Washington State Senate Democrats: Rosemary McAuliffe

Bill signed into law increases access to STEM baccalaureate degrees

Senate Democrats — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:21:00 GMT

OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law today a bill that provides an additional pathway for students to access educational opportunities that lead to high demand science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.

Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, introduced Senate Bill 5624 that aligns high-demand secondary STEM or Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs with applied baccalaureate programs.

“Community and technical colleges put STEM baccalaureate degrees within reach for our middle and lower class students,” said McAuliffe, an unwavering STEM curriculum advocate. “This new law connects these students with the opportunity for in-demand careers by offering STEM degrees.”

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges must select colleges to develop and offer two programs of study that lead to applied baccalaureate degrees. These programs must support the continuation of high-quality STEM or CTE programs offered to students in kindergarten through grade 12 who are prepared and aspire to continue in these high-demand areas in college and the workforce.

Currently, community and technical colleges offer thirteen applied bachelors' degrees at eight colleges: Bellevue College, Centralia College, Columbia Basin College, Lake Washington Technical College, Olympic College, Peninsula College, Seattle Central Community College, and South Seattle Community College.

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For more information: Alison Dempsey-Hall, 360.786.7887

McAuliffe honors deaths in Bothell’s Owen family, offers senate resolution

Senate Democrats — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:16:00 GMT

OLYMPIA — Sen. Rosemary, D-Bothell, offered Senate Resolution 8656 to honor the deaths of Bothell community members, Tim and Cheryl Owen.

On December 21, 2013 Tim and Cheryl, and their three children Jessie, Jeremy and Jaime and her husband Steven embarked, on a family trip to Leavenworth to enjoy the holiday season. A large snow laden tree, over 125 feet tall, fell on their family car.

The community of Bothell was devastated with the loss of life of Tim and Cheryl Owen and the injuries of 27 years old Jessie who is temporarily paralyzed with a spinal cord injury. Jaime, 24, and husband Steven, 24, have significant fractures and challenging physical and emotional damages.

Jeremy, 22, who was sitting in the back of the Chevy Suburban, walked away from the accident with emotional and physical bruises. Jessie can’t remember anything about the accident, but she wanted to thank all the first responders in the Wenatchee area for coming to their rescue.

The Owen family was a multi-cultural family referred to as the “rainbow family.” Jaime was adopted from Asia, Jeremy was adopted from Georgia. Jessie learned to believe that babies were delivered by airplanes. She was the Owen’s biological daughter.

A memorial was held at Bothell High School in tribute to Tim and Cheryl Owen. Over 300 community members attended.

Tim was a girls’ soccer coach. He got a bunch of girls to bond together during their awkward teenage years. Cheryl gladly opened her heart and home to all the friends. Jeremy was a football star at Bothell High School and is now attending Western Washington University.

At the memorial Jeremy spoke about his parents who were always teaching them to try new things, push themselves, accept people for who they are, and give back to their community. He also said, “Mom and Dad are probably taking care of the Sandy Hook children in Heaven.”

“We have a long road ahead,” said Jessie, a 6^th grade teacher at Frank Love Elementary in Bothell. “I believe that goodness comes out of tragedies. I have seen so much of my community come out to support my family, to wrap us up in their arms and take care of us. Just having people step up and show their love has been a tremendous happiness for us all.”

Jessie attended a play at the elementary school, in her wheel chair. The children dedicated the play Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Jessie who has shown what it truly means to have a determined and positive attitude.

Jaime, a law student at Seattle University, and Stephen who works for Microsoft, are up and walking with many visits to rehabilitation at Harborview Medical Center.

A special gift, a jersey, came from a three time winner of the Tour de France, Greg LeMond. He wrote a quote by poet Walter Elliot, “Perseverance is not a long race. It is many short races, one after the other.”

Step by challenging step with clear determination, progress has been made by each of these young adults. Follow them on: lovetheowens.wordpress.com.

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Mountlake Terrace Main Street Revitalization Project needs state funding

Senate Democrats — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:56:00 GMT

Published in the Mountlake Terrace News

By Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, Rep. Luis Moscoso and Rep. Derek Stanford

The Mountlake Terrace Main Street Revitalization project, currently being considered by the Washington State Legislature for funding, would enhance downtown and create a dynamic new community epicenter.

State capital budget dollars provide the critical financial boost for construction and maintenance dollars for local governments, school districts, non-profits, housing, and cultural facilities. City revitalization projects like this create jobs and promote healthy business environments throughout Washington state.

