Skip to content

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re commemorating women’s vital impact and accomplishments on society.

Our Start Early staff members: Keneischia Jones, health coordinator, Early Head Start Network; Rio Romero-Jurado, policy manager, National Policy and Kayla Goldfarb, policy specialist, Illinois Policy shared how their womanhood has influenced their career journey, the crucial importance of pay equity in early childhood and the need for inclusion and continued progress for all women.

How has being a woman influenced your identity?

Keneischia Jones: Being a woman of color is my daily makeup. I get to wake up and change my hair and wear my afro today because that’s what I’m feeling. I’ve become the young Black woman that I wanted to be when I was younger and I wasn’t able to present like this. Now as a woman I have my bearings and I can show the world who I am at all times.

Rio Romero-Jurado: My identity in being a woman and a woman of color in particular has really shaped my values, social conscience and the kind of person I want to be and what I want to contribute to the world. I came to social work, policy and advocacy because I was naturally drawn to eliminating inequities in our society and empowering other women through social change and action.

That’s part of why I love what I do. Even in elementary school I really loved social studies. I recognized pretty early on that there was an underrepresentation, we all know, of women and people of color at our highest levels of government. I think that’s really further motivated me to embrace my identity as a woman and to be part of an organization to help ensure that women and the issues that matter to them and their families are prioritized in our society and in policy.

Kayla Goldfarb: There are so many things that have been shared that really resonated with me and are really energizing. Being a woman has influenced my identity in that I don’t feel limited in any way. But I also recognize how much of a privilege that is when you look at women globally and locally because that is not always the case. I’ve begun to understand the breadth of how people experience being a woman from a race, class, location and lived experience perspective. It’s been mind opening.

Are there any misconceptions about women that you want to address?

Keneischia Jones: We are not too emotional to make important decisions. We are not led with emotions we have the capacity to be emotionally aware and emotionally intelligent and logical at the same time. I also want to stress as a Black woman that we are not angry. We can clearly speak our problems but we are not a threat and we’re not angry all the time. We’re just passionate and loving people.

Rio Romero-Jurado: There is a balance between recognizing that there have been strides made in gender equality and at the same time acknowledging the continued work that is needed to achieve true equitable progress. We now have a woman of color as our Vice President which is fantastic. But we’re still so behind in many ways and that is a misconception of thinking that we’ve reached a certain milestone, which we have, but we’ve got to keep making more progress. There’s so much more to be done.

Kayla Goldfarb: I really agree with Rio I think there’s certainly a danger in complacency and being like yeah we won. There’s so many domains in which women don’t have equal footing and I think it’s important to take time during Women’s History Month to look at spaces where women’s accomplishments have been relegated to the back and not acknowledged or fully covered up and taken as someone else’s.

I can think of science domains where women’s discoveries were rebranded as men’s. Hedy Lamarr for example was a movie star in the 1930s and 40s but was also the inventor of frequency hopping and her inventions were taken and the credit was given to men. I think in very present ways that still happens a lot and translates to things like pay and career advancement and the fact that women don’t get the automatic recognition that maybe men do.

In terms of misconceptions, I think one is that caring about women’s rights is in any way exclusionary to people who weren’t born women but identify as women. Trans exclusionary embodiments of feminism are not good for women. The misconception that there is in any way a threat to women’s progress by upholding and defending the rights of those who identify as women but who might not have been born identifying that way. So there’s clearly a long way to go.

But it’s nice to take time during Women’s History Month to think about how these things show up historically and in our day-to-day lives.

Be sure to follow our blog to stay up-to-date on the latest announcements and learn about our ongoing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) work.

More Like This

Support Our Work icon

Support Our Work

Together, when we start early, we can close the opportunity gap and ensure every child has a chance to reach their full potential.

Give Now

Partnership logo

Our Racial Equity Journey & Commitment

At Start Early, we are committed to cultivating an environment built on the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Learn More

What we do icon

What We Do

Our comprehensive approach applies our deep expertise in program, policy and research so that children, families and educators can thrive.

Learn More

Olympia Capitol building

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Trivia

What significance does March 7, 1927 hold in the history of the Washington State Legislature?

That’s a Wrap!

Sine Die. The Latin term Sine Die means “without a day to reconvene” and is used to signify adjournment at the end of a legislative session. Under Washington state’s Sine Die tradition, the doors to each chamber are opened so they can see the other body, the lawmakers line the aisles, and the presiding officers of the Senate and House simultaneously pound their gavels to mark conclusion of another legislative session.

House on Sine Die March 10, 2022
Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Final Budget Compromise Released. On Wednesday, the details of the $64.1 billion operating budget compromise were released prior to affirming votes in the Senate and the House. See our summary of what items were funded in the final budget (this link includes updated information).

The final budget amount came in lower than the House’s proposed $65.2 billion budget and higher than the Senate’s proposed $63.5 billion approach. The final budget includes $800 million in reserves as well as an additional $2.75 billion designated for COVID-19 related or other emergency responses.

Legislative Update. The Senate and House spent the week wrapping up final business, sending a slew of bills to the Governor for signature. Check out Start Early Washington’s bill tracker on our resource page to get the final tally of which bills made it to the Governor’s desk.

An important follow-up item relates to the status of designating pickleball as the state’s official sport. I’m pleased to share that SB 5615 made it through the legislative process and is on its way to the Governor for signature.

Now What?

We’re not quite done yet… While there is an audible sigh of relief after Sine Die, our work is not complete as attention turns to the executive branch, with Governor Inslee and his team beginning the process of reviewing the bills and budget details awaiting his action.

Like with every aspect of the legislative process, there are rules associated with the Governor’s consideration of bills, including the timeline for action dependent upon when a bill reaches the Governor’s desk. Many of these rules were developed for pre-electronic times when official paperwork was physically signed and delivered (and could get lost or misplaced – on accident or perhaps purposefully). At this stage, the Governor generally has 20 days to sign or veto bills once they reach his office. Sundays are not counted in that timeline, but Saturdays and holidays are included.

Governor Inslee’s office maintains a schedule of bill actions on his website where you can track which bills have been acted upon, and which bills are scheduled for signature. We do expect bill signings to continue to be largely virtual affairs this year, but track his website if you are interested in the status of a particular bill.

Election season is coming. 2022 is an election year with every House of Representatives seat and half of the State Senate seats up for election. Additionally, because Secretary of State Steve Hobbs was appointed to complete an unexpired term, the Secretary of State office will be up for election this year. Key dates include the candidate filing deadline of May 20, the primary election Aug. 2 and the general election Nov. 8.

Timing of Future Notes from Olympia. With the conclusion of the legislative session, we will pause the release of weekly updates and move to an “as needed” basis to share information. Expect our next update after the Governor’s action on bills and the budgets.

Trivia Answer

Photo Credit: Washington State Archives

March 7, 1927 represented the first day the Washington State Legislature met in the newly constructed – but unfurnished – Legislative Building.

Despite hope that the Legislature could begin their 1927 session in the new $6.5 million building, they only worked there for the final four days. This delay was attributed to fighting over the building’s furnishings (and its cost) among the three members of the Capitol Committee – Governor Roland Hartley, State Auditor C.W. Clausen and State Land Commissioner C.V. Savidge.

