Co-Chair Julie Levin Russo and Interim Co-Chair Kyle Pittman participated in Higher Education Advocacy Day at the Capitol this past Monday. We joined Bill Lyne, President of United Faculty of Washington State; student leaders from the GSU and the Washington Student Association; Sandy Kaiser, Evergreen’s Director of Government Relations; Larry Delaney, WEA President; Karen Strickland, AFT Washington President; Levin Kim, Vice Chair of Higher Ed Labor United; and many others from education unions and related organizations in the state. Short presentations by several higher ed advocates in state government, including Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, Senator Drew Hansen, and Representative Dave Paul helped us to be more informed and strategic about the dismal budget scenario for higher education in Washington and how we can fight to change it in April. The Democrats are willing to make a disproportionate cut to higher ed because they don’t think it has as high a political price as other cuts, so the goal is to raise hell to show that it does. 

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At the legislature, Kyle and Julie were able to speak with Representative Lisa Parshley from District 22 (Olympia and much of Tumwater and Lacey). Did you know that you can send handwritten notes to legislators on the floor when they’re in session? We learned that Rep. Parshley is leading the charge for Evergreen and against the untenable and offensive 27% cut that showed up in the House budget. Rep. Parshley urged us to write to the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means committees, and I hope you will join me in taking this step. It’s all hands on deck in this crisis – for our students! [more information sent to members via email]