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The Legislature entered Special Session – here are this week’s key Actions 4 Education

The 2017 legislative session ended yesterday with no negotiated budget and no resolution for education funding.

As parents and allies whose mission it is to see basic education fully funded, we are extremely disappointed that the legislature is entering a special session with partisan gamesmanship and political maneuvering taking up the headlines rather articles about legislators negotiating in good faith.

WPD will continue to advocate during special session(s) and ask you to please take one (or more!) of these Actions 4 Education to amplify our collective voice in calling for new and fair revenue to fully fund education:

1. TESTIFY OR ATTEND this Wednesday at 3:00 pm in Olympia to testify in support of new revenue — capital gains tax, closing tax loopholes for big businesses, and business tax reform–SB 5929 at the Senate Ways and Means Committee public hearing.  (http://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5929&Year=2017). WPD will provide talking points and any other information you need to successfully testify.https://www.facebook.com/events/1659419304352805/

If you are able to join us, please RSVP to Aaron Horton: aaron@paramountduty.org. Please share with interested friends and family.

To kick off special session, Sen. Rossi has introduced a revenue package for education funding (Cap Gains, B&O tax reform, Closing Tax loopholes). The bill mirrors Rep. Lytton’s which many of you testified in support of on earlier this month. This hearing and this bill from Sen. Rossi are an attempt from the Senate to end the conversation on new, sustainable revenue for education by “proving” there isn’t support for it in Washington. Based on testimony, polling, and hearing from thousands of you, we know this isn’t true.  Washington is ready to fully fund education with new, sustainable revenue and we need our voices heard.

2. CONTACT your state legislators (state representatives and state senator) and and pin down where they stand on:(a) whether they support a capital gains tax.(b) whether they support closing tax loopholes on big businesses.WPD is doing a vote count on these two issues – click here to see track who stands where.

We expect ALL legislators, both Republican and Democrat, to support a capital gains tax (among other options) as part of how we fully fund our public schools. We expect Republican legislators to put their paramount duty above their desire to keep taxes low on rich people. We expect Democratic legislators to welcome the opportunity to show us their support of capital gains tax and closing big business tax loopholes. We expect all legislators to agree that it’s reasonable and right to do as 41 other states have done and levy a capital gains tax on the wealthiest people in order to help fund our schools.

Click here to contact your state legislators.

3. WRITE a Letter to the Editor: Contact Robert Cruickshank (Cruickshank@gmail.com) or Summer Stinson (summer@paramountduty.org) about writing letters to media about:

(a)  The need for capital gains tax. Did you know that Bezos is selling $1Billion in stock a year to fund his race to space? With a capital gains tax, Washington could gain $35-70 million a year for our state’s paramount duty: public education.  Space travel is awesome—and so is investing in our state’s future! If we close the loophole on capital gains, Bezos’s annual stock sale will generate tens of millions of dollars each year for the schools, teachers, and infrastructure here on Earth that helps companies like Blue Origin thrive. http://www.seattletimes.com/business/bezos-sells-1b-a-year-in-amazon-stock-to-fund-space-company-blue-origin/

(b) The Republican plan is unacceptable.  It is a huge tax increase for many in the state and at the same time “it would give many of Washington’s largest corporations a sizable property tax cut.” http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article143531329.html

(c) The need to amply fund public education by fully funding the basic education bills of 2009-10. WA needs to fund the prototypical schools model, all unfunded education and opportunity gap closure mandates, and then layer on more for equitable education resources like family engagement, full-time librarians and nurses, and counselors.

Here’s a recent on-point letter to the editor in the Olympian from Washington grandma and WPD member, Madeline Bishop, http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article145963589.html

4. WATCH AND SHARE this excellent video about Washington’s upside-down tax code: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ROkPcs9_6mk

 

Thank you for your advocacy on behalf of Washington’s 1.1 million public school students!

Monday, April 24, 2017

An Open Letter to the Washington State Legislature

To our House and Senate State Legislators,

The 2017 legislative session ended yesterday with no negotiated budget and no resolution for education funding.