As an aside, not everyone was thrilled about the transition to the new digs in the waning days of session. According to Don Brazier’s recap of the 1927 legislative session, older legislators groused about having to make the trek “up the Hill” during the final days.

The final days of legislative sessions are often filled with tension and personal disagreements that can spill over into policy and budget decisions. The 1927 session appeared to have a heightened level of drama, largely driven by Governor Hartley’s disdain for his fellow elected officials in the Legislature as well as other statewide offices. In fact, Governor Hartley convinced the Legislature to investigate Land Commissioner Savidge for allegedly improperly executing his duties. (The investigation found no illicit conduct.) Soon thereafter, charges were leveled that Governor Hartley misused funding intended for maintenance on the Governor’s residence for furniture. The Attorney General ruled that Governor Hartley had misused the funds, and would need to reimburse the state.

Another example of the hard feelings between elected officials again involves Governor Hartley, but this time relates to the Governor’s long-standing feud with his outspoken opponent, Senator Oliver Hall of Whitman County. Senator Hall’s brother Elmer was an ally of Governor Hartley (not his Senator brother) and also worked as an assistant Sergeant of Arms. When Elmer’s son applied to be a legislative page, his uncle, Senator Hall, made sure he did not get the position. Governor Hartley, in turn, secured a job for the young man so he could come to Olympia.

Because the move to the new Legislative Building occurred during the final days of session, the expected celebratory events were put on hold (given the animosity, this may have been a wise move). The big issue on Sine Die in 1927 involved negotiations on a highway appropriations bill which was proving problematic. A cover was placed over the clocks at midnight on Sine Die, allowing negotiations to continue. After a 30-hour session, plans for an Ocean Beach Highway were scrapped in favor of funding for the Aurora Bridge in Seattle.

Apparently still harboring grievances, Governor Hartley ultimately issued a total of 59 vetoes, including a veto of an appropriation for dedication of the new Legislative Building.

Elizabeth Varnell and Virginia (Ginna) Varnell Dunn
In front of the Legislative Building Under Construction

Photo Credit: Patrick Dunn, grandson of Elizabeth Varnell and son of Ginna Varnell Dunn

Start Early Washington’s government affairs teammate Patrick Dunn kindly shared this picture of his mother and grandmother on what we think is the northside of the Legislative Building circa 1926-1927. His family lore holds the Varnells were driving to Portland and stopped in Olympia to check on the building’s progress. Little did they know one of their family members would spend his career right here!

Sources: Washington State Archives and “History of the Washington Legislature 1854-1963,” Don Brazier.

More Like This

Contact Us

Connect with our team to learn more about our work or discuss how we can support policy and advocacy work for your organization.

Email Us

Washington State icon

Washington State Hub

Learn more about our work in Washington state and access relevant resources and publications. 

View Hub

Let's talk icon

Stay Connected

Stay up to date on the latest early childhood policy updates from Olympia.

Sign Up

 

Olympia Capitol buildingPhoto Credit: Erica Hallock

Trivia!

March serves as Women’s History Month. This week’s trivia focuses on Washington state’s first female Governor, Dixy Lee Ray, who served one term from 1977 to 1981. Governor Ray began her career in a non-political field, earning a doctorate from Stanford in what subject area? Bonus points if you know the topic of her dissertation.

Dixy Ray posterDixy Lee Ray Campaign Poster (1976)
Photo Credit: HistoryLink.org

Highlights of the Week

Capital Gains Tax Ruled Unconstitutional. On March 1, Douglas County Superior Court Judge Brian Huber ruled the Capital Gains tax initiated by SB 5096 of 2021 unconstitutional. Intended to provide funding to support the Fair Start for Kids Act and schools, Attorney General Bob Ferguson immediately signaled the state’s plan to appeal. Crosscut ran a great piece summarizing the key issues, the ruling and potential next steps. More to come.

Hurry Up and Wait? With a near solid week of fiscal committee meetings concluding Monday and a quick pivot into marathon Floor sessions Tuesday, those involved in the legislative process had ample time to practice their waiting game. This is the point of the legislative session when scheduled hearings and Floor times become fluid as legislators retreat to caucus to be briefed and discuss bills while lobbyists’ phones fill with texts trying to track it all – “Did the House come back? Are they still in caucus?”

With the clock ticking toward the 5 p.m. deadline today for bills to pass out of the opposite house, interested parties want to ensure their favored bills do not fall through the cracks and instead make it over the finish line. During this week, time is not our friend as there are simply not enough hours in the day to debate and vote on all the outstanding bills. They call the legislative process sausage making for a reason!

Be sure to check out Start Early Washington’s Bill Tracker on our State Policy Resources page for the latest bill information.

More Cars in the Parking Lot. Following the Senate decision last week, the House of Representatives also moved to bring more House members back to the Floor for in-person debates and open their galleries to more observers. The campus is not anywhere close to its normal level of activity, but there are certainly more cars in the lots for these final days.

Washington State House Chamber

The House of Representatives Chamber awaits the partial return of members for Floor debate March 1, 2022
Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Saying Goodbye. It is not unusual for lawmakers to announce they do not plan to run for reelection during the short, 60-day session. This year, though, seems to have brought an unprecedented number of retirement announcements, including from some long serving legislators. As we are looking at the calendar for the final days of this session, we can also expect time built in to honor these retiring lawmakers’ legacies.

What’s Up Next?

The Final Sprint. After tonight’s cutoff deadline for bills to pass out of their opposite house, focus will shift to finalizing and approving the supplemental budget and reviewing how bills were changed in the opposite chamber.

Bills that were amended in the opposite body must return to the house of origin for what is called “concurrence.” Concurrence represents the opportunity for the house of origin to affirm changes made in the opposite body. If the house of origin does not agree with the changes made in the opposite body, the bill then goes to “conference” where three members from the Senate (2 Democrats/1 Republican) and three members of the House (2 Democrats/1 Republican) meet in a conference committee to resolve differences, resulting in a conference report. The conference report must then be approved by each body by an up or down vote. Depending on how many bills were amended and how many require conference committee review, this step can eat up quite a bit of time.

We do not know exactly when Senate and House budget conference committee members will release the agreed-upon budget proposal, but I would guess it will likely be public early next week. Both chambers will then approve the agreed-upon budget prior to Sine Die March 10 – again by an up or down vote.

When the final budget is released, we will send out a summary with key details related to early learning.

Trivia Answer

Governor Dixy Lee Ray earned her Ph.D. from Stanford in Biology. The bonus question was clearly a softball as her dissertation was about the lanternfish and was titled “The peripheral nervous system of Lampanyctus leucopsarius.” This built on her master’s thesis “A Comparative Study of the Life Habits of some Species of Burrowing Eumalacostraca.”

I went deep into learning about Governor Ray while the Senate and House fiscal committees caucused for extended time periods. The following represents perhaps more than you wanted to know about Governor Ray, but I found her story fascinating. I learned she was known for her memorable quotes – quotes that reflected her intelligence, sense of humor and willingness to challenge the establishment. You will see examples of some of these quotes below.

