 Letter from Leadership
Day 61 of our legislative session is coming to a close, with the Capitol quiet after a busy week. Wednesday was House of origin cutoff which, unfortunately, meant a lot of waiting around for the majority party to decide what it wanted to do with bills. You can see which bills are dead and alive here.
Many state lawmakers are now heading back to their districts for town hall meetings this weekend. To find a list of events for House Republicans, visit here.
We held a news conference yesterday to share our Fund Education First budget. I encourage you to learn more about our plan and how it compares to the operating budget that the House Democrats will propose.
On a lighter note, if you haven't seen it yet, please check out the video we had made for Children's Day last month here. The picture above is me with my niece, Evelynne.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Sincerely,
Rep. Liz Pike
18th District
Assistant Floor Leader
Rep. Terry Nealey is our ranking member on the House Finance Committee and a member of the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. Be on the lookout for his statement on the revenue forecast next week.
In the news
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"The argument we keep hearing from the other side is how this won’t work. But we’ve continually shown exactly how it would work. It’s the old way that’s not working – to the point that the state Supreme Court had to intervene. Our Fund Education First budget would raise K-12 education to its proper place in the budget process and ensure it is adequately funded every year."
—Rep. Gary Alexander, ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee
The week ahead
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 Fund Education First budget
We unveiled our Fund Education First budget at a news conference yesterday. This stand-alone, K-12 education budget would: meet the expectations of our state constitution and state Supreme Court; focus on student outcomes, accountability and the achievement gap; and not require tax increases.
Our Fund Education First budget would increase K-12 education spending in the 2013-15 budget cycle by $903 million -- with $817 million based on the state Supreme Court's McCleary decision and $86 million dedicated to other policy enhancements. Our total investment in K-12 education would be $15.1 billion.
Our plan is not just about more funding -- it is about better student outcomes and real actions to close the achievement gap. We support several bills to accomplish these goals.
The intent of the Fund Education First concept is to elevate K-12 education to the highest level in the budget process and ensure it is properly funded each budget cycle. We have demonstrated how it would work. To learn more, click here.
The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus should release its operating budget by the end of the month. We continue to work closely with them on a myriad of issues -- including the operating budget.
 Freshman spotlight: Rep. Elizabeth Scott
Few can say they have taught at four Washington state community colleges and in Illinois, China and the United Arab Emirates. Rep. Elizabeth Scott is among them.
The freshman lawmaker from the 39th District originally hails from the Land of Lincoln, Illinois, but has called Snohomish County home since 2000. Learn more about Elizabeth, including where she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees, by clicking here.
The Current
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