The Mountlake Terrace Main Street Revitalization Project is an ideal capital investment for the state. Just minutes from the two major urban and economic hubs of Seattle and Everett, it will spur sustainable economic development, build affordable housing, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and connect the developing town center with transit hubs near Interstate 5.

It’s also a jobs package that will help our state recover from the Great Recession by creating an estimated 1,400 permanent jobs.
Mountlake Terrace has never received state capital budget money and has shown it manages public funds responsibly by keeping their finances in order through the Great Recession.

Having put the management structures in place to effectively maintain their finances, we believe the city government will be a good steward for this project. In fact, the majority of funding for this revitalization project, $6.5 million, will come from Mountlake Terrace itself. All the city needs is an additional $5.5 million from the state Capital Budget to put this shovel-ready plan into action.

With proven fiscal prudence, and clear local and regional return on investment, we ask our colleagues in the Legislature to approve funding for the Mountlake Terrace Main Street Revitalization project. Please join us in supporting state funding for this dynamic project.

McAuliffe responds to Republican budget proposal with revenue vote for the people

Senate Democrats — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:58:00 GMT

OLYMPIA — In response to the Republican budget proposal released yesterday that partially funds K-12 education by slashing services to help the most vulnerable citizens, Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, introduced a revenue referendum to be sent to the public for a vote.

McAuliffe offered the following statement:

“Last week Governor Jay Inslee’s budget proposal focused on closing tax loopholes and dedicating new revenue to education, lower class sizes, intensive remediation for struggling students and professional growth opportunities for teachers and principals. I applaud Governor Inslee’s budget proposal. Putting the education of our kids first is the right priority.

“I believe we need a substantial overhaul of our tax system in order to fund education including early learning for our most at risk children, lower classes in K-12 and access to college for our students through financial aid.

“Therefore, I introduced a revenue referendum, and ask the Legislature to send this vote to the people.

“I believe the public deserves the chance to decide for themselves if they want to buy back detrimental cuts to the most vulnerable including the aging, blind and homeless, and fund education for our students to ensure all children have the support they need to be able to live their dreams.”

Overview of the revenue proposal

Senate Bill 5900 is a referendum to the people that increases taxes on high income earners and lowers the sales tax to 5.5 percent. This change in tax structure will:

Raise revenue for Washington’s preschool for low income families, Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (38,000 eligible kids);
Reduce class sizes for K-12; and
Help fund the College Bound Scholarships and financial aid (32,000 students on waitlist).

General background

Washington does not currently impose taxes on net income, but income taxes are levied by most states — 45 states impose a corporate net income tax and 43 states levy a personal income tax.

Only Washington, Nevada, South Dakota, and Wyoming do not impose any form of personal or corporate income tax.

Sales and use taxes are currently levied in Washington at a base rate of 6.5 percent.

New income tax details

A new tax on income is referred to the voters at the next general election.

If approved, a tax on income is imposed on January 1, 2014, and the state sales tax is reduced to 5.5 percent.

Individual income above certain thresholds that is earned from Washington sources is taxed at 4.5 percent. The tax is imposed on individuals, but not on estates or trusts. The tax does not apply to corporations. However, partners of partnerships and shareholders are subject to tax in their separate or individual capacities.

The tax is imposed on an individual's income that is over $200,000. For a head of a household, income over $300,000 is taxed. For a married couple, the tax applies to income over $400,000.

Both resident and non-resident individuals are subject to this tax. To avoid double taxation, the bill allows a credit for income taxes due on the same income in other jurisdictions and/or apportionment of income.

A fiscal note on the bill projected that it would raise roughly $1.5 billion a year.

Revenue destination

Revenue collected by the new income tax will be deposited into the Education Legacy Trust Account (ELTA). Expenditures from ELTA may be used only for support of the common schools, and for expanding access to higher education through funding for new enrollments and financial aid, and other educational improvement efforts.

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For more information: Alison Dempsey-Hall, 360.786.7887

For interviews: Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, 360.786.7600

McAuliffe applauds Inslee’s focus on education funding in budget proposal

Senate Democrats — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:14:00 GMT

OLYMPIA — Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, applauded Gov. Jay Inslee for making education funding the top priority in his budget proposal today.

The proposal comes more than halfway through the legislative session while lawmakers continue to grapple with how to address the 2012 McCleary Supreme Court decision which said the state of Washington is not fulfilling its constitutional duty to fund basic education. Senate Democrats continue to make education funding a top priority.

McAuliffe, the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee, offered the following statement:

“This is the best education budget proposal I’ve seen in 20 years; It offers stability to K-12 education funding.