As parents and allies whose mission it is to see basic education fully funded, we are extremely disappointed that you are entering a special session with partisan gamesmanship and political maneuvering taking up the headlines, rather than articles about legislators negotiating in good faith.  Call us naïve, but outside the echo chambers of Olympia, thousands of parents and other constituents are only shaking their heads at the stunts and finger pointing on both sides.

We envision a state that has great companies and great public schools.  Where school administrators don’t have to choose between funding a counselor or a librarian.  Where your predecessors’ work and legislation is honored, so that the 2009-2010 laws defining basic education are fully funded.

We call on this Legislature to:

• Fund the great public schools we were promised with the passing of SHB 2776 and ESHB 2261 in 2009 and 2010.
• Fund K-12 schools and mental health care, anti-poverty programs, homelessness assistance, higher education, and early education. We cannot balance the budget on the backs of our lowest-income families.
• Pass a capital gains tax so that the richest one percent is paying their fair share to fund our schools. Washingtonians with the lowest incomes pay seven times more in taxes as a share of personal income than the richest one percent. This upside-down tax system must be fixed to generate the revenues needed to fund our schools.
• Close many of the 694 tax breaks for big businesses – stop giving away billions of dollars that belong in our classrooms. It is unjustifiable that there is no public and transparent review process of these tax breaks that give away $30 billion each biennium.

We expect Republican legislators to put their paramount duty above their desire to keep taxes low on rich people. We expect Democratic legislators to welcome the opportunity to show us their support of progressive new revenue—capital gains tax and closing big business tax loopholes—to fund our public schools. We expect all legislators to agree that it’s reasonable and right to do as 41 other states have done, and levy a capital gains tax on the wealthiest people in order to help fund our schools.

Every day you make a choice. We ask that you wield the power entrusted in you to pass the right legislation to fund schools fairly. Both the authority and the responsibility rest on your shoulders. We hope you will choose to do what is right by the 1.1 million public school students in this state.

Sincerely,
Tali Rausch

Board President, Washington’s Paramount Duty

Volunteer Advocate

Mother of 3 public school students

 

 

STATEMENT ON HOUSE DEMOCRATS’ BUDGET

The House Democrats released their budget this past Monday. It’s a good start, getting us closer toward fulfilling the constitution’s guarantee of full and ample funding for our schools. Their plan adds billions of dollars in new revenues from capital gains taxes and higher taxes on larger businesses. We support those revenue plans and will fight for them in the coming weeks (see below for actions you can take right now!).

The House budget does fall short in several ways – it doesn’t fund smaller class sizes for all grades, it doesn’t have as much as we need for special education, and it needs to close more corporate tax breaks. But if we organize now to fight for the new revenue options offered in the House budget, we can finally start moving the legislature toward full and ample funding for schools.

ACTIONS 4 EDUCATION

Please take one (or more!) of these Actions 4 Education to amplify our collective voice in calling for new and fair revenue to fully fund education:

1. Testify this coming Monday at 8 am: Be heard in Olympia! Join us to testify at the House Finance Committee Meeting on Monday, April 3 at 8:00 am on the House Democrats’ revenue proposals to support education funding and other budget investments (HB 2186). Sign up to receive suggested talking points by emailing Aaron Horton.
   • For more information on the House Budget, click here.
2. “$60 Million in Fines”
   • Sign up and invite others to sign up for the “60 Million in Fines” Thunderclap for April 4, the day our legislature accumulates $60 million in McCleary court sanctioned fines.
   • Write a Letter to the Editor: Contact Aaron for information about our letter to the editor campaign about the $60 million in court fines for April 3rd Submission.
3. Write or call your state legislators using this easy online tool. All you need to is put in your address and send 3 emails or make 3 calls with a pre-written script.
4. Attend this free advocacy training this weekend and learn how we can be the change we want to see. Hope and Action with Senator Kevin Ranker and Tina Podlodowski on Sunday, April 2 at 1:00 pm, at the Moore Theater, 1932 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101.

