EMERGENCY – ACTION NEEDED NOW!

Rep. Timm Ormsby, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee,  announced at the beginning of this afternoon’s hearing the Committee would not be hearing any other bills not yet scheduled before the legislative cut-off.  If he holds to that SSB 5354 and many other bills with wide legislative support will die. These are bills that members want to hear and that are funded in the Senate budget, including SSB 5354  We need EVERYONE to put pressure on all Appropriations members.  We also need legislators to get to Rep. Ormsby to ask him for a hearing.

Suggested talking points:

• Legislators have required school districts to ensure equitable access to highly capable services
• There are currently too many artificial barriers to access
• SSB 5354 HELPS schools utilize best practices to evaluate students.  It improves highly capable programs through professional development
• SSB 5354 has received strong bipartisan support, including unanimous support on the Senate floor and in the House Education Committee
• School districts need help and students need to have an appropriate education

We’ve previously received messages of support from these members on the House Appropriations Committee:

Rep. Steve Bergquist
Rep. Michelle Caldier
Rep. Laurie Dolan – Vice Chair on Education
Rep. Zack Hudgins
Rep. Vicki Kraft
Rep. Tana Senn
Rep. Mike Steele – Ranking Republican on Education
Rep. Pat Sullivan
Rep. Gael Tarleton

We need you to contact them all again RIGHT NOW and urge them to ask Rep. Ormsby for a hearing. Their email addresses follow:

steve.Bergquist@leg.wa.gov, michelle.Caldier@leg.wa.gov, laurie.Dolan@leg.wa.gov, zack.hudgins@leg.wa.gov, vicki.Kraft@leg.wa.gov, tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov, mike.Steele@leg.wa.gov, pat.sullivan@leg.wa.gov, gael.tarleton@leg.wa.gov

The members of the House Education Committee members should also be contacted and urged to ask Rep. Ormsby for a hearing. Their email addresses follow:

SharonTomiko.Santos@leg.wa.gov, laurie.Dolan@leg.wa.gov, dave.Paul@leg.wa.gov, mike.steele@leg.wa.gov, bob.McCaslin@leg.wa.gov, mike.Volz@leg.wa.gov, steve.Bergquist@leg.wa.gov, michelle.Caldier@leg.wa.gov, lisa.Callan@leg.wa.gov, chris.Corry@leg.wa.gov, paul.Harris@leg.wa.gov, christine.Kilduff@leg.wa.gov, vicki.Kraft@leg.wa.gov, lillian.Ortiz-Self@leg.wa.gov, skyler.Rude@leg.wa.gov, monica.Stonier@leg.wa.gov, My-Linh.Thai@leg.wa.gov, javier.Valdez@leg.wa.gov, alex.Ybarra@leg.wa.gov

It only takes a minute, but without your action RIGHT NOW, there will be no tomorrow for SSB 5354.

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Keep Calling, Keep Writing, Keep Advocating

The first schedule of the Senate Early Learning K-12 Education Committee for next week has been released and SB 5922 is not yet on it. We need to keep calling, keep writing, and keep advocating for highly capable education in Washington State.

We have made gains. Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles has signed on as our third sponsor. The Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) supports the bill and let us know they will testify in support IF we can get a hearing.

If you haven’t written in yet, it’s not too late. Even if you have written, there’s another way you can show your support. You can comment directly on the bill, and your comments will be visible to all legislators in all districts across the state.

Your message can be brief and direct:

• I strongly support this bill.
• Highly Capable is an underfunded part of basic education. It is time the legislature has a serious conversation about this issue and this bill will start it.
• Please hold a public hearing on this important bill and vote yes to bring it to the floor for debate.

Be brief. Be direct. Be heard.

Highly capable services in Washington State are underfunded using an outdated formula.

SB 5922 has been introduced in the Washington State Senate to amend the basic education act to provide for a new formula.

As soon as possible, send an email or use the Legislative Hotline (1.800.562.6000) to contact Senator Litzow, the chair of the Senate Early Learning K-12 Education Committee, and ask him to schedule a public hearing on this bill. That’s all you need to say: Please hold a public hearing on SB 5922.

Litzow, Steve (R)
416 Legislative Building
(360) 786-7641
steve.litzow@leg.wa.gov

This bill will go a long way towards fully funding the Highly Capable Program as a part of basic education.

This bill is sponsored by Senators Rolfes, Rivers, and Kohl-Welles. Send them an email thanking them for their sponsorship of this much needed bill.

Rivers, Ann (R)
405 Legislative Building
(360) 786-7634
ann.rivers@leg.wa.gov

Rolfes, Christine (D)
233 John A. Cherberg Building
(360) 786-7644
christine.rolfes@leg.wa.gov

Kohl-Welles, Jeanne (D)
219 John A. Cherberg Building
(360) 786-7670
Jeanne.Kohl-Welles@leg.wa.gov

Tell your friends to do the same.

If –WHEN– the bill is scheduled for a hearing, we will notify you and recommend what actions you should take. Until then, keep calling, keep writing, and keep advocating.

THANK YOU!

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