Legislative Session Week Four: Activating the Advocacy Network

Periodically during a legislative session, WSSDA’s strategic advocacy team will call on school board members to contact legislators to request urgent action. The advocacy team does this when the voices of WSSDA members are essential to promote legislative action supporting the positions and priorities adopted during WSSDA’s General Assembly.

Yesterday we asked our network to reach out to Senate Ways and Means Committee members to schedule SSB 5128 for a vote in executive session and of the House Appropriations Committee to schedule HB 1476 for a hearing. As a result, SSB 5128 has already been scheduled for a vote on Thursday, February 11th.

WSSDA testimony

This week, WSSDA provided verbal and/or written testimony on the following bills:

• SB 5334 – Increasing transparency in levy authorization information provided by school districts.
• HB 1363 – Addressing secondary trauma in the K-12 workforce.
• HB 1450 – Procuring and supporting appropriate computers and devices for public school students and instructional staff.
• HB 1373 – Promoting student access to information about behavioral health resources.
• HB 1342 – Eliminating lunch copays for students who qualify for reduced-price lunches.
• HB 1368 – Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic through state actions supported by federal funding.
• HB 1121 – Concerning the emergency waiver of graduation requirements.
• HB 1306 – Concerning bond authorization training for school district boards of directors.
• HB 1356 – Prohibiting the inappropriate use of Native American names, symbols, or images as public school mascots, logos, or team names. 

Legislator spotlight: Representative Alex Ybarra

Representative Alex Ybarra, House Education Ranking Minority Member and former Quincy School Board Member, shares his perspectives on the 2021 Legislative Session.

Student spotlight: Sierra Owens

Sierra Owens, Student Representative on the Riverview School Board, shares her experience testifying on HB 1373 on behalf of WSSDA.

Use your voice

If you want to provide testimony as an individual, school board member, or on behalf of WSSDA, email WSSDA Strategic Advocacy Director Marissa Rathbone for more information.

If you have a student leader who would like to provide testimony, email WSSDA Strategic Advocacy Coordinator Logan Endres for more information.

See the full issue of InSession

The information above is excerpted from the full February 5 issue of InSession. View the full issue for more resources and information.