Thank you for your advocacy on behalf of Washington’s 1.1 million public school students!

“The concern is really two-fold: that we have equity on both sides and by both sides I mean where is the money going to come from? Because right now our tax system is so incredibly regressive that our taxes are being paid really on the backs of working people, poor people…meanwhile we have a booming economy that many feel with our tax break system is not fully helping fund our services in the state. So there’s the equity of where is the money going to come from, and also the equity of how does the money go into the schools? Because all schools need more but some schools and some kids need a lot more.” – Summer Stinson

“The state of Mississippi funds $13,000 per student, yet they’re one of the poorer states, so $12,500 is just not enough here. And if a poor state can do $13K we certainly can fund more.” – Rita Green

Watch Summer Stinson, WPD VP and Rita Green, NAACP Education Chair and WPD Board Member, delve into our education funding crisis and the proposals currently on the table in this episode of Seattle Channel’s City Inside/Out: McCleary Mess.

ACTION ALERT FROM SUMMER STINSON, VP, WASHINGTON’S PARAMOUNT DUTY

 

Efforts to fully fund our public schools are still being held up in the state legislature. While Senate Republicans finally passed the levy cliff extension yesterday after much pressure from parents, they also proposed a deeply flawed funding plan that doesn’t add up. Democrats haven’t offered their own revenue plans, though Governor Inslee did propose a good and bold plan.

Together we can get things moving again. How? By turning up the pressure on state legislators, starting this weekend with education funding forums and legislative town hall events being held across the state. State legislators from both parties need to hear from us right now.

There are two kinds of events happening that we invite you to attend in your community – education funding forums and town halls.

 

Education Funding Forums

Washington’s Paramount Duty is joining the Washington Education Association and Class Size Counts to discuss how to amply and equitably fund public schools with state legislators. All students, parents, and public school supporters are invited to attend. These events will be solely focused on education funding, and are a great opportunity to communicate directly with legislators and other community leaders.

State Legislative Town Halls

Several state legislators are also holding their own town hall events, to discuss a wider range of issues. Obviously, they need to hear from you about fully funding education. State legislators’ town halls are an important opportunity to pressure them into helping break the deadlock in Olympia. It is your chance to tell your state legislators what you expect them to do, what you support and what you oppose, and to ask pointed questions about their actions and their ideas.

The best way to approach these town halls is to be firm with state legislators. The most important thing to keep in mind is they work for you. It is your job as a member of the public to tell them what you expect them to do for you. State legislators want you to make their jobs easier, and will try and convince you that things are the way they are and cannot be changed. Don’t accept that. This town hall is your opportunity to make it clear their job is to deliver what you expect them to deliver. In this case: fully funding public education with progressive new revenue.

THREE ADVOCACY ACTION STEPS

Step 1: Look up your state legislative district here: http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/

Step 2: Show up to an education funding forum and/or town hall meeting in your legislative district (scroll down for dates).

Step 3: Speak up for fully funding education with progressive new revenue. Below that are some good ideas for what to tell legislators at these events.

 

TALKING POINTS

If you’re talking to Republican State legislators:
Tell them you expect them to vote for progressive revenues. It is not appropriate to raise property taxes or sales taxes even further to pay for schools when our state’s wealthiest people and largest corporations are enjoying tax loopholes. Close the tax breaks and pass a capital gains tax.

Some responses to what Republican state legislators may say about that:

“Our plan asks property rich districts to pay more.” That is an attack on low-income and working people, who may live in a “property-rich district” but are not actually able to bear the burden of higher property taxes. Our tax system is regressive, and raising property taxes to pay for schools is a regressive solution – especially when we don’t have a capital gains tax and when large corporations have significant tax loopholes.

“A capital gains tax is a state income tax.” This is total nonsense and a naked attempt to protect rich people and make working families pay instead. We reject this completely.

