Lots of moving pieces in the legislative session
April 21st is day 99 out of 105 for the 2025 Legislative Session. At this point it’s very unclear from the outside what is going to happen with regards to […]
Higher education is not getting its due
Normally at this point in the legislative session we’re beginning our descent for a comfortable landing. But this year it feels like we’re a mile from the airport, still cruising […]
The case for the Department of Education
The state legislative session is coming to a crescendo. In the last three weeks bills either made it out or died in their house of origin, and we’re about to […]
The state of the state budget and K-12 finance
Washington state is facing a significant projected budget deficit. Thus far, it seems as though Democratic lawmakers and the Governor have been working on separate tracks when it comes to […]
We need to turn the tide on student learning
We’re one third of the way through the legislative session calendar, and there are two key things on the docket in the coming weeks: Two different cutoff dates will winnow […]
2025 Legislative Session Update, Week 3 – Fiscal and Federal Uncertainty
At this point in the legislative session, and for the next couple of weeks, lawmakers and advocates are dealing with the peak volume of new legislation. Things will ebb by […]
2025 Legislative Session Update, Week 1 – New Governor, New Session
Bob Ferguson is officially the governor of Washington. The first week of the legislative session was occupied by swearing-ins of lawmakers, statewide office-holders, and of course the governor. Jay Inslee […]
The 2025 legislative session is going to be a doozy
For the first time since the great recession year of 2009, Washington is facing a significant budget deficit. The big question going into the session is how lawmakers are going […]
Opening windows: the purpose of our Policy Platform
At the Foundation for Tacoma Students we believe that a better world is possible, but that its realization requires difficult, rigorous work. This informs our approach to policy work where […]
Analyzing Washington’s Election Results
2024 was a big election year in Washington. At the state level we had two new candidates running for Governor for the first time since 2012, as well as a […]