Governor Ray was born Marguerite Ray. Family members called her “little Dickens” (Devil) and when she turned 16, she legally changed her name to a shortened version of her nickname and added the middle name Lee in a nod to her descendent Robert E. Lee. She began accumulating the title of “firsts” as a child when, at age 12, she became the youngest girl to summit Mt. Rainier.

Following her educational pursuits, Governor Ray worked as a professor at the University of Washington where she again was a first, this time the first female professor in Zoology. She also served as the Chief Scientist on the schooner SS Te Vega during the International Indian Ocean Expedition. In the early 1960s, she was brought in to turn around the Pacific Science Center – where she kept a police whistle at her desk to run off any “hippies” hanging around. Around this time, PBS asked her to host “Animals of the Seashore.” In 1967, the Seattle Maritime Society named Ray its Maritime Man of the Year – the first time the award did not go to a man.

Governor Ray was a longtime supporter of atomic energy. In 1973, President Nixon appointed her Chair of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and, later, President Ford appointed Ray the Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs. While she was Chair of the U.S. Atomic Commission, she lived out of a motor home in rural Virginia. Every day, she was chauffeured from her motor home to her office in Maryland, along with her 100-pound dog Ghillie and her mini-poodle Jacques. She resigned from her role as Assistant Secretary of State after just six months, citing Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s unwillingness to take her advice – or even meet with her. She left the nation’s Capital advising, “Anything the private sector can do, the government can do worse.”

Gov. Ray and her dogsDixy Ray and her dogs at the Hanford nuclear reservation
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Ray decided to throw her hat in the political ring at the state level and, in her first political race, defeated Republican King County Executive John Spellman in the 1976 gubernatorial race 53-44%. Previously unaffiliated, Ray ran as a Democrat. When asked why she opted for the Governor’s seat in her first run, Ray replied, “I was much too old to start at the bottom, so I decided to start at the top.”

Here are some quick fast facts about Ray’s time as Governor:

  • She hosted NINE inaugural balls.
  • She split her time between the Governor’s residence and her trailer on Fox Island.
  • Prior to the Mt. St. Helens eruption during her tenure, she established blue and red “danger zones” that were credited with saving many lives.
  • In 1977, smoking was banned in legislative committee rooms for the first time (note smoking was still permitted in the Senate and House Chambers).
  • Despite being the first female Governor in Washington state, Ray did not campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment and signed Referendum 40 which abolished the Washington State Women’s Council.

From the start, Ray experienced a tumultuous relationship with the press and the Legislature. She ended the previous tradition of daily morning press conferences, and she once sent an intern to a House Energy Committee to convey the message that Governor Ray would not accept the committee making any changes to her energy legislation. As expected, neither move went over well in those largely male establishments.

Tensions grew between Governor Ray and the Legislature during her tenure. One source of contention was the length of the legislative sessions and the Governor’s insistence that the Legislature should complete their work within their allotted 60 days. In 1978 Ray refused to call a special session and that was the last year a legislature did not meet in the second year of a biennium. Soon thereafter, the Legislature passed an amendment to the Constitution to change the cadence of the legislative session from 105 days in odd-numbered years and 60 days in even-numbered years. This timeline continues to this day.

Governor Ray’s frayed relationship with the Democratic Party led to (then) Democratic State Senator Jim McDermott running against her in the 1980 Democratic primary (“Nixy on Dixy” was a campaign slogan used against her). McDermott prevailed in the primary and went on to lose to John Spellman in the 1980 general election.

In my research on Governor Ray, every article mentioned her personality with an array of adjectives and most referenced her personal clothing style. It wasn’t until my last resource document that the author raised the question that was on top of my mind – do articles on male leaders talk about their clothing style or any eccentricities? Of course not.

“We shouldn’t accept things just because somebody says so.” Governor Dixy Lee Ray

Dixy Ray photoOfficial Gubernatorial Portrait of Governor Dixy Lee Ray
Photo Credit: Wikipedia; Washington State Archives

 

Sources: “History of the Washington Legislature 1965-1982,” Don Brazier; Wikipedia; Washington State Secretary of State; and HistoryLink.org.

 

More Like This

Contact Us

Connect with our team to learn more about our work or discuss how we can support policy and advocacy work for your organization.

Email Us

Washington State icon

Washington State Hub

Learn more about our work in Washington state and access relevant resources and publications. 

View Hub

Let's talk icon

Stay Connected

Stay up to date on the latest early childhood policy updates from Olympia.

Sign Up

The Partnership for Pre-K Improvement (PPI) was launched in 2016 with a vision to develop and sustain high-quality, equitable state pre-K systems. Throughout the 5-year project, we partnered with 3 states – Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington – to learn alongside state education leaders, advocates and researchers about how to systematically improve pre-K quality. Along the way, we focused in on infrastructure and the policies, data, and implementation supports pre-K programs need to succeed.

As a culmination of this project, we created a report to capture lessons learned and recommendations for state early learning agency leaders, researchers and advocates, along with a free toolkit to support pre-K systems improvement.

What We Learned

  • Systems change is complex and occurs over a long period of time. Although we saw important improvements during the life of the project, substantial systems change is ongoing and occurs in cycles as states navigate governmental, political, leadership, and funding changes and challenges.
  • Practice frameworks can both advance and impede systems change work. While focusing on core elements of teaching and learning seemed that it would yield the greatest impact on quality, states were most successful when focusing on just one or two elements at a time.
  • Implementation science is useful at the systems level but does not sufficiently advance equity. While an implementation science framework was very helpful in driving improvements, equity does not automatically follow quality changes. Equity must instead be intentionally centered.
  • At the systems level, coordination, alignment, and resource-sharing across programs are necessary when striving to improve pre-K statewide. Quality and equity can only improve when pre-K is seen as a legitimate part of the broader education system.
  • Strong, trusting, and stable partnerships between advocates and researchers are key to success of improvement efforts. Specifically, relationships that are pre-existing, intentional in terms of allocating staff and resources, and provide opportunities to learn from each other, are all critical factors in building stable and successful partnerships.

Recommendations

For state systems leaders, advocates and research partners:

  • Build meaningful partnerships among systems leaders, advocates, and researchers.
  • Think beyond pre-K.
  • Recognize that implementation and infrastructure are critical missing pieces of systems change.
  • Use intentional strategies for increasing equity and elevating parent and teacher voices.
  • Prioritize data infrastructure and your state’s ability to use data for improvement.

For national and local consultants and technical assistance providers:

  • Center equity from the beginning of any project.
  • Ensure that state and local voices drive systems improvement consultation and technical assistance.
  • Throughout this work, keep in mind both long-term vision, and more pressing, daily challenges.
  • Provide flexible resources and funding.

 

Partnership for Pre-K Improvement Resources

For more on how our experiences in the Partnership for Pre-K Improvement provide critical lessons and actionable recommendations for those engaged in the complex work of improving state pre-K systems, download our new report & access the free Partnership for Pre-K Toolkit.

Reflecting on Systems Change: Learning from the Partnership for Pre-K Improvement

Link

Read the new report.

