Education, unemployment, safety and trust key issues as lawmakers convene

January 12, 2016

The 2016 legislative session is underway, and parties on both sides of the aisle are focusing on the importance of education.  Ruth Johnson reports.

Johnson: In spite of historic investments–48 percent of the budget goes to K-12 schooling–lawmakers face demands to increase teacher pay, solve the substitute teacher shortage, reduce the reliance on local levies, and fund charter schools.

Kristiansen: “We’ve got a lot of things we’ve got to do on education, not just on the funding end, but the reform end.  We want to make sure the outcomes of these kids is first and foremost our priority, that our kids get a world class education… period.” (applause)

Johnson: House Republican leader Dan Kristiansen. Key areas, he says:  unemployment, community safety, and the erosion of public trust in the state government.

Ruth Johnson, Olympia.