Community gives feedback on school discipline
On January 30, the State Commissions on Asian Pacific American Affairs, Hispanic Affairs and African American Affairs, along with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders met with community members, educators, and families to discuss the impacts of school discipline on students of color.
Attendees provided feedback and recommendations to the stakeholders present at the Education Roundtable.
Legislative Update for the Week of 2/15
February 19, 2016, is the Day of Remembrance to remember the exclusion and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Members of the Japanese American community will join the Legislature in Olympia to acknowledge and reflect on the significance of more than 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry, including 12,000 Japanese American residents of Washington State, who were unjustly incarcerated due to Executive Order 9066 of 1942. TVW will have live coverage of the Day of Remembrance beginning at 10:00 AM.
Tuesday, February 15, marks day 36 of the 60-day “short” session, which is scheduled to end on March 10. Legislators are working to pass House and Senate bills out of their own chamber by February 17. Bills that are not approved in their house of origin are unlikely to move forward unless the bill is necessary to implement the budget.
Below is the status of legislation CAPAA is tracking that may be of interest to APA communities (view the complete list of bills we are tracking this session):
Civil Rights & Justice
- HB 1745: Enacting the Washington voting rights act. (Passed the House 50-47)
- SB 6530: Providing public notices of public health, safety, and welfare in a language other than English. (Senate Rules)
Economic Development
- SB 6591: Concerning the issuance of nondomiciled commercial drivers’ licenses and commercial learners’ permits to nonresidents. (Senate Rules)
- SB 6180: Creating a disadvantaged business enterprise advisory committee within the transportation commission. (Passed the Senate 48-0)
Education
- HB 1541: Implementing strategies to close the educational opportunity gap, based on the recommendations of the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee. (Passed House 50-47)
- HB 2472: Improving the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers by raising salaries and strengthening teacher mentoring. (House Appropriations)
- SB 6244: Implementing strategies to close the educational opportunity gap. (Senate Rules)
Health and Human Services