Download Reflecting on Systems Change: Learning from the Partnership for Pre-K Improvement

Partnership for Pre-K Improvement Toolkit

Link

Access the free toolkit

Download Partnership for Pre-K Improvement Toolkit

Looking for Additional Resources and Support for Your Quality Improvement Efforts?

Drawing from our experience on PPI and our work in states and communities across the country, the Start Early Consulting team supports partners to ensure that prenatal to five systems have the right policies, programs, and funding in place to prepare young children and their families for lifelong success. Email us for additional information.

Thank you to our partners: Cultivate Learning, Alliance for Early Success, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Policy and advocacy icon

Our Policy Work

We work at local, state and federal levels to create effective, equitable and interconnected educational opportunities for our youngest learners.

Learn More

Stay Connected

Sign up to receive noteworthy developments in state and federal early childhood news, policy trends and stories highlighting work across our network.

Sign Up

United States of America icon

Where We Work

Through training and partnerships, we bring quality early learning and care to under-resourced communities across the country.

Learn More

Flags lining the street on the Capitol campus

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Trivia!

On the East of the Legislative Building sits a tree honoring the late Cal Anderson. What is Cal Anderson’s connection to Washington state history?

Cal Anderson tree

Cal Anderson Tree
Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Highlights of the Week

Washington potato image

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Potato Day is Back! During “normal” legislative sessions, nearly every day is some sort of organizational lobby event. From auto dealers to home health care workers to massage therapists, groups converge on the Capitol campus to make their case to lawmakers.

For those working at and around the Capitol, free food days are particularly special. Some Capitol staff and lobbyists live for beef day, while others covet dairy day when free ice cream is distributed. Others cite potato day as their favorite.

After a one-year absence, a modified potato day returned this week on the North side of the Legislative building. On a sunny, but frigid day, the Washington State Potato Commission offered the limited number of people on campus a prepackaged box filled with a baked potato with all the toppings. (Author’s review – my potato was delicious).

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Next Wednesday is beef day, so I would say things are looking up.

Senate and House Budgets Released. On Monday, the Senate and House released their proposed operating budgets. In addition, the House released its Capital Budget Monday. The Senate’s Operating Budget includes $63 billion in spending while the House’s Operating Budget contains $65 billion.

Both the Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations Committees held public hearings late into Monday evening where they received feedback on their respective approaches. On Wednesday, the committees met again to review and adopt amendments. These amendments (81 in the Senate and 53 in the House) could be technical in nature (cleaning up errors) or requests to include omitted items. We have updated our Early Learning Budget Summary to reflect amendments adopted Wednesday.

For next steps, the Senate and House are expected to debate and vote on their respective budgets over the next couple of days. After that point, budget writers from both bodies will meet via conference committee to reconcile their approaches. They will release a final budget for the Senate and House’s consideration prior to Sine Die March 10.

Legislative Updates

Last Thursday was the cutoff for bills to pass out of policy committees. In advance of this deadline, policy committees held jam-packed hearings to pass out bills from the opposite body. This is another time in the process where some bills do not advance. There are a number of reasons this could happen, including simply not having enough time to work through differences. As we have seen fewer “companion bills” introduced in the past two years (companion bills are Senate and House versions of the same policy), more time is needed to bring legislators in the opposite chamber up to speed on the contents of bills, which is also a factor in some bills stalling.

It is common practice for budget writers to include funding for bills continuing in the process with a fiscal impact. For example, the House budget includes a total of $563,000 to fund the components of 2SHB 1890 (relating to children and youth behavioral health) and the Senate budget contains $489,000 to support SSB 5838 (relating to a monthly diaper subsidy for families participating in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).

Be sure to check out Start Early Washington’s Bill Tracker on our State Policy Resources page for the latest bill information.

What’s Up Next?

We are rapidly approaching Sine Die (adjournment) March 10. It is hard to believe there are less than two weeks left – 60 days go by quickly!

With fiscal cutoff upcoming Monday, we expect another weekend of Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations Committee meetings. The opposite house cutoff is a week from today – Friday, March 4 – so next week will be filled with floor activity. Let’s also not forget negotiations on final budgets will continue as well. While this is another unusual legislative session given its hybrid nature, the realities of imposing deadlines and limited time remains.

One other item to note – beginning today, a limited number of the public will be allowed in the Senate gallery after displaying proof of a negative COVID-19 test. The House is still considering changes to their plans.

Trivia Answer

Cal Anderson

Late Senator and Representative Cal Anderson (1948-1995)
Photo Credit: Eric Ishino, Historylink.org

Cal Anderson was the first openly gay member of the Washington State Legislature.

Anderson was born in Tukwila, WA, in 1948 and from a young age, he was shown to have an interest in politics. At the age of 16, Anderson helped his father win his position on the Tukwila City Council by writing letters to each constituent advocating for his father’s candidacy.

He started his own political journey immediately after graduating from high school when he worked for the Chair of the King County Democratic Party before he was drafted into service in the Vietnam War. Following his military service, he resumed work for Seattle City politicians, before running for the Washington State House of Representatives in 1987.

In his time in the House, Anderson fought vehemently for the civil rights of LGBTQ people all while battling AIDS himself. He found himself watermarked by the title “first openly gay” legislator and was the subject of a great many homophobic ad campaigns. Anderson and his partner, Eric Ishino, frequently received threats and found their home graffitied as a result of Anderson’s activism. He was invested in seeing civil rights extended and providing a voice for the LGBTQ community and, despite threats, he never wavered.

Anderson also avidly supported fair housing in his district and did what he could to provide housing to Seattle’s homeless populations. Anderson was able to curate relationships with people from both sides of the aisle and had a clear moral compass which guided his political decisions.

His sense of humor was also very well known. He frequently jested about his sexuality, making light of the attacks thrown at him. His openness and willingness to engage in conversation, usually with a light touch, allowed him to work issues and gain respect with members on both sides of the aisle. Anderson and his sense of humor were widely respected in Washington politics, and in 1994, when Janice Niemi decided to leave the Senate, Anderson won her seat easily.

Shortly after taking his seat in the Senate, Anderson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a result of his AIDS diagnosis. His absence from the Senate resulted in a Republican majority, however, his fellow members insisted that Anderson not be pushed out and be given time to recover. Anderson lost his fight with AIDS August 1995. His loving partner of 10 years and 2,000 others attended his funeral. In 2003, the City of Seattle dedicated the Cal Anderson Park in his honor. This park was the site of the CHAZ/CHOP autonomous zone during the racial unrest in 2019-2020.

 

Cal Anderson plaque

Plaque accompanying the Cal Anderson Tree on the Capitol campus
Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Today, the Legislature has a bicameral, seven-member LGBTQ caucus working to build on the legacy of establishing and protecting the rights of LGBTQ people. In 2020, the House of Representatives selected Laurie Jinkins as its first lesbian Speaker of the House. In recent years, the LGBTQ caucus members led the fight to ban “conversion therapy” and ensure the rights of same-sex couples to adopt children, among many other landmark policies.

On Feb. 13, our state celebrated the 10-year anniversary of marriage equality becoming the law of the state of Washington. The Spokesman Review ran an excellent piece that not only highlighted this historic win but also detailed the years of work that paved the way. Here is a link to the moving floor speech by former Representative Maureen Walsh in support of marriage equality that went viral.

Source: Historylink.org

 

More Like This

Contact Us

Connect with our team to learn more about our work or discuss how we can support policy and advocacy work for your organization.

Email Us

Washington State icon

Washington State Hub

Learn more about our work in Washington state and access relevant resources and publications. 

View Hub

Let's talk icon

Stay Connected

Stay up to date on the latest early childhood policy updates from Olympia.

Sign Up

In partnership with public and private organizations, Start Early Washington supports comprehensive prenatal-to-five learning experiences for children and families statewide with a unique focus on home visiting services. We are thrilled to share what we have been up to:

Home Visiting Highlights

Fostering Relationships Virtually. Building on innovative strategies to maintain relationships in a virtual setting remains a key priority as we navigate home visiting service delivery throughout the ongoing pandemic. Gaby Rosario, Parents as Teachers state leader, shares innovative ways to engage with families virtually. Read more.

Advancing Racial Equity. ParentChild+ is one of the state’s home visiting models supported by Start Early Washington. Last quarter home visiting professionals gathered for a biannual professional development workshop centered in racial equity as part of an ongoing commitment to advance racial equity in this model. Here are a few recommendations they shared for home visiting professionals:

  • Carefully choose literature and materials for home visits that portray multiple cultures and match family values. Home visiting professionals hold great power in selecting materials that allow families to celebrate who they are, including cultural norms, skin color, hair texture and so much more!
  • Biases shape our worldview. Identify, unpack and address internal and external biases to ensure the highest-quality and most inclusive services to families.
  • Support families in speaking their home language. Speaking to children in their home language is a powerful factor in building and retaining secure parent-child attachments.

Approaching Difficult Conversations. Many families are weighed down by stress and anxiety during this complex period of uncertainty. NEAR@Home’s lead facilitator, Quen Zorrah is an expert at approaching difficult conversations with parents, especially during times of trauma. Her blog powerfully highlights how home visitors can repair interactions with families utilizing strategies that lead to authentic and trusting relationships.

Looking for more on respectfully and effectively addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with families? Visit our Near@Home page for additional publications and resources from our experts.

________________________________________________________________________
Visit us at Start Early Washington to learn more about our work.
You can also find us on Twitter @StartEarlyWa.

Washington State icon

Washington State Hub

Learn more about our work in Washington state and access relevant resources and publications. 

Learn More

Stay Connected

Stay up to date on early childhood policy issues and home visiting programming in Washington state.

Sign Up

Resources for professionals icon

Resources for Professionals

From interactive courses to engaging events, we support educators in building powerful practices that transform teaching and learning. 

Sign Up

Today’s early childhood organizations are vocal about their commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). As leaders, we vary in the degree to which we responsively identify and change processes that make those commitments visible. Regardless of how long we have been or where we stand in the field of home visiting, we need not look far to find ways to move from intention to impact.

Consider this quick questionnaire:

  • Think about the values and cultural backgrounds of families in your program. Is there cultural alignment between the practitioners and the enrolled families?
  • Who is responsible for decisions of policy, job qualifications, and practice protocols for home visitors and supervisors in your program? How many of those who are making system and protocol decisions are actively engaged with families on a day-to-day basis?

COVID has prolonged widespread staff vacancies in early childhood settings. Today’s leaders are faced with the simultaneous challenges of hiring new staff and retaining their current workforce. During this season of workforce upheaval, we need to look for ways to cultivate and elevate the voice, experience, and expertise of those currently engaged in direct work with families to increase DEIB in our programs.

Home visitors, by the very nature of their jobs, are uniquely positioned to support caregivers’ goals for themselves and their child. Parents and home visitors co-develop action plans in the context of the family’s composition of members, culture, community, and economic resources. Home visitors partner with parents and caregivers directly to navigate culturally dismissive, disconnected community systems that are not responsive to the family’s identified needs. Practitioners hold expertise in their local resources, provide in-person and virtual support, are on top of trends and interests of families, and have the experience and perspectives of cultural brokers in the community. They honor a caregiver’s unspoken words, “…nothing about me without me…”.

As we prepare for the upcoming virtual National Home Visiting Summit in late March, let’s keep talking with each other and listening to the perspectives and expertise of home visitors. Let’s challenge ourselves to identify strategies that seek to invite, reach, engage, and cultivate the invaluable input of practitioners. When we return to the routines of our work, let’s commit to create and improve platforms for home visitors’ involvement in decisions related to policy, research and practice that directly impact them.

Interested in learning more about Start Early’s resources and learning opportunities for home visitors and supervisors? Check out our Essentials of Home Visiting online professional development experiences or reach out to us directly at professionaldevelopment@startearly.org.

Start Early Professional Development icon

Start Your Professional Development

Build practices and strong teams that transform teaching and learning for all children with our portfolio of training programs.

Learn More

Resources for professionals icon

Let’s Talk

Have specific questions about Start Early’s professional development opportunities? Reach out directly to our team.

Email Us

Resources for professionals icon

Resources for Professionals

From interactive courses to engaging events, we support educators in building powerful practices that transform teaching and learning.

Learn More

As the world shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countless families were left in crisis. Suddenly, parents were full-time caregivers, employees and teachers; they needed support more than ever. When Gaby Rosario began working as the new Parents as Teachers state leader for Start Early Washington last year, she admired how home visiting programs quickly and effectively adapted to virtual visits to continue meeting the needs of families.

Gaby sledding with her nieces (Jan. 2022)
Gaby sledding with her nieces (Jan. 2022)

Flexibility is Key

Home visitors strive to build strong relationships with parents and encourage positive parent-child engagement to support healthy child development and future outcomes. One of the most powerful tools they have is connecting with families face to face, but when all in-person services shut down due to the pandemic, physical contact was no longer an option.

“Challenges brought on by the pandemic allowed us to stretch our minds and creatively support home visiting services,” Gaby highlighted. Home visiting programs pivoted to individualized services meeting the unique needs of families from a safe distance. “We shortened check-in periods and checked in more often, utilizing various methods of engagement such as email, text messages and phone calls to support families as they worked through learning and reflection.”

Conducting home visits on a virtual level meant staff had to think outside the box to ensure all the required components for a visit were still in place. Parental engagement unexpectedly increased for many families. “It was deeply meaningful when parents shared videos and pictures of their children thriving with the individualized activities created specifically for them. Gaby shared, “Our relationships with families deepened and it was rewarding to witness the positive parent-child interactions.”

3 year old shucking corn
Activity: Utilize family environment to support sensory and fine motor development.

With social distancing precautions in place, home visitors’ roles during visits shifted dramatically. They relied on families to lead parent-child interactions, which brought unexpected benefits as families took on leadership in the learning process. Home visitors leaned into coaching, supporting, answering questions and facilitating rather than leading home visits.

Gaby described, “We saw a new level of enjoyment with families that chose to participate virtually; parents’ confidence in leading individualized activities grew and we saw deeper connections between parents and their children. Parents’ messages of excitement, ‘Look what my child did today!’ were so inspiring.”

