9th of January 2017
2017 Legislative Session Starts Today
The state Legislature begins its 2017 session today. This being an odd-numbered year, session is scheduled to last 105 days, with an April 23 adjournment date. Almost nobody believes lawmakers will finish their business by then, however, in which case the governor can call a special session (or a series of special sessions as the […]
5th of January 2017
Lawmakers on K-12 funding panel issue competing recommendations
In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, every year on Feb. 2 residents await the sign of a groundhog – Punxsutawney Phil – to forecast the onset of spring. In the Washington state Legislature, lawmakers and other observers were awaiting a sign yesterday of how much members of the Joint Education Task Force could agree on solutions for full state […]
5th of December 2016
16th of November 2016
New-ish filing in McCleary case
In all the pre- and post-election news, we missed a recent filing with the state Supreme Court on the McCleary education funding case. The organization Washington's Paramount Duty, which has been quite vocal in calling for "new revenue" for K-12 education but not specific about where it should come from, on Nov. 7 asked the court to […]
29th of August 2016
17th of June 2016
13th of June 2016
Special-ed advocates chime in on K-12 funding
The Seattle Times reported Friday on a brief filed by special-education advocates in the ongoing McCleary case, which deals with state funding of K-12 public schools. They argue that the state's funding, and funding formula, for Washington's 125,000 special-ed students are inadequate: For 20 years the Legislature has paid for special education as if every […]
10th of February 2016
McCleary bill, with changes, clears Senate committee hurdle
In the continuing saga of legislation to address the state Supreme Court's McCleary ruling on K-12 basic education funding, the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday took action, approving its version – but not without changes, or controversy. Second Substitute Senate Bill 6195 looks a bit different than when we last wrote about it (here and […]
5th of February 2016
McCleary planning bill making way through Senate
Last week we updated you on the status of legislation to set a timeline for state compliance with the McCleary ruling (which dealt with state funding for K-12 basic education). The Senate Ways & Means Committee held a hearing on the Senate bill earlier this week. In public testimony, several education groups were concerned about moving the […]