This week’s Actions 4 Education are similar to last week’s, but with some updates. Please do at least one, and as many as you can manage!
1. The House passed the levy cliff delay bill (HB 1059) nearly a month ago and the Senate continues to stall it! Please call or email your state senator (link in this post) and ask that the Senate Ways & Means Committee please vote on HB 1059. Reach out to a friend or family member who lives in another legislative district and ask that they reach out to their state senator. In your email subject line, write: “Urgent – Pass House Bill 1059 Levy Cliff Extension bill.” In the body of your email, your name and address (add title or organization if you wish) suffices. If you wish to add more, you can include this message to your senator: “I do not agree that the levy cliff solution must wait until legislators figure out the entire McCleary plan. It must be fixed now and this bill should pass now.”
2. The House passed the Democrats’ Education Plan (HB 1843), but they have not yet announced how the state would pay for it. Please email or call your representative (link in this post) and ask for the House to propose to amply fund public education with new progressive revenue, such as the proposals in Governor Inslee’s budget.
3. Write to the House Appropriations Committee (emails below) in opposition to the Republicans’ education funding plan, SB 5607. SB 5607 is unacceptable. It fails our children, our state constitution, and the courts. It is billions short of what the bill promises, and it will not deliver on what the constitution guarantees. The Republican bill would cause the average Seattle homeowner to pay $628 more in property taxes in 2019, while big corporations in rural areas like Walmart, Boeing, and Avista would get a huge decrease in their property tax bills. They’re choosing to raise a regressive tax on the hardworking families rather than ask the richest 1% and corporate special interests to pay their fair share. If this was an assignment it would receive an F. The House needs to tell them go back and try again.
Steve.Bergquist@leg.wa.gov
Vincent.Buys@leg.wa.gov
Michelle.Caldier@leg.wa.gov
Bruce.Chandler@leg.wa.gov
Eileen.Cody@leg.wa.gov
Cary.Condotta@leg.wa.gov
Joe.Fitzgibbon@leg.wa.gov
Larry.Haler@leg.wa.gov
Drew.Hansen@leg.wa.gov
Paul.Harris@leg.wa.gov
Zack.Hudgins@leg.wa.gov
Laurie.Jinkins@leg.wa.gov
Ruth.Kagi@leg.wa.gov
Kristine.Lytton@leg.wa.gov
Drew.MacEwen@leg.wa.gov
Matt.Manweller@leg.wa.gov
Terry.Nealey@leg.wa.gov
Timm.Ormsby@leg.wa.gov
Eric.Pettigrew@leg.wa.gov
Gerry.Pollet@leg.wa.gov
June.Robinson@leg.wa.gov
David.Sawyer@leg.wa.gov
Joe.Schmick@leg.wa.gov
Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov
Larry.Springer@leg.wa.gov
Derek.Stanford@leg.wa.gov
Drew.Stokesbary@leg.wa.gov
Pat.Sullivan@leg.wa.gov
David.Taylor@leg.wa.gov
Steve.Tharinger@leg.wa.gov
Brandon.Vick@leg.wa.gov
Mike.Volz@leg.wa.gov
JT.Wilcox@leg.wa.gov
lauren.simas@leg.wa.gov
lisa.mccollum@leg.wa.gov
devin.gayton@leg.wa.gov
4. Education Funding forums are scheduled in early and mid March in legislative districts around WA. Please spread the word to your friends and family across Washington. If you don’t know your legislative district, You can find your legislative district (LD) by entering your address in this link.
Find your legislative district’s Education Funding forum here: