Gearing up for 2008 session:

Legislature meets for committee assembly days

Legislators arrive in Olympia this week for the first of two series of pre-session committee hearings.

Among the topics are several priorities of Senate Democrats:

• Investing in our future. If we want Washington to continue to prosper, it is critical to provide every child the opportunity to participate in a world-class, learner-focused, seamless education system that prepares them for college or the career of their choice. The Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee will receive an update on the Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance, created by this year’s Legislature to review new proposals about our definition of basic education as well as options for new funding structures.
• Healthy, safe families.
  • The Joint Task Force on Family Leave Insurance will continue its discussion of paid family leave. This year, Washington became the second state in the country to establish a paid family leave program.
  • The Human Services & Corrections Committee will hold a hearing to ensure Washington continues to be a national leader in enacting laws that provide maximum public safety regarding sex offenders. A status report on Gov. Chris Gregoire’s Sex Offender Task Force will be presented.
• Economic security. The Ways & Means Committee will review the state’s economic and revenue outlook, which only continues to improve.
• A cleaner, greener Washington. A presentation on the Puget Sound Partnership, created by this year’s Legislature to come up with an action agenda to save our Sound by the year 2020.

For more information about these and other hearings, please click on the link below.

Calendar

Legislators will be back for another round of hearings in November.

The 2008 legislative session begins Jan. 14. A supplemental budget year, the session is scheduled to last 60 days.