Update from Olympia

Dear neighbors,

The legislative session is advancing rapidly!  This week wraps up week 3 out of 8 weeks. In this first phase of the session, the Senate Committees are holding numerous public hearings each week to select bills to pass out of committee.

This session, Feb. 7 is the last day to pass bills out of policy committees, but any with a financial impact must also be heard by the Ways & Means or Transportation committees. Feb. 11 will be the last day for bills to pass out of those committees.

Prioritizing Higher Education & Workforce Development

As vice chair of the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee, I’d like to share with you a few promising bills we’ve heard there so far.

• I’ve heard from concern from faculty and students about Community and Technical Colleges (CTC) relying on adjunct or part-time faculty to teach courses. That’s why I introduced Senate Bill 6405 to increase the amount of full-time faculty in the CTC system. Part-time faculty receive lower pay and few benefits (if any). We heard testimony from some about their attempts to string together adjunct positions at several different institutions just to make ends meet. This means long commutes, economic instability, and little time to provide support and stability to students. As the Legislature increases investment in access to higher education, we need a stable workforce that is fairly compensated for their work and for the time they need to support students.

• Another bill I sponsored, Senate Bill 6425, would create the Washington American Indian Cultural Study Grant. Native Americans are underrepresented in postsecondary institutions, and this will expand access to higher education for Native American students study in college programs that foster Native American wellness, cultural revitalization, or political sovereignty.
• Senate Bill 6217, a bill I cosponsored, would increase membership of the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) to include a graduate student representative in addition to an undergraduate student representative, and extended their terms. Graduate students face different challenges than undergraduate students, and this change will make sure their voices are heard when WSAC is shaping policy.