“Voters don’t want new taxes.” Yes, they do, polling shows it. The court ordered it. The constitution demands it. And we insist on it. We’re not asking you, we’re telling you.

If you’re talking to Democratic State legislators:

Tell them you expect Democrats to propose an education funding plan with progressive revenue sources. It should resemble the Governor’s plan, one that includes items such as a capital gains tax and closing corporate tax breaks – and Democrats must vote for it. It is not appropriate to raise property taxes or sales taxes even further to pay for schools when our state’s wealthiest people and largest corporations are enjoying tax loopholes. Close the tax breaks and pass a capital gains tax.

_______________

 

Find your State Education Funding Forum and State Legislative District Town Hall below.

 

STATE EDUCATION FUNDING FORUMS

(Note that most of these events combine several state legislative districts. If you don’t see your district listed, scroll down to see if there is a state legislative town hall.)
_{Legislative Districts: 1, 21, 38, 39, 44
Date: Thursday, March 9
Time: 4:30 Pre-function, 5:30-7 pm
Location: Glacier Peak High School
7401 144th Pl SE, Snohomish, WA 98296
https://www.facebook.com/events/600847406790014/}

_{Legislative Districts: 1 & 45
Date: Saturday, March 11
Time: 9:30-11:30 am
Location: Northcreek High School
3613 191st Pl SE, Bothell, WA 98012}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/1112685992191598/}

_{Legislative Districts: 17, 18 & 49
Date: Saturday, March 11
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Roosevelt Elementary
2921 Falk Road, Vancouver, WA 98661}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/100729077121084/}

_{Legislative Districts: 30 & 31
Date: Monday, March 20
Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
Location: Auburn Performing Arts Center
702 4th St NE, Auburn, WA 98002}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/373480756366301/}

_{Legislative District: 12
Date: Monday, March 10
Time: 4:00-5:30 pm
Location: Wenatchee High School
1101 Millerdale Avenue, Wenatchee, WA 98801}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/419142121767693/}

 

_{Legislative Districts: 21 & 32}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 9:30-11:30 am}

_{Location: Shoreline Center}

_{18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155}

_{https://edfundingforum.eventbrite.com}

 

_{Legislative Districts: 14 & 15}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm}

_{Location: East Valley Elementary}

_{1951 Beaudry Road, Yakima}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/1339330479461156/}

 

_{Legislative Districts: 19, 20, 22}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm}

_{Location: Centralia College}

_{600 Centralia College Blvd, Centralia, WA 98531}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/256797428107068/}

 

_{Legislative Districts: 41 & 48}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm}

_{Location: Tyee Middle School}

_{13630 SE Allen Rd, Bellevue, WA 98006}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/416104822058567/}

_______________

STATE LEGISLATIVE TOWN HALLS

(These are happening over the next two weekends.)

 

_{Legislative District: 1}

_{Date: Sunday, March 12}

_{Time: 2:30 – 4:00 pm}

_{Location: Cascadia College (Mobius Hall)}

_{18345 Campus Way NE, Bothell, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 3}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 9:30-11:00 am}

_{Location: WA Cracker Building}

_{304 W. Pacific, Spokane, WA}

 

_{________}

_{Legislative District: 5}

_{(Note: There are 3 Town Halls on the same day for LD 5)}

 

_{1) Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am}

_{Location: Maple Valley Community Center}

_{22010 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley, WA}

 

_{2) Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 1:00 – 2:00 pm}

_{Location: Issaquah Police Station (Eagle Room 130)}

_{E. Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA}

 

_{3) Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 3:00 – 4:00 pm}

_{Location: Mt. Si Senior Center}

_{411 Main Ave. S, North Bend, WA}

 

_{_________}

 

_{Legislative District: 8}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm}

_{Location: ARC of TriCities}

_{1455 Fowler Street, Richland, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 21}

_{Date: Saturday, March 18}

_{Time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm}

_{Location: Meadowdale High School (Great Hall)}

_{6002 168th Street SW, Lynnwood, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 22}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm}