Reaching Rural Families

“One of the key things the pandemic taught us was that we could reach families further away through virtual systems.” As an expert in serving families in rural communities, Gaby was determined to partner with her team to harness technology-based services. By offering virtual home visiting services, they managed to overcome the challenges of long-distance travel and access to remote areas in bad weather.

Staff repurposed travel time to spend more time intentionally individualizing services for families. “Without the need to be physically present, home visitors provided more flexibility, accommodating family scheduling constraints or last-minute changes, if necessary,” explained Gaby.

Some families did not have access to technology at all. To meet this challenge, programs developed innovative solutions, including purchasing tablets and providing families with internet and cellphone assistance. Other strategies included scheduling virtual meetings at community agencies or public libraries, where families accessed broadband and technology-based services.

A few families lived in extremely isolated areas. Consequently, home visitors preplanned connections with families when they traveled into town and had access to virtual services. Gaby added, “One family lived deep in the mountains on the outskirts of the small city of Tonasket. When it wasn’t possible to connect in town, staff journeyed into the mountains to drop off activities and make a personal connection, even if that meant they had to share stories from 6 feet apart. We made every effort to ensure families had what they needed during this difficult period of isolation.”

Letting Families Know They’re Heard

Although bilingual resources were available for families, not all programs had home visitors that spoke languages other than English. Fluent in English and Spanish herself, Gaby understood the importance of connecting with families in a language they felt most comfortable. Before the pandemic, programs arranged in-person translation and interpretation or utilized call-in services for interpretation during in-person home visits. However, with social distancing precautions in place, it became necessary to adapt this practice. As a result, programs pivoted to virtual translation and interpretation tools, which took extra planning but were well worth the effort. Staff coordinated within agencies to share translation and interpretation services, and translators provided services over three-way calls or virtual platforms.

Gaby shared, “There was a learning curve as teams and families navigated multiple platforms and new methods of technology. Families tried new things they never thought they would try, and we continued to provide the one-on-one support they needed to feel comfortable.”

The technical support provided by staff did more than help with home visiting services; it offered families a window to the outside world again. Gaby explained, “The assistance we provided for a Spanish-speaking mother living in Brewster gave her confidence to support her three school-age children with their virtual classes. At the time, families did not know what virtual engagement looked like or how to navigate tools like Zoom. Together, we made sure her tablet settings were in Spanish, downloaded useful apps and walked through navigating virtual engagement.”

“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.”

- Oprah Winfrey

The world has had to find new ways of navigating everyday life since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and Start Early is no exception.

“One of the most significant things we learned during this new period of virtual-based engagement is that a willingness to be flexible is essential to both the home visiting support teams and families,” Gaby reflected.

Washington’s home visitors continue to work on adaptations needed to meet program requirements. In support, Start Early Washington curated a list of resources for home visitors to guide technology-based engagement.


Gaby Rosario supports professional development, training, technical assistance and coaching for 27 Parents as Teachers home visiting programs statewide.

Washington State icon

Washington State Hub

Learn more about our work in Washington state and access relevant resources and publications. 

Visit Hub

Resources for professionals icon

Resources for Professionals

From interactive courses to engaging events, we support educators in building powerful practices that transform teaching and learning. 

Learn More

Stay Connected

Sign up to stay up to date on latest in early learning and home visiting programming in Washington state.

Sign Up

Olympia Capitol building

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Trivia!

With George Washington’s Birthday upcoming on Feb. 22, I looked into why our state is named after our country’s first President and learned we were almost named something else. What was the other potential name?

Highlights of the Week

Burning the Midnight Oil. Both the Senate and the House put in long hours of Floor action to meet Tuesday’s deadline for bills to pass out of their house of origin. The House went into the early morning hours of Saturday and Sunday and then pulled an all-nighter Monday into Tuesday before adjourning for a few hours of rest after 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

young girl squinting

As you can imagine, when legislators and staff are under tremendous pressure to get through a lengthy list of bills, all on little sleep, tempers can flare. Before the Senate adjourned Saturday, Feb. 12, President Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday, Senate Majority Floor Leader Jamie Pedersen closed Floor action with this appropriate Abraham Lincoln quote, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.”

Revenue Forecast. On Feb. 16, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council received an updated revenue report from the State’s Economist, Dr. Steve Lerch. Washington’s economy continues to be strong with revenues once again exceeding projections. From Nov. 11, 2021 to Feb. 10, 2022, for example, the state’s revenues were $452 million (or 5.9%) above the November forecast. The major takeaway from the presentation is that the state currently has an approximate $15 billion surplus as a result of new revenue, reserves and one-time federal funding.

On the upside, Washington continues to add new jobs, new COVID-19 cases are declining and retail sales and real estate remain robust, driving the increased revenue. On the downside, high inflation is problematic, worker absence due to illness increased during the Omicron outbreak and supply chain challenges persist.

Notably, this growth is expected to slow after this year and both Senate Ways and Means Chair Christine Rolfes and House Appropriations Chair Timm Ormsby noted this projected slowdown in their remarks, stressing the importance of caution in their budgeting. They both recognized the current surplus is larger than expected and will necessitate adjustments in their budgets. They also cautioned that because they budget over four years, and uncertainty exists in these out-years, particularly due to inflation, they have to use care in making long-term investments. Representative Ormsby also highlighted the need to stabilize the workforce among the state’s service vendors and identified increasing reimbursement rates as a strategy to achieve that goal.

These revenue numbers will be used to inform the Senate and House Operating budgets which will be released, likely early next week.

Caseload Forecast. The Caseload Forecast Council met Friday following the release of Start Early Washington’s last update. In addition to the revenue forecast, the caseload forecast is important information used to finalize the budgets. This forecast looks at expected demand for services such as Medicaid, corrections and K-12. Drops in caseload create savings, and increases create demand for additional investment.

The caseload forecast included updated projections for ECEAP and Working Connections Child Care:

  • ECEAP. For State Fiscal Year 2022 (ending June 30, 2022), the Forecast Council projects a caseload of 11,465, which is down 382 children, or 3.2%. For state Fiscal Year 2023 (ending June 30, 2023), they expect caseload will remain as projected at 14,890.
  • Working Connections. For State Fiscal Year 2022, the council projects a caseload of 20,750, down 852 families, or 3.9%. For State Fiscal Year 2023, they project a caseload of 26,104, down 783 families, or 2.9%.

For both programs, COVID-19 creates the greatest uncertainty to the forecast. Questions impacting the caseload include whether a COVID-19 vaccine will be available for young children and how future outbreaks will be contained. Additionally, for ECEAP, the current caseload is below 2019-2020 levels and for Working Connections, COVID-19 has led to reduced entries and increased exits of children from the program.

Legislative Updates

As the legislative session continues to advance, the number of bills still “alive” continues to decline after each cutoff. For example, Representative Klippert’s SHB 2082 relating to a statewide assessment of child care access for families of children with developmental delays or disabilities is considered “dead” because it was not passed out of the House by the Feb. 15 cutoff.