“The investment in education represents the first major step toward addressing the McCleary decision and demonstrates a long-term commitment to fully funding basic education for all children.

“I’m very impressed with the focus on the success of the whole child, from early learning through higher education.

“The governor addresses specific issues being discussed this session such as supporting struggling students throughout their early learning and K-12 pathway, and pays particular attention to critical subjects including science, technology, engineering and math that prepare kids for in-demand jobs right here in Washington state.

“Every child deserves a high-quality teacher in front of the classroom and a strong principal leading his or her school. This budget addresses just that by investing in professional development for the Teacher Principal Evaluation Program which will give them the tools they need for success.

“Until we fully fund our schools, I will continue to fight for my children, grandchildren and all children throughout the state to ensure they are able to achieve their dreams.”

Inslee’s Working Washington 2013–15 budget proposal calls for $1.2 billion in new, targeted education investments tied to strong accountability measures, like Senate Bill 5491 that establishes statewide education standards for K-12 success.

The governor proposes to build that foundation with $1.3 billion in targeted new investments, which will be paid for by extending tax rates and closing tax exemptions that cannot be justified in the face of our pressing education needs.

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Visit the Senate Democratic Caucus website for a comprehensive overview of the SDC’s K-12 education position.

For a comprehensive overview of Gov. Inslee’s budget proposal, click here.

For more information: Alison Dempsey-Hall, 360.786.7887

For interviews: Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, 360.786.7600

Travis Kroeger serves as page in state Senate

Senate Democrats — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:50:00 GMT

OLYMPIA — During the week of March 11^th, Travis Kroeger served as a page in the Washington State Senate in Olympia.

Kroeger was sponsored by Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell. “Travis was a great page,” McAuliffe said. “He was smart and worked hard. I hope he got a lot out of his week in Olympia.”

Following in the footsteps of his brother and sister, who were also pages, Kroeger said the highlight of his experience was meeting McAuliffe. “She was really nice,” he said. “It was fun to talk to her and find out more about what senators do.”

An eighth-grader at St. Brendan Parish School in Bothell, Kroeger, 14, plays basketball, baseball and enjoys skiing.

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Honoring school employees

Senate Democrats — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:41:00 GMT

Governor Jay Inslee signed a proclamation honoring Washington State Classified School Employees declaring March 11^th through March 15^th Classified School Employee week.

These individuals deserve recognition and thanks for the work they do to support our students in Washington’s Public Schools.

There are nearly 50,000 classified school employees in our state.They are crucial partners with teachers, parents and administrators in supporting the learning environment for our children.

Classified school employees are involved in nearly every aspect of a student's education and life including:

Bus drivers: The first person to greet our children and get them excited to begin the school day.
Staff in the cafeteria: They prepare and serve our students healthy meals with a caring smile.
Staff in the classroom: Assisting and tutoring students.
Special education staff: Providing care and concern and assisting the needs of our special education students.
Custodians in the building: They keep our school facilities clean and orderly.

They are so much more than just the roles they fill. They are caring adults and mentors to all of our children.

I would like to share with you my son’s story. When my son was struggling in the fourth grade, a classified employee, a groundskeeper, helped my son recognize his artistic talents by exchanging drawings. This groundskeeper gave my son encouragement.

He helped to re-engage my son in school and I remain grateful to this day.

Thank you to our classified employees for your outstanding work on behalf of our students and schools.

AUDIO: McAuliffe expresses frustration with 2/3 vote for spirits, yet not for education

Senate Democrats — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:25:00 GMT

The first half of the 2013 session has come to a close, with many of the main goals of the session still to be met. Ian Cope reports. (TRT: 1:05) CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

SCRIPT

When the 2013 session began, members of the Washington State Senate agreed that the main goal of the 105-day session was finding a solution to the state’s responsibility to fully fund education. As Wednesday’s floor deadline passed, that goal has not been addressed, let alone reached. That drew the ire of Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe. With a strong show of support needed to send a request for more revenue to the voters, the ranking Democrat of the Senate Education Committee was angered that two-thirds of the Senate was willing to approve a bill dealing the sampling of spirits but not to raise revenue to improve children’s education.

Sen. McAuliffe (TRT:15 sec) CLICK TO DOWNLOAD: “I am enraged that we have a two-thirds vote for people to sample spirits, and we can’t get a two-thirds vote to fund education for our children. I am enraged and I am sorry to see this happen on the floor of the Senate.”

Senate Democrats have also been critical of education bills that Republicans touted as reforms but which do not move the state closer to satisfying the requirements of the McCleary decision. The Legislature is scheduled to remain in session until April 28^th.

