Rest in peace, good little bills

In case you missed it, a little drama unfolded last night on the Senate floor. While it may have made for some interesting television for procedural junkies like us, it also meant that a lot of bills didn’t get a vote ahead of the 5:00 PM opposite house cut-off for policy bills.

Among the causalities on the Senate’s floor calendar:

HB 2503: This measure would have given veterans and members of the National Guard priority registration when they sign up for college classes. The extra time to secure their classes would have given our veterans ample time to get that information back to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

HB 1217: The ‘Safe Streets’ bill would have given cities the option to set speed limits as low as 20 MPH on non-arterials. Cities can currently take this action, but not without a costly study on traffic and engineering.

HB 2717: Legislation to encourage colleges and universities to report efficiency measures they’ve taken. That information is later shared across our state’s higher education system, encouraging other institutions to take similar actions in order to reduce their bottom line.

HB 2372: A consumer protection bill to cap towing fees when your car is impounded on private property. Following widespread reports of price-gouging by predatory towing companies, this bill would have ensured that no Washingtonian is held hostage by recovery fees equal to a month’s rent.

These are just a few of the bills we are mourning over here in the HDC today.

Speaker Frank Chopp talks session

Wonder what the Speaker of the House thinks about the 2012 session?  Well, here you go!  Frank Chopp sat down with TVW’s Austin Jenkins on Thursday’s episode of Inside Olympia: 

To read this story in Spanish, please click here.

Statement from Speaker Frank Chopp on the actions of the Senate Republicans today

“The Senate Republicans have exercised the worst abuse of power I have ever witnessed in the legislature. It says something about them that the minute they gained power, they abused it.

“They immediately moved to run over the minority on the floor by denying them the right to even see the budget bill before asking them to vote on it.

“They immediately turned their backs on the rights of the people by dismissing all calls for public testimony. Yes, the party that regularly decries the lack of transparency in the legislature cut the public out of the process completely.

“As for their budget proposal, from what little we’ve heard, it shreds the safety net, eliminates state food assistance, housing and medical care for the disabled, and continues the Republican war on women by eliminating family planning grants.” 

To read this story in Spanish, please click here.

New teacher/principal evaluations rolling out statewide!

Back in 2010, the Legislature set out to mend Washington's broken teacher/principal evaluation system with a measure that is currently being piloted in several school districts around the state. Well, the initial reports have come in -- and by all accounts, the new system is working splendidly, though there is room for improvement.

This is where Senate Bill 5985 comes in. This session, the Legislature approved a measure to make improvements in this new evaluation system. In order to ensure that there's a great teacher in every classroom and a great principal in every school, some of the changes to the new evaluation system include:

• Implementation: The new evaluation system will be phased into school districts during the 2013-14 school year, and must be fully operational by the 2015-16 school year. Until then, the pilot schools will be continuing to report best practices in order to help with statewide implementation.

• Professional development: The new system seeks to invest and use the strengths of every individual teacher and principal. Senate Bill 5985 also ensures that each district will be equipped with the necessary tools and resources to implement the new evaluation system.

• Four-tier evaluation program: Unlike the old two-tier evaluation system, the new system includes four tiers: unsatisfactory, basic, proficient, and distinguished.

• Student-growth data: A substantial factor in the new system is the use of student-growth data in evaluating teachers and principals. However, safeguards are in place to ensure that the data is used objectively, fairly, and consistently in every district.

In building upon the expertise of our pilot schools, Senate Bill 5985 works with teachers and principals to give Washington kids the very best education possible. If we expect out kids to compete -- and win! -- against the world tomorrow, we'd better make sure they receive world-class schooling today.

To read this story in Spanish, please click here.

Veteran Seattle lawmaker Gutiérrez Kenney announces retirement

Upon announcing that she will not seek re-election this November, State Rep. Phyllis Gutiérrez Kenney released the following statement: 
 

“I feel truly honored that the people of North Seattle have allowed me to represent them all these years. It has been a wonderful experience. Every decision I have made has been with their best interests in mind; I hope they feel that I have served them well.

I have enormous faith in the people of Washington state. They can be tough on their elected officials, but that’s because they believe that we, as a state, can and will be better. I share that belief.

By the end of this term, I will have served 16 years in the Washington State House of Representatives. The House is an institution that I hold very dear to my heart, and I count many of my colleagues – on both sides of the aisle – among my friends.

We may not see eye to eye on some issues, but I believe all of us, Democrats and Republicans, come to Olympia with a true commitment to the people we represent and a true desire to make our One Washington a better place for all.

I thank my husband Larry and all my kids for their love and support, but also for putting up with my absence three or four months out of the year, for many years.

And lastly, I am grateful for the trust, partnership and support of North Seattle residents, for making my service in the House so tremendously rewarding. While I will be out of elective office in 2013 for the first time in 16 years, I hope to continue my involvement and find new opportunities to serve our community and our state.”

House Speaker Frank Chopp issued this statement:          

“To me, Phyllis’s story is the embodiment of the American Dream. Born to migrant workers, she spent her early years working in the fields. But she believed in the promise of this country and in the value of education and look at what she achieved!

However, she never forgot her roots. She has worked tirelessly on behalf of the underrepresented in our state, improving conditions for farm workers, fighting for educational opportunities for lower-income students, and providing shelter for the homeless.

We are going to miss her.”

For Rep. Gutiérrez Kenney's biography, please click here. 

To read this story in Spanish, please click here.
  

March comes in like a lion, but we’ll take these types of winds anytime!

Yesterday we gave you the good news that Washington’s unemployment rate has dipped to 8.3 percent, which is pretty significant; especially when you consider that in February 2011 we were at 9.1 percent down from 10 percent in February 2010.

We’ve come a long way, baby!

And we’re not alone; looks like unemployment rates are steadily falling nationwide. The Washington Post reported this morning that the number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to the lowest point in four years; clearly, this means the U.S. job market is improving.

The story went on to say that the economy added 243,000 jobs in January, the most in nine months, and that economists expect another strong month of hiring for February.

But there’s more good news for America: According to a Federal Reserve Board report released yesterday, the U.S. economy started the year with busier factories, higher retail sales, more jobs, and growth in home sales.

These are all unequivocal signs that the economy is indeed getting better across this great nation and in our state. We’re about one week away from the conclusion of this year’s legislative session and we are confident that the measures House Democrats are putting forward will increase and speed-up this prosperous trend.

To read this story in Spanish, please click here.

Physics vs. philosophy

Debate over the proper role and form of higher education probably dates back to Plato’s Academy, but the discussion is alive and well, not least of all in the Legislature. It swirls around such issues as career preparation, accountability, performance measurement and new instructional technology.

Photo credit:
Washington.edu

 In an article for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Columbia University Professor Andrew Delbanco weighs in on the subject, and comes down in defense of the value of a liberal education.

To read the complete article, click here.



To read this story in Spanish, click here.