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- Email our legislators at: Paul.Graves@leg.wa.gov, Jay.Rodne@leg.wa.gov, and Mark.Mullet@leg.wa.gov.
- Call the Legislative Hotline at: 800-562-6000.
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Why do your representatives need to hear from you?
State revenue is up, but not enough to fully fund K-12 public schools and protect important social and health programs and other services Washington families need.
State officials released the latest revenue forecast Thursday morning. General fund and related revenue for the current biennium (2015-17) is projected to increase by $258 million and by $313 million next biennium (2017-19). That represents moderate growth in comparison to the total budget. Total state revenue for the current biennium is now estimated to be $39 billion – so this change represents less than 1 percent change.
Under the McCleary order, the Legislature must increase state funding for K-12 public schools by billions of dollars before a Sept. 1, 2018 deadline.
WEA supports new sources of state revenue that are more fair, adequate and sustainable.
Now that the latest revenue forecast is out, Senate Republicans are expected to release their state budget proposal next week, followed by a budget from majority Democrats in the state House the following week.
Both houses already released school funding plans, as did Gov. Jay Inslee. WEA strongly supports Inslee’s school budget, which comes closest to fully funding K-12 education as required by the Washington Constitution and McCleary.
We’re just as strongly opposed to the reckless school funding plan approved by the state Senate. It doesn’t fulfill the McCleary promise, and it’s packed with punitive policies that would hurt teachers and students. The Senate Republican budget:
- Increases class sizes by eliminating voter-approved I-1351
- Reduces funding for special education students
- Eliminates the voter-approved COLA for educators