Author Archives: bookerstallworth

2025 Session passes half-way point

Although we are now well past the halfway mark of the session we have yet to see a draft budget from the majority party. Instead of a serious budget, Democrats have tried to act as though our only choice is between a budget with drastic cuts to services or a budget that is built on the largest tax hikes in state history.

This is a false choice, and Republicans proved it by introducing a budget that funds our priorities, increases funding for law enforcement and doesn’t raid the rainy day fund — all with no new or raised taxes!

Click here to read my full legislative update.

McCune: Unconstitutional measure would punish schools for failing to enact ideological agenda

Click to watch Sen. McCune’s comments during the Senate debate on SB 5179.

Today Senate Democrats approved a bill that opponents argue would empower the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to investigate, harass and penalize schools or school officials deemed to be non-compliant with its “woke ideological agenda.”

Republican Sen. Jim McCune of Graham fought the bill on the Senate floor, saying it is likely to be challenged in court, as the formal complaint process it would create is in direct conflict with federal law and the Constitution.

“This bill is about enforcing a political agenda through the creation of a snitch line at OSPI,” warned McCune, who serves on the Senate education committee. “If you don’t comply, you’ll be stripped of funding, and you could even see the forcible discharge of school board members.

“There’s no doubt about it. This measure is putting a strong arm on schools that don’t want to teach the horrible sex-education curriculum and other woke ideologies, which many Washington parents oppose. Parents, and their elected representatives on their school boards, don’t want children indoctrinated with gender ideology in the classroom. Teachers don’t want to teach it, and this bill is going to force it on them.”

Under Second Substitute Senate Bill 5179, school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools would be required to submit compliance action plans if OSPI finds noncompliance with any state laws, and OSPI would be permitted to impose “certain consequences for willful noncompliance.”

If it became law, the measure would allow OSPI to impose any of these punishments:

  • Find that a superintendent committed an act of unprofessional conduct and may be held accountable under rules adopted by the Professional Educator Standards Board;
  • Withhold up to 20 percent of state funds for the basic education allocation, with prior written notice, and redirect those funds to support the compliance action plan; and
  • Recall and discharge a member of a school board of directors for willful or negligent noncompliance with state law.

McCune reminded his colleagues that the Washington Constitution also protects the rights of parents.

“We have absolute freedom of conscience on these matters,” he said. “There’s also a guaranteed right to public education. This measure violates both those principles. It attempts to force an ideology on the students in the classroom.

“I believe this measure already violates federal law, as established by the Trump Administration.  More importantly, it violates the U.S. Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land.

“This bill steps all over the constitutional rights of parents, students, teachers and school board members, it isn’t in compliance with federal law, and I believe it will ultimately be challenged in court,” McCune concluded. “I urge my colleagues in the House to put this bill down, as the Senate should have done.”

McCune fights to preserve Parents’ Bill of Rights

Today Senate Democrats approved a bill aimed at gutting the Parents’ Bill of Rights – a people’s initiative to the Legislature adopted last year, which is meant to prevent the state from interfering with the relationship between parents and their children.

Sen. Jim McCune called the bill an attack on the rights of parents and voters and took to the Senate floor to oppose the bill.

“Parents across the state are sick and tired of their God-given rights being eroded by this Legislature. Senate Bill 5181 unravels the parental rights initiative – there’s no doubt about that,” said McCune, R-Graham and a member of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.

“My heart goes out to parents who have children in the public schools today. They have a right to be informed about the health and well-being of their children. School officials trying to usurp the rights of parents is flat-out wrong. The state does not belong in the middle of the parent-child relationship.”

SB 5181 would remove parents’ right to know medical information, including:

  • Prior notification when medical services are offered (except in emergencies);
  • Notification when medical services or medication could impact health insurance; and,
  • Notification when school-arranged medical treatment results in follow-up care.

It also contains an emergency clause, which would eliminate the constitutional right of voters to challenge the bill through a referendum. Democrats rejected a Republican amendment to remove the language from the bill.

McCune called the inclusion of an emergency clause a “slap in the face of voters that undermines democratic processes and limits the opportunity for public input on such a significant policy change.”

Senate Republicans offered several amendments aimed at defending parental rights, succeeding with proposals to ensure immediate parental notification regarding specific medical- and crime-related actions.

An amendment offered by McCune to clarify the ability of parents to challenge violations of the Parents’ Bill of Rights in court was rejected by the majority Democrats.

McCune says that the bill language goes a step too far and could lead parents to believe that they may not file lawsuits against schools or challenge violations of the Parents’ Bill of Rights created by I-2081.

“A court would be hard-pressed to find an implied private right of action based off the wording in this bill,” explained McCune. “My amendment would have removed that language and restored the ability of parents to seek justice. While there is no express private right of action in the parental-rights initiative, my amendment would have simply allowed courts to find that there is an implied private right of action if parents successfully presented such an argument.”

SB 5181, which passed the Senate by a vote of 30-19, now goes to the House of Representatives for its consideration.

“Parents who care about this issue must make their voices heard in the House committee hearings that are likely to occur,” McCune added. “I urge my colleagues in the House to listen to the people and respect the rights of parents.”

McCune’s Chinese American history bill to receive hearing in education committee

Today the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee announced it will hold a hearing Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 8 a.m. on a bill from Sen. Jim McCune that would require public schools to commemorate the contributions of Chinese Americans and Americans of Chinese descent.

McCune responded by thanking the committee in advance for its quick consideration of Senate Bill 5134, noting Tuesday is the first education committee meeting of the 2025 legislative session.

He also encouraged community members to testify in support, either in person or remotely – and at a minimum, sign in online in favor of the bill, as such visible public backing is critical to seeing the measure move forward.

“Accurately teaching the full history of Chinese Americans in Washington is critical to inspiring the civic awareness that I see as part of the state’s duty to ensure our children are properly educated,” said McCune, R-Graham, who serves on the Senate’s education committee. “I hope everyone who is able to do so will speak at the committee hearing and let lawmakers know how important it is for this bill to advance.”

Asian-Americans make up more than 10 percent of the state’s population, which also gives Washington the seventh largest Asian American population in the nation.

McCune noted that Chinese Americans alone make up approximately 2% of Washington’s population.

“Chinese immigrants were the first Asians to settle in Washington. They were critical to our state’s mining, logging, and railroad construction. They faced racism, violence, anti-Chinese legislation and were even the targets of riots,” McCune explained. “Despite this contentious history, they have continued to thrive as individuals, families and a community, and have become a significant thread in the fabric of our state.”

Under McCune’s bipartisan legislation, public schools would be required to commemorate the lives, history, achievements, and contributions of Chinese Americans and