United Ways of Washington
January 15, 2010

Welcome to session 2010
Happy New Year! On Monday, the 2010 legislative session kicked off. The United Ways of Washington (UWWA)/WA State Child Care Resource & Referral Network (CCR&R Network) early learning legislative update will be sent on Fridays over the course of the legislative session. UWWA updates include a summary of the latest happenings in Olympia so that you may improve your advocacy effectiveness on the early learning issues that matter most to you, your family, and community.

Contents
+ Week in Olympia
+ Early Learning Take-Aways for Week
+ Committee Action
+ Related Early Learning Activity
+ Subscription Information

Week in Olympia

• Monday was the start of the legislative session. 2010 is a “short” session meaning it is scheduled to run 60 days where the legislature will craft and approve a supplemental budget and take action on numerous policy bills.
• The challenges ahead are significant. The Governor and legislators are facing a $2.6 billion deficit they must reconcile and they must also address fallout from the worst economic downturn in 80 years. Legislators heard numerous briefings and much testimony on the Governor’s proposed budget.
• Governor Gregoire delivered her State of the State address on Tuesday, 1/12, and indicated she wants to fight to restore funding to critical services. This foreshadows the philosophical and economic debate to come among about the level of cuts to services and/or new revenue sources legislators will approve to bridge the significant deficit.
• On Tuesday, 1/12, the Governor released a budget proposal to restore funding cuts that had to be made to vital state services. In December 2009, the state deficit had grown to $2.6 billion even after the Governor and legislature balanced the budget in May dealing with a monumental $9 billion deficit during the 2009 legislative session. Because the Governor is required by law to balance the budget, in December 2009, she submitted a devastating all-cuts budget but pledged to work to restore funding to specific vital services with subsequent revenue proposals.
• Legislators and advocates alike are processing tremendous amounts of information about the state’s financial situation. Because many funds are protected, meaning they have designated uses based on law and federal regulations, there are few discretionary funds. Thus, bridging the $2.6 billion deficit involves making devastating program cuts for vulnerable populations that the Governor is arguing are not consistent with Washington values. And that is where the discussion on new revenue sources comes in.  Supporters of new revenue argue that identifying new revenue sources can help ease devastating program cuts and off-set the $2.6 billion deficit. It is unclear whether new federal relief funds will be forthcoming. Additionally, it is unknown what the February revenue forecast will show and how budget discussions will change due to the forecast.
• In the Governor’s State of the State address delivered on 1/12, the Governor outlined priorities focused on rebuilding our state’s economy, indicating a “bright economic future is dependent on a highly trained and healthy work force.” The priorities she discussed for session are: creating 40,000 new jobs this year; investing in early learning and education; reforming government to meet today’s needs; supporting high-quality health care efforts that contain costs and prevent families from facing financial ruin; and supporting law enforcement so they can keep our families safe. Read the main points from her address at: http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=1409&newsType=1. Read the full speech at: http://www.governor.wa.gov/speeches/speech-view.asp?SpeechSeq=213.
• This session precedes an election season. In 2010, all seats in the House and half the seats in the Senate are open for re-election. That means legislators seeking re-election and new candidates will be on the campaign trail during interim persistently engaging with advocates and constituents as well as seeking endorsements from organizations.

