times.
Over the next few weeks we’ll wrap up committee hearings and getting ready for floor action. You can always check www.leg.wa.gov for the most up-to-date information, search for bills, and learn more about the legislative process and make sure to visit www.tvw.org to catch live floor debates.
Setting up a bottle return system in WA
Education for every student in WA
Dual Credit Programs – Double the benefits
Dual credit programs allow high school students to earn college credit, but not enough parents or kids know about it. That means one kid might be getting college credit for a class but not the student sitting next to them. HB 1273 improves access to dual credit programs, particularly career and technical education, meaning more
WA GAP – Enrolling more students in WA colleges
HB 1557 creates the Washington Guaranteed Admissions program. We’re seeing record high school graduation rates, but not enough students are enrolling in college or career training programs. The Washington Guaranteed Admissions program will help ease the transition from high school to college and address this major issue.
Free school meals – Because hungry kids can’t learn
The program established by HB 1404 would provide free lunches would cost taxpayers approximately $108 million per year. She added that about 70% of students get free meals, and the program would benefit the remaining 30% and could have a significant impact on educational outcomes. This will improve learning for kids and save time and money for working parents.
Youth Health Science contest open to all WA high school students!
Public policy, including legislation passed here in Olympia, is usually developed after careful data analysis. Big shifts in a data set can be a red flag, or a sign that we need to change how we do things.
The Washington State Department of Health has an exciting opportunity for young minds to explore how data analysis leads to policy through their Youth Science Contest.
High school students can use data from the Washington Tracking Network to develop a project through one of three different tracks, including health science, science communication, and program & policy design.
The contest is open to all Washington state high school students, and the submission window runs from February 15 to midnight on April 15.
Check out more information here: https://doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistical-reports/washington-tracking-network-wtn/youth-science-contest
Please keep in touch. Your voice is an important part of the legislative process and our democracy. Email me anytime at monica.stonier@leg.wa.gov or follow me on Facebook for more news.
