On Sept. 20, the state House Local Government Committee held a work session in Olympia to review the Growth Management Act, Washington's comprehensive land-use planning law which has been in effect for 25 years. It was part of a larger effort by the committee to consider changes to the law.

At this meeting, the topics of discussion were: 1) The pros and cons of the GMA, and 2) What works and what doesn't.

Committee members got an earful, particularly from school districts that have been forced to classify their students as either "rural" or "urban" and are being prevented by the GMA Hearings Board from expanding or building new schools to accommodate both new students and new legislative mandates for lower class size, all-day kindergarten and expanded high school curricula.

Washington Research Council President Lew Moore testified about the GMA special report we published in July. You can watch his remarks here.

To watch the entire hearing, click here for the first part and here for the second part.

​The Local Government Committee will hold another work session Oct. 18 to hear suggestions for changing the GMA.