HAPPENING NOW
LATEST BLOGS
Small districts vote to restore democracy to their statewide association
Last month the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) voted three-to-one to abolish the anti-democratic “weighted-vote” rule. WSSDA is funded by public education money (every school district is required to be a member). Years ago urban activists created the “weighted-vote” to make the largest school districts control the organization.
On September 22nd, however, representatives of the smaller school districts said “enough.” In a move to restore democracy, small school districts outside the Puget Sound area came out in force to abolish the rule in favor of a fair one-district, one-vote rule. This is good news for public education.
Read the entire blogIs 355 a typo? Number of people opting into WA Cares far lower than estimated
Interesting things happened at the Sept. 19 meeting of the state commission making recommendations to the Legislature about what to do with WA Cares, the state’s new long-term-care program that comes with a payroll tax of 58 cents for every $100 workers make.
Tweaks continue to be discussed, since WA Cares solvency walks a fine line of “maybe,” groups eligible for exemption keep seeking a way out of the required payroll tax that’s tied to a someday-benefit they aren’t likely to ever see and as Washingtonians demand portability of a benefit they’re told they can count on someday even though they can’t if x, y or z.
Read the entire blog
Eradicating barriers to state employment is on Washington state’s agenda
Washington state should be acknowledging the many different routes to growing one’s work qualifications, including on-the-job training and advancement, apprenticeships, internships, vocational training and life experiences. A college education is not always the way to acquire skills that are pertinent to a state job. As the Harvard Business School put it, “Jobs do not require four-year degrees. Employers do.”
Thankfully, Gov. Jay Inslee is on board with the idea that a college-degree requirement on a job posting can limit qualified applicants. He is among a growing number of governors, both Republican and Democrat, doing something to open up their state workforces.
Read the entire blogWPC IN THE NEWS
WPC CALENDAR
Washington Policy On The Go - October 3rd
2023 Annual Dinner in Bellevue