Early Learning Take-Aways for Week

• The first week of session has been fascinating and exciting for early learning. Key highlights include the introduction of the Governor’s “Book II Budget” and policy bills relating to early learning for 3- and 4-year olds (HBs 2867, 2731, and 2431) as well as home visitation services (HB 2687).
• The Governor’s Book II Budget, released 1/12, demonstrates a commitment to restoring funding for vital programs and services. Importantly, restoring ECEAP for 3-year olds; restoring roughly half of the proposed cuts to the Working Connections Child Care program; and including full-day kindergarten on the Governor’s “buy-back” list.  However, deep reductions in critical programs remain.  These proposed cuts including a $49 million reduction to WCCC, elimination of all funding for the Career & Wage Ladder, and suspension of all state general funds for core Child Care Resource & Referral services.
• Of importance to the early learning community, the Governor’s State of the State address included a call to create a new program called “All Start” which would establish voluntary Washington preschool to provide early learning opportunities to all 3- and 4-year-olds. In May 2009, the Governor had vetoed a portion of the education reform bill (HB 2261 which passed in 2009 after a hard-won fight) that would have considered preschool for at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds a program of basic education. By including the program in the definition of basic education, early learning advocates were hoping that its funding would be constitutionally protected. In her explanation for the veto, the Governor indicated her commitment to providing early learning programs for all children. See more about the All Start proposal below in comments about HB 2867.
• On Thursday, 1/14, HB 2867 was introduced by Rep. Ruth Kagi at the Governor’s request. (The companion bill, SB 6517, is sponsored by Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe the Chair of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.) HB 28687 amends the legislation that originally created the Department of Early Learning (DEL) and section 5 outlines the Governor’s plan for All Start which would be a program of early learning that is not included in the definition of basic education.  Also of note, section 4 indicates the Early Learning Advisory Council shall update the early learning plan at least every five years once the plan is completed in 2010. As of now, the final early learning plan is due March 31, 2010. See the “Related Early Learning Activity” section of this update below for more on the early learning plan. HB 2867 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Early Learning and Children’s Services committee on Tuesday, 1/19. See bill info at: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2867&year=2009.   
• However, HB 2731 introduced by Rep. Goodman proposes that Inclusion of early learning for educationally at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds in the revised definition of basic education (see bill at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/2731.pdf) which is an alternative to the Governor’s All Start proposal. HB 2731 is already scheduled for a hearing in the House Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee on Tuesday, 1/19. The bill proposes a voluntary program of early learning for educationally at-risk 3- and 4-year olds (where educationally at-risk is initially indicated by family income level of 110% FPL) be included in the overall program of basic education staring September 1, 2011, and specifies the program would be comprehensive including education, family support, and health.
• Additionally, Rep. Larry Haler has introduced HB 2431 which also seeks to expand basic education to include early learning and like HB 2731 is an alternative to the All Start proposal. This bill offers similar language to the portion of HB 2261 (passed in 2009) that the Governor vetoed. This is a statement that Rep. Haler and others are still committed to exploring the issue of including a program of early learning in the definition of basic education. Similar to HB 2731, Rep. Haler’s bill also requires the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), with the support and assistance of the DEL to convene a workgroup to develop the program. But HB 2431 instructs the workgroup to determine indicators for eligibility for 3- and 4-year-olds most at-risk and does not indicate an implementation date.
• Thus, there are early signs that the robust discussion on early learning for 3- and 4-year-olds that began last session will continue this session as the Governor is proposing a universal voluntary program while some legislators are supporting inclusion of a program of early learning in basic education. To see the Attorney General’s opinion on inclusion of early learning in the definition of basic education, visit: http://www.k12.wa.us/QEC/pubdocs/AGO2009OpinionNo8EarlyLearning.pdf.
• Another major area of debate revolves around the future of home visiting.  The Governor’s budget eliminates the Council for Children and Families (CCF) and transfers funding and administration for home visiting to the DEL.  HB 2617 seeks to eliminate a number of boards and commissions, including CCF.  At the 1/13 Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee meeting, Committee Vice Chair Sen. Claudia Kauffman expressed general support for merging boards and commissions, but cautioned that in this situation the emphasis on child abuse prevention may be jeopardized.
• Rep. Ruth Kagi introduced HB 2687 which establishes a home visiting account for state matching funds for home visiting services designed for vulnerable children and for supporting home visiting program infrastructure such as training, quality improvement, and evaluation. HB 2687 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Early Learning & Children’s Services Committee, which Rep. Kagi chairs on Thursday, 1/21, and for an executive session, or committee vote, on Friday, 1/22. Thus it the bill is beginning with swift movement.

Committee Action

• Next Tuesday, 1/19, the House Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee will be having an important hearing to discuss HB 2867, the Governor’s requested legislation that outlines the All Start proposal, as well as HBs 2731 and 2431 which both relate to including a program of early learning for 3- and 4-year olds in the definition of basic education.
• The House Education Appropriations Committee, which focuses specifically on education fiscal matters, met on Tuesday, 1/12, for a work session on the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) operating budget request.
• The House Education Appropriations Committee met again on Wednesday, 1/13, for more specific briefings including a presentation about the early learning portion of the Governor’s budget proposal.
• The Senate Ways and Means Committee, the main fiscal committee in the Senate, met on Tuesday, 1/12, for a general briefing on the Governor’s budget proposal from the Governor and her Director of the Office of Financial Management, Victor Moore. The Governor discussed her discomfort with the “all-cuts” budget she was required to present in December and outlined the programs and services she proposes to buy-back with additional dollars that include the potential of further federal dollars and the closure of various tax exemptions.
• The Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, the education policy committee, heard a briefing about the Governor’s early learning budget from executive policy staff Leslie Goldstein and the Office of Financial Management early learning staff lead Cherie Berthon on Wednesday, 1/13.  They discussed the proposed cuts and the Governor’s proposed restorations included in Book II.  Questions from the committee focused on the number of advisory committees, with interest expressed for consolidation. Additionally, Sen. Claudia Kauffman expressed concern over the proposal to eliminate the Council for Children and Families (CCF) and transfer the administration of home visiting.  She noted that although school readiness is one key outcome for home visiting, she is concerned that the important child abuse prevention focus could be lost with elimination of CCF. 
• The House Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee, which focuses on early learning policy items, met twice during the week and focused on child welfare issues.