After days (and nights!) of lengthy floor sessions, attention returned to committee activity bright and early on Feb. 16, with the next cutoff for bills to be passed out of the opposite house policy committee quickly approaching Feb. 24. With the fiscal committee cutoff for bills in the opposite chamber following on Feb. 28, expect marathon policy and fiscal committees over the next 10 days to meet the deadlines.

Also, check out Start Early Washington’s bill tracker at the top of our Start Early Washington State Resources page for the latest information.

What’s Up Next?

Back to Budgets. With the caseload and revenue forecast releases, the House and Senate are expected to release their respective operating budgets by early next week. The Senate Ways and Means Committee has a Monday, 4 p.m. public hearing scheduled to receive feedback on their budget. The House Appropriations Committee has a Monday, 3:30 p.m. public hearing on the books. The actual release of both budgets is unknown as of this writing. Stay tuned for a summary after the release of the budgets, capturing all the major highlights.

While the Operating budget often receives much of the attention, the Legislature frequently passes three budgets – Operating, Capital and Transportation. The Senate released its proposed Capital budget this week. We will include more detail in the addendum to be released after the Operating budgets come out, but we can flag that the Senate Capital budget contains funding for early learning facilities. Specifically, it includes $31.5 million from a mix of one-time federal funding and state bonds for early learning facility grants ($25.3 million for competitive grants and $6.2 million for designated projects) as well as $18.5 million in one-time federal funding for minor renovation grants. Notably, this was a bipartisan Capital budget, with the two Democratic and two Republican leads listed as sponsors. As of this writing, the House Capital budget has not been released.

And, as noted in our last update, the proposed Transportation budget was released last week. The revenue bill, which outlines the funding sources for the transportation proposal, was the final bill debated in the Senate before the 5 p.m. house of origin cutoff. As one would expect, a hearty debate ensued, including a request for a ruling from the Senate President about the bill’s title. In the end, the revenue bill passed 29-20.

Trivia Answer

map of WashingtonMap of Washington Territory
Photo Credit: Library of Congress

The precursor to Washington state, Washington Territory, was proposed to be named Columbia after the Columbia River which separates Washington from Oregon. The Columbia River was selected as a natural dividing line following the recognition that the distance to the Oregon Territory Capitol of Oregon City was too far to travel for people living in what is now Washington state.

The name “Columbia” was rejected after Kentucky Representative Richard Stanton argued that name would cause too much confusion because of its similarity to the District of Columbia. I would argue they missed the mark on this as confusion between Washington state and Washington D.C. remains to this day.

On March 2, 1853, Congress passed a law creating a new territory and selected the name Washington to honor George Washington. Notably, we are the only state named after a President. When established, the Washington Territory was larger than our current footprint and went all the way east to the Rocky Mountains, including all of Western Idaho and Western Montana.

In the 1880s, lawyer David Dudley Field II initiated an effort to rename some states and major cities. He argued that the previous process of naming locales led to duplication and confusion (looking at you Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine). Field advocated for Washington state to change its name to Tacoma. Proud Washingtonians opposed that move, with one letter writer arguing “it would be a stupid postal clerk, indeed, who would fail to distinguish” between the District of Columbia and Washington state (Slate.com).

Field was not the first to suggest changing the names of states or their areas covered. In the 1780s, Thomas Jefferson argued for the Northwest Territory to be divided into 10 states and renamed. Jefferson proposed that what is now Ohio be called Washington and parts of Michigan be named either Metropotamia or Chersonesus, and southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois named Assenispia.

Every bit of this information was news to me. Is this because I did not grow up in Washington state?

George Washington bustGeorge Washington Bust
Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

In the hallway between the Senate and House chambers on the third Floor of the Legislative building is this bust of George Washington. I will leave to your imagination as to why the illustrative “no touch” sign is displayed.

Sources: Wikipedia, Washington State Secretary of State and Slate.com

Bonus Photo: Campus Fountain

Tivoli Fountain on the Capitol campus

        Tivoli Fountain on the Capitol campus: a replica of the Tivoli fountain in Copenhagen, Denmark
Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

More Like This

Contact Us

Connect with our team to learn more about our work or discuss how we can support policy and advocacy work for your organization.

Email Us

Washington State icon

Washington State Hub

Learn more about our work in Washington state and access relevant resources and publications. 

View Hub

Let's talk icon

Stay Connected

Stay up to date on the latest early childhood policy updates from Olympia.

Sign Up

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock (Feb. 8, 2022)

Trivia!

Senator John Lovick (D-44th District, Mill Creek), the first Black man to serve in the State Senate since former Senator George Flemming in 1991, passed his first Senate bill Feb. 2. What was the bill’s subject?

Highlights of the Week

Fiscal Cutoff. Monday was the deadline for bills to pass out of their respective fiscal committee. Both the Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations Committee finished up just before 9 p.m. that day. The Senate Ways and Means Committee had the longer agenda with 73 bills scheduled for executive session, and the House Appropriations Committee had just 30 bills in executive session and 5 bills on their public hearing schedule.

Part of the reason the House Appropriations Committee took about the same time for a much shorter agenda was the time spent debating two bills – one to extend collective bargaining to legislative staff and another related to creating “middle housing” near transit and in areas typically dedicated to single-family housing. These lengthy debates provided a bit of a preview of bills that will take a lot of time when they get to the Floor.

“Semi In-Person” Floor Action. After the fiscal cutoff on Monday, action quickly pivoted to Floor activity with the deadline for bills to pass out of their house of origin of Feb. 15. This phase in the process coincided with the decision to allow more legislators to return to in-person Floor activity. The Senate now allows up to 30 members on the Floor, after a negative COVID-19 test, and the House increased the number of their members in-person to 20, requiring that all in-person legislators be vaccinated, boosted and masked.

Right as the Senate was beginning an intense period of Floor activity, Lt. Governor (and Senate President) Denny Heck announced a breakthrough COVID-19 case. Fortunately, Lt. Governor Heck is asymptomatic, and Senator Lovick, having served as Speaker Pro Tem during his time in the House of Representatives, smoothly transitioned and presided over much of the Senate Floor activity.

Transportation Budget Released. On Tuesday, Senate and House Democrats released a $16.8 billion transportation package titled “Move Ahead Washington.” You may ask, why I am including an update about a Transportation Budget in a newsletter focused on early learning? There are a few reasons. First, everything in Olympia is interrelated and actions in one area influence others. But the main reason I am including this here is because this Transportation Budget assumes a transfer of $2 billion from the Operating Budget, an unusual move.

A couple of other takeaways – the proposed Transportation Budget does not include a gas tax increase, contains a number of initiatives focused on active transportation (e.g., Safe Routes to Schools) and transit (e.g., free public transit for all youth). Of course, the proposal includes a number of infrastructure investments throughout the state – a chicken in every pot approach.

