Speaking of the Legislature: House Budget to Be Released Tomorrow

The House will be releasing its budget tomorrow with a public hearing on it also that day.

Naturally, this is a greatly anticipated moment for public education because the question is: what's in there for McCleary (and how are they paying for it)?  

What is vitally important to let legislators know is that McCleary is about several things.
  • fully-funding K-12 public education
  • fully-funding to whatever they are defining as "basic education"
  • remembering that class size IS part of McCleary (especially at K-3) and any attempt to say that they can't fund 1351 would not be true (given the first part of my statement).   
 You cannot divorce class size from McCleary. 

What was clear from the Town Hall at Hale on Saturday is that even the biggest legislative supporters of public education have no time/stomach for figuring out funding for 1351. 

However, none of them want to ignore the will of the people, either.  (They all said they would not vote for trying to overturn 1351 in the Legislature.)

The Class Size Matters folks are encouraging people to attend the hearing tomorrow, Friday, March 27th at 1:30 pm in the O'Brien House Office building, Room A.  

Comments

Action Needed said…
Tomorrow House Democrats in the Washington state legislature will unveil their budget for the next two years. As you know, some leaders in the budget process claim that the new class-size law is too expensive and must be repealed or suspended.

There are two actions you can take to protect the initiative we worked so hard to pass together in November. I’m asking you to help with whatever you can at this important time.

1. Send an email today key members of the House Appropriations Committee. Remind them that kids in Washington have waited too long for class-size improvement. Tell them that you expect them to follow the law and provide children of all ages the chance to learn in an uncrowded class room. To send emails, just click these links:

Rep. Ross Hunter: ross.hunter@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Reuven Carlyle: reuven.carlyle@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Kristine Lytton: kristine.lytton@leg.wa.gov

2. Attend tomorrow’s hearing in Olympia. It starts at 1:30 PM. By simply signing in and attending the hearing, you will send a powerful message to legislators that you expect them to follow the new class-size law and fully implement voter-approved Initiative 1351.
3/26/15, 11:31 AM
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