Related Early Learning Activity

EARLY LEARNING PLAN
As previously reported in the 11/30/2009 UWWA update message #1, the Early Learning Plan Draft report was completed at the end of 2009. The ELP is a mandate outlined in SB 5828 from the 2007 legislative session (see Section 3: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2007-08/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Law%202007/5828-S2.SL.pdf). The Early Learning Advisory Council – in conjunction with DEL, Thrive, and OSPI and tireless advocates – worked in earnest during an intense timeline to complete the ELP draft by the December 1st deadline.  Per SB 5828, the Plan must cross systems and sectors to promote alignment of private and public sector actions, objectives, and resources to ensure school readiness.

As noted above, HB 2867 which was introduced Thursday, 1/14, by Rep. Kagi at the Governor’s request proposes that the Early Learning Advisory Council shall update the final ELP (due March 31, 2010) at least every five years.

Some of the provisions outlined in HB 2867 are consistent with the strategies outlined in the draft ELP (see pages 7-9 of the Executive Summary at http://www.del.wa.gov/publications/elac-qris/docs/Draft_ELP.pdf).

To offer input on the draft ELP which will inform the development of the final ELP, please complete DEL’s online survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3SJ2WZN.

THE QUALITY EDUCATION COUNCIL (QEC)
The Education Reform legislation enacted in 2009 (HB 2261) established the QEC and charged it with developing recommendations and financing for a new definition of basic education.  See info about QEC at http://www.k12.wa.us/QEC/. Although Governor Gregoire vetoed the section of HB 2261 that would have added preschool for at-risk children in the definition of basic education, she did retain the section that directed the QEC to develop recommendations for inclusion of early learning for children at-risk within the definition of basic education. 

The QEC met for months over the 2009 legislative interim and adopted its report for the legislature. See report at: http://www.k12.wa.us/QEC/pubdocs/QECJan2010ReportMinorityReport.pdf. The report does include a recommendation that the legislature include early learning for at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds as part of the definition of basic education (Recommendation #7, p7 of report). The report recommends that the legislature considers the recent Attorney General’s Opinion in implementing the recommendation (see AG’s opinion at http://www.k12.wa.us/QEC/pubdocs/AGO2009OpinionNo8EarlyLearning.pdf). 

QEC member and the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee Chair Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe issued a minority report. In her minority opinion, she states that although she supports early learning for all children, particularly those at-risk, she is not comfortable adopting this recommendation until the full ramifications of such action are known (see final page of report). Sen. McAuliffe cites the Attorney General’s opinion.  She states it is premature to adopt this recommendation before the AG’s opinion has been fully analyzed. She then writes that DEL and OSPI, as part of the recommendations submitted on December 1st, have recommended a voluntary preschool program as part of basic education.  She recommends that the focus over the next year should be on developing the specifics and timeline for this recommendation.

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM
On January 7, Rep. Kagi convened a symposium in Seattle focused on applying the science of early childhood development to state policy.  Sponsored by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard, the Institute for Learning &Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, Casey Family Programs, National Conference of State Legislatures; and Thrive by Five Washington, attendees represented states actively engaged in early learning.  Participants heard the latest brain research from Dr. Jack Shonkoff from the Center on the Developing Child from Harvard, Dr. Pat Kuhl from I-LABS at the University of Washington, and Dr. Megan Gunnar from the University of Minnesota.  Speakers focused on research that shows how major adversity can weaken the developing brain architecture.  Science is increasingly showing that what happens in early childhood can matter for a lifetime, strengthening the case for early interventions.

Following the scientific presentations, speakers that included Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Director Susan Dreyfus and Council for Children and Families Chair Mary Ann Murphy discussed the challenges and need to translate this science into policy changes.  Both Dreyfus and Murphy acknowledged that this financial crisis presents an opportunity to prioritize early learning in state’s investments.

Earlier in the day, Governor Gregoire signaled announcement for the All Start preschool program discussed above by telling symposium attendees of her strong belief that all children should have access to preschool, not just those children from low-incomes.  She spoke of the importance of preschool classrooms filled with children from diverse socio-economic situations where children can learn from each other.

Subscription Information
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