Equal rights win in California
May 16, 2008
10:33 a.m.
Same-sex couples are celebrating yesterday’s decision by California’s
highest court to
overturn a ban on gay marriage. Until yesterday,
California limited marriage to the union between a man and a woman.
The ruling now brings to two the number of states allowing same-sex couples
to marry. Proponents of equal rights for same-sex couples in Washington wonder
if the ruling will boost chances of making Washington the third.
In 2007, Washington became one of only ten states to offer some kind of legal
recognition to same-sex couples. Washington’s legislation created a
domestic-partner registry for same-sex couples and provides some basic
protections for their families, such as the right to visit a partner in the
hospital, the right to make health care decisions, and the right to make funeral
arrangements. The bill was expanded this past session
Since the domestic partner registry began in July 2007, more than 3,500
couples have registered, and there are registered partners in every legislative
district in the state.
State leaders are hopeful that the verdict will have a positive effect on
state efforts. Rep. Jim Moeller (D-Vancouver) responded to the verdict:
I am very pleased that our state has been a leader in domestic partnership
laws, but I agree with the California Supreme Court that domestic partnerships
are simply not an adequate substitute for marriage.
Read more:
Statement from
Washington state Rep. Jim Moeller (D-Vancouver) regarding today’s
California Supreme Court ruling that overturned the ban on same-gender
marriage
China in crisis – how to help
May 16, 2008
10:03 a.m.
The death toll from the
7.9 earthquake that recently struck the Sichuan Province of China has
climbed to more than 22,000 people, with an estimated 26,000 people injured and
thousands more still buried in rubble. Sichuan has been a sister state of
Washington since 1982 and Governor Gregoire is urging Washingtonians to help the
devastated region cope with the crisis. Washingtonians have a history of helping
each other out, as we did last year after the storms and floods in Southwest
Washington. We can also help out our neighbors on the Pacific Rim, the people of
China, in the same spirit of generosity.
It’s estimated that the quake has caused more than $20 billion in damage. To
learn how you can help, visit
USAID.
Read more:
USAID Disaster Assistance Page
New budget funds Barlow’s plan ensuring bonus
pay for elite teachers
May 12, 2008
11:09 a.m.
A Spokane teacher’s call last fall has helped launch new state policy
guaranteeing bonus pay for many more of Washington’s best and brightest
teachers.
Lori Shauvin, a special-education teacher at Rogers High School,
contacted state Rep. Don Barlow’s office about a problem last
November. She pointed out that a state law he authored the previous year
“is a terrific idea, but it has a hole that needs filling” to make sure
elite teachers don’t get overlooked.
The Spokane Democrat worked to get money in the supplemental budget to fund
the bonuses for teachers with certification from the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
Read more: New budget
funds Barlow’s plan ensuring bonus pay for elite teachers
Win an award for conservation and sustainable practices
May 12, 2008
10:58 a.m.
Are you doing your part to protect the environment? If you work for a
business, government agency, school or organization that has great sustainable
practices, you can apply for the 2008 Governor's Award for Sustainable
Practices. The award goes to groups dedicated to reducing or stoppping the use
of hazardous materials, waste and emissions, or to switching to practices that
conserve resources and energy.
The deadline for applying is June 6. Apply online or read more at the
Department of Ecology's website:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/GovAward/index.html
Permalink: Win an award
for conservation and sustainable practices
Whoulda thunk? Good teaching comes from experience, not grad
school
May 7, 2008
4:33 p.m.
According to research by a legislative task force on education funding, it
turns out that teachers with more experience are more effective than teachers
with a graduate degree.
The Spokesman-Review had a
report today
highlighting the work of the Legislature's
Basic Education Finance
Task Force which is working to overhaul the way the state funds K-12
education.
Task force members are hoping to make evidence-based decisions about where
money should go. For example, does student achievement improve more when
students are in smaller classrooms or when students are in front of a teacher
with specialized training? Should we provide incentives for teachers to get more
teaching experience or to get graduate degrees?
The task force is scheduled to release its proposal prior to the 2009
legislative session.
Permalink: Good teaching comes
from experience, not grad school
Middle-school students can aim for college with
scholarship
April 24, 2008
12:08 p.m.
Many low-income students can achieve their college dreams through a
College Bound Scholarship, but the deadline for this year’s
eighth-graders to apply is rapidly approaching on June 1, 2008.
College Bound is a four-year scholarship that covers the cost of
college tuition, fees and books for low-income students who sign a
pledge in seventh or eighth grade promising to graduate from high school
and to demonstrate good citizenship.
Continue reading:
College Bound Scholarship deadline
approaching for low-income eighth-graders
Gas price tax manipulation?
April 22, 2008
9:35 a.m.
An
editorial in yesterday’s Seattle Times
incorrectly asserts that Washington’s gas tax is fourth highest in the nation
and is a cause for our state’s high gas prices. This same statistic has been
touted by certain state officials, but is a highly misleading distortion of the
truth.
Why? Because the rating does not reflect the fact that many states have other
taxes on gasoline imposed at the state and local levels.
The facts:
- The gas tax rate paid by Washington drivers is 7th highest in the
nation. Our tax is 36 cents, all imposed by the state. Every penny is spent
here at home to reduce congestion, improve safety, and preserve our existing
infrastructure.
- The average price of gasoline in Washington today is $3.64 compared to
$3.14 one year ago. The state keeps only 2 cents of that 50 cent increase.
- In five states, the gas tax is above 40 cents. In fact, Washington's 36
cent rate is lower than states with congestion problems similar to ours
(e.g., California - 43.4 cents, New York - 45.5 cents).
- Washington voters endorsed our gas tax in 2005, when they rejected
Initiative 912 which sought to repeal the 9.5 cent gas tax package.
For a detailed state-by-state comparison, check out this
report prepared by WSDOT last December.
House Speaker: 2008 session met the challenge
March 13,
2008
8 :45
p.m.
Just sixty short days ago, Speaker of the House Frank Chopp
gaveled open the 2008 legislative session by expressing to the members
his belief that they would rise to his challenge. That challenge as he
put it to them – to lead the state on issues ranging from housing and
education, to transportation and environmental health, all while living
within the state’s fiscal means.
Continue reading: House Speaker: 2008 session met the
challenge
Versión español: Presidente de Cámara de
Diputados: la sesión 2008 superó el reto
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