_{Location: South Puget Sound Community College (Lacey Campus)Building 1, Room 194420}

_{6th Avenue SE, Lacey, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 23}

_{(Note: There are 2 Town Halls on the same day for LD 23)}

_{1) Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 9:30 am – 11:00 am}

_{Location: Eagle’s Nest}

_{1195 Fairgrounds Rd NW, Bremerton, WA}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/1250492961664492/}

 

_{2) Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 1:00 – 2:30 pm}

_{Location: Council Chambers}

_{280 Madison Ave. N., Bainbridge Island, WA}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/1824881487762147/}

 

_{Legislative District: 25}

_{Date: Saturday, March 18}

_{Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am}

_{Location: Franklin Pierce Early Learning Center}

_{12223 A Street S, Tacoma, WA}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/1835495810043380/}

 

_{Legislative District: 26}

_{(Note: There are 2 Town Halls on the same day for LD 26)}

 

_{1) Date:  Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 10 am – 11:30 am}

_{Location: Chamber of Commerce}

_{3125 Judson St., Gig Harbor, WA}

 

_{2) Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 1:00 – 2:30 pm}

_{Location: Chamber of Commerce}

_{1014 Bay Street, Port Orchard, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 27}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm}

_{Location: Evergreen State College (Tacoma Campus)}

_{1210 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/1886613031595696/}

 

_{Legislative District: 28}

_{Date: Sunday, March 12}

_{Time: 4:00 – 6:00 pm}

_{Location: Steilacoom Town Hall}

_{1717 Lafayette Street, Steilacoom, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 29}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm}

_{Location: Bates Technical College}

_{2201 S 78th Street, Tacoma, WA 98409}

 

_{Legislative District: 30}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm}

_{Location: FW Senior Center}

_{4016 S. 352nd Street, Auburn, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 33}

_{Date: Saturday, March 18}

_{Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm}

_{Location: Kent City Hall}

_{400 W. Gowe Street, Kent, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 36}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm}

_{Location: Leif Erikson Lodge}

_{2245 NW 57th St, Seattle, WA 98107}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/168951570278626/}

 

_{Legislative District: 37}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm}

_{Location: Rainier Beach Community Center}

_{8825 Rainier Ave S., Seattle, WA}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/163868880793136/}

 

_{Legislative District: 41}

_{Date: Saturday, March 18}

_{Time: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm}

_{Location: Somerset Elementary (Gym)}

_{14100 Somerset Boulevard SE, Bellevue, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 43}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 1:00 – 2:30 pm}

_{Location: Seattle First Baptist Church}

_{1111 Harvard Avenue, Seattle, WA}

_{https://www.facebook.com/events/1759628837687653/}

 

_{Legislative District: 44}

_{(Note: There are 2 Town Halls on the same day for LD 44)}

_{1) Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 9:30-11:00 am}

_{Location: Lake Stevens Fire Dist. Conference Center}

_{10518 18th St. SE, Lake Stevens, WA}

 

_{2) Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 2:30 – 4:00 pm}

_{Location: Mill Creek City Hall (S. Council Chambers)}

_{15728 Main Street, Mill Creek, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 45}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 12:00 – 1:30 pm}

_{Location: Lake Washington Institute of Technology}

_{West Building, Room 305A}

_{11605 132nd Ave., Kirkland, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 47}

_{Date: Saturday, March 18}

_{Time: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm}

_{Location: Golden Steer Restaurant}

_{23826 104th Avenue SE, Kent, WA}

 

_{Legislative District: 48}

_{Date: Saturday, March 11}

_{Time: 10:30 am – 12:00 pm}

_{Location: Redmond City Hall, Council Chambers}

_{15670 NE 85th Street, Redmond, WA}

 

_{_____________}

THANK YOU for speaking up for a fully funded public education!

 

Yours in advocacy,

Summer Stinson

Board Vice President

Washington’s Paramount Duty