Legislative Updates

What’s Still Moving? Be sure to check out Start Early Washington’s Bill Tracker on our State Policy Resources page for the latest information on bills. After the fiscal cutoff earlier this week, many early learning related bills are “dead”. A few bills still moving include:

2SSB 5793 – Compensation for Lived Experience. The Senate Ways and Means Committee approved 2SSB 5793 Monday which seeks to provide authority and structure for compensating people with lived experience, who are not otherwise compensated for their participation, to participate in state workgroups, advisory groups, etc. up to $200 a day. The committee approved a substitute bill by making the following additions/clarifications:

  • Directs the Director of the Office of Financial Management to decide “reasonable allowances” for child and adult care reimbursement for individuals attending meetings or doing work approved by the chair;
  • Requires state agencies to minimize the impacts of stipends and reimbursement on public assistance benefits to the greatest extent possible;
  • Extends the provisions to advisory groups to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and
  • Authorizes for lodging and travel reimbursement when an individual is attending a meeting or official duties approved by the chair if the agency decides participation is desirable to implement principles of equity.

The bill passed off the Senate Floor on a 31-18 vote Feb. 10.

 SHB 2082 – Child Care Access. SHB 2082 directs the Department of Children, Youth and Families to conduct a statewide assessment of child care access for families of children with developmental delays or disabilities, to better understand the availability, affordability and accessibility of care that meets the needs of families. This assessment should then inform recommendations that are due by June 30, 2023. It is now on the House floor awaiting consideration.

SSB 5838 – Diaper Subsidy. SSB 5838 would provide a diaper subsidy for families participating in TANF. The House companion, SHB 1947, did not advance past cutoff, so the Senate bill will be the vehicle. The bill passed the Senate Floor on a 48-1 vote Feb. 10.

2SHB 1890 – Children and Youth Behavioral Health Workgroup. 2SHB 1890 would create a strategic plan advisory group under the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Workgroup. It would also allow for stipends of up to $200 per day for workgroup members with lived experience. The bill passed out of the House on a 87-7 vote Feb. 10 and is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Health & Long Term Care Feb. 15 at 8 a.m.

What’s Up Next?

Timing for Remainder of Session. Short sessions always move quickly, and the next 27 days will move particularly fast. Following is an outline of key dates ahead:

Feb. 15 – deadline for bills to pass out of their house of origin (e.g., House bills pass out of the House and Senate bills pass out of the Senate)

Feb. 16 – State Revenue Forecast (this information will inform budgets)

Feb. 24 – deadline for bills to pass out of policy committees of the opposite house

Feb. 28 – deadline for bills to pass out of fiscal committees of the opposite house

March 4 – deadline for bills to pass out of the opposite house

March 10 – Sine Die (Adjournment)

March 11 – Breathe!

Early Learning Facilities Funding Opportunity. On Feb. 28 from 12:30 – 2 p.m., the Department of Commerce will host a webinar providing information about a new round of Early Learning Facilities Funding designed to support minor renovations and small capital purchases. Please note programs do not need to add capacity to qualify for this round of funding. REGISTER NOW.

Trivia Answer

Pickleball! Senator Lovick’s first bill to pass the Senate, SB 5615, would establish pickleball as the official sport of the State of Washington.

Senator Lovick displaying his pickleball prowess
Photo Credit: Everett Herald

Senator Lovick brings a lifetime of public service to the Washington State Senate. He served two stints in the Washington State House of Representatives – from 1998 to his 2007 election as Snohomish County Sheriff and was appointed to the House in 2016 to fill the seat of former Representative Hans Dunshee. While in the House, Senator Lovick served as the Speaker Pro Tem as noted above, most recently sat on the House Children, Youth and Families Committee which oversees early learning and, notably, sponsored the Primary Seat Belt Law which boosted seat belt use to 97 percent. Senator Lovick was appointed to the State Senate in Dec. 2021 after Governor Inslee appointed Steve Hobbs Secretary of State.

SB 5615 bill passed the Senate on a 46-1 vote. The one no vote was NOT from the Senator who co-owns the Spokane Indians baseball team but was instead from Senator Mullet who shared (in a good-natured way, I am sure) that he prefers tennis.

I went down a huge rabbit hole learning all about the genesis of pickleball from the sport’s official website, USA Pickleball. But, before I share pickleball’s tie to Washington state, I would be remiss if I did not highlight that pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States (according to the very proud pickleball association website).

Pickleball was created on Bainbridge Island in the summer of 1965. Then member of the Washington State House of Representatives and future Lt. Governor Joel Pritchard and his friend Bill Bell had a couple of bored kids on their hands and were on the hunt to find a way to keep them entertained. Pritchard’s home had an old badminton court, but they did not have a full set of badminton rackets on hand, so Pritchard and Bell adapted. They found Ping-Pong paddles and a Wiffle ball and started hitting the ball back and forth like tennis using the larger paddles. They soon lowered the net from the badminton regulation height of 60 inches to 36 inches and the basis of pickleball was formed.

The next weekend their friend Barney McCallum joined the group and together they perfected the rules of the game a whole family could play. In 1967, the first permanent pickleball court was built in the Pritchard’s backyard.

Photo Credit: Pickleball Central

Pritchard, Bell and McCallum are credited as the inventors of pickleball. According to USA Pickleball, “though Pritchard was Washington’s Lt. Governor from 1988 to 1996, he is probably better known for his connection to the birth of pickleball.” For those who spend a lot of time on the Washington State Capitol campus, we may better associate the name Pritchard with the Pritchard Library which houses one of the two on-campus delis.

There are differing stories about the origin of the name pickleball. One story floating about is that the name was derived from the Prichard dog “Pickles.” I did some further digging to get to the bottom of this pressing question and I learned this is in fact a myth as the Pritchard’s dog Pickles came to the family years after the game’s founding and the dog was named for the game, not the other way around. Pritchard’s wife Joan told USA Pickleball that the game reminded her of the “Pickle Boat” in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers from other boats and this was the idea behind the name.

I will admit I have never played pickleball, but I hear it is a lot of fun and less intense than tennis.

Pickleball Founder (and former WA Lt. Governor) Joel Pritchard
Photo Credit: USA Pickleball

Bonus Trivia: Campus Trees

English oak tree on the Capitol campus
Photo Credit: Erica Hallock (Feb. 8, 2022)

My dad was a huge hiker and climber. Most of my childhood memories with him consist of exploring state and national parks – and climbing trees and rocks. As I walked around the Capitol campus, I came across this English oak on the northeast part of the campus and marveled at its beauty. I thought my dad would have seized on its current bare state and perfectly positioned branches to scale to the near top, likely generating attention from State Patrol.

Given the number and variety of trees on campus, it is not surprising there is a guide describing these trees. I learned this particular tree is 96 feet tall and its trunk is almost four feet thick. In England, the wood from these oaks is used to build furniture and ships for the Royal Navy. Washington’s English oak is the largest in the nation.

More Like This

Contact Us

Connect with our team to learn more about our work or discuss how we can support policy and advocacy work for your organization.

Email Us

Washington State icon

Washington State Hub

Learn more about our work in Washington state and access relevant resources and publications. 

View Hub

Let's talk icon

Stay Connected

Stay up to date on the latest early childhood policy updates from Olympia.

Sign Up

Stay Connected

Sign up to receive news, helpful tools and learn about how you can help our youngest learners.

Sign Up

Little girl with blue headband