Bill would boost education

Published 5:07 pm Wednesday, March 25, 2015

As a proud Washingtonian, I’m ashamed at how much my state is failing our kids.

After years of consistently underfunding schools, the state Supreme Court found the Legislature in contempt for shirking its paramount duty to fund education.

Letting school buildings crumble, class sizes bulge beyond capacity, and making the availability of learning supplies subject to bake sales is no way to prepare our kids for the competitive 21st century job market that awaits them.

Equally alarming is the fact that Washington’s beautiful environment is succumbing to carbon pollution. If you don’t believe it, see the acidified waters, burning forests and disappearing snowpack. Allowing this to continue serves our kids poorly.

The Carbon Pollution Accountability Act is just the legislative solution we need. This bill would charge a market-based fee for carbon pollution, finally encouraging our heaviest polluters to cut their emissions while using the fee money to fund schools. It’s just common sense, but that never guarantees legislative success.

We need real leadership on this issue. That’s why I’m hoping that House Democratic Majority Leader Pat Sullivan will rally the votes needed to pass this bill.

Our kids deserve nothing less than the bright future Olympia has the power to build for them.

– Essie Hicks