By Amy Van and Jintana Lityouvong
IE Guest Columnists

Since 1974, more than 100 community volunteers have made a pledge to serve as a commissioner for the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA).

By Amy Van and Jintana Lityouvong
IE Guest Columnists

By Amy Van and Jintana Lityouvong
IE Guest Columnists

Former director of the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) Ellen Abellera said that one of the best things that happened during her term was receiving funding from the state Legislature for the 2008 studies on the achievement gaps of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) students in Washington’s public schools.

By Amy Van and Jintana Lityouvong
IE Guest Columnists

David Della was a teenager when he began working summers in Alaska at a fishing cannery. The canneries were a livelihood for many Filipino American families at the time, as well as other Asian American families. For Della, it was not only a summer job, but became the place where Della developed his passion for social justice.

Today is day 36 of the 2017 legislative session. Nearly 2,000 bills and resolutions have been introduced. Legislators are busy this week holding public hearings on bills to meet two upcoming deadlines on February 17 and February 24 for bills to be approved by policy and fiscal committees.

Legislation

Overview

State senators and representatives from across the state convened in Olympia on January 11 for a 60-day legislative session. Lawmakers met in committees to consider legislation and hear public comments on issues such as civil rights, education, health & human services, and economic development. The Legislature adjourned on March 29, concluding a 20-day special session, after agreeing on a supplemental budget.

2016 Supplemental Budget

The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs issued the following press release about its work to collect disaggregated data on the Healthy Youth Survey.

OLYMPIA, WA—The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) and the Department of Health worked together to improve the 2016 Healthy Youth Survey to better reflect Washington’s fast-growing Asian American student population. The 2016 survey is the first to collect disaggregated data for seven Asian subgroups.

Legislators began the 105-day regular session in January facing a $2.45 billion revenue shortfall, which included a state Supreme Court order to fund basic education. An additional $2 billion would have been needed to fund voter approved Initiative 1351 to lower class sizes, however, the initiative was suspended for four years.