Democrats push public education funding discussion, voice concern over hollow promises

Senate Democrats — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 02:27:00 GMT

OLYMPIA — The Supreme Court made it clear that more unfunded K-12 mandates were unacceptable when it ruled in McCleary that, “This court cannot idly stand by as the Legislature makes unfulfilled promises for reform.”

Senate Democrats agreed and introduced measures that specifically address the state’s moral and constitutional obligation to fully fund basic education for every student.

While Republicans say their priority is to fund education first, they introduced no legislation to fund K-12 education and instead spent the first two months of the legislative session proposing additional reforms with hollow promises.

“I am happy to consider additional results-oriented reforms that deliver productive outcomes for our kids,” said Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, ranking education committee member. “However, I am concerned that we are halfway through session and have yet to have a dialogue regarding our obligation to fund K-12 education. Even more disturbing, the bills just passed off the floor add to the tab with new obligations.”

“I continue to support meaningful changes that will help students,” said Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane. “We must implement and fund the reforms already in law while continuing our efforts to improve the instruction every student receives. To do this, we must shift gears. It’s past time to ramp up the education funding discussion to meet our constitutional and moral obligation for kids.”

“Many of the bills we voted on today are a distraction away from funding and fulfilling our obligation to our students,” said Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island. “They fail to address the real-life problems our schools have been facing during the funding crisis caused by the recession. We can’t count on robbing Peter to pay Paul as a long-term budget solution. I’m curious to see how education funding will be addressed in the Republican budget.”

Republican bills passed off the Senate floor that do not address McCleary funding obligations include:

Senate Bill 5237 establishes accountability for student performance in third grade, but all reforms are subject to available funding.
Senate Bill 5328 creates an A–F label for schools, but includes no real reform.
Senate Bill 5329 addresses persistently low-achieving schools, but does not provide funding to support school improvement.
Senate Bill 5244 addresses school suspensions and expulsions, without dedicated money it presents another unfunded mandate.
Senate Bill 5242 requires principal consent for new teacher assignments and eliminates due process for teachers. While this bill doesn’t require funding, the state remains short on fully funding the existing evaluation system.

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Visit the Senate Democratic Caucus website for a comprehensive overview of the SDC’s K-12 education position.

For more information: Alison Dempsey-Hall, 360.786.7887

For interviews: Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, 360.786.7600

Sen. Andy Billig, 360.786.7604

Sen. Christine Rolfes, 360.786.7644

McAuliffe bill voted off Senate floor establishes statewide education standards for K-12 success

Senate Democrats — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 02:51:00 GMT

OLYMPIA – Today, a bill to establish statewide education standards for K-12 success was voted off the Senate floor.

Senate Bill 5491, sponsored by Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, directly responds to the McCleary decision and court order to, “set out the State’s plan in sufficient detail to allow progress to be measured according to periodic benchmarks.” This bill creates an easy-to-understand statewide education dashboard to track and report progress from kindergarten to postsecondary education. It will enable parents, lawmakers and the public to easily gauge how effectively schools are serving students.

“I am working my hardest to ensure the Legislature makes substantial investments in K-12 in order to fully fund basic education by 2018,” said McAuliffe. “Under the McCleary decision, it will be critical to monitor the education system to assure the state’s investment is actually improving student learning. Having a single set of indicators and performance goals for the state will help align the education reform efforts in order to hold every part of the system — statewide leaders, school personnel, and students — accountable to the same definitions of success.”

The six standards that would establish educational system health progress are:

Percentage of students meeting the WaKIDS criteria for entering kindergartners;
Percentage of students meeting the standard on the 4^th grade reading assessment;
Percentage of students meeting the standard on the 8^th grade mathematics assessment;
The four-year high school graduation rate;
The percentage of high school graduates who during the second quarter after graduation are either enrolled in postsecondary education or training or are employed, and the percentage during the fourth quarter after graduation who are either enrolled in postsecondary education or training or are employed; and
Percentage of students enrolled in pre-college or remedial courses in college.

These points will serve as snapshots of the overall health of the educational system as the program of basic education is phased in. Criteria can be used to compare Washington state’s progress with the rest of the country.

The Office Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education are tasked with developing system-wide performance goals for each standard every two years and must report the results to the Legislature at the beginning of each biennium. If a report indicates that the state education system is not on target to meet the stated goals, then the agencies must recommend adjustments to the program.

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For more information: Alison Dempsey-Hall, 360.786.7887

For interviews: Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, 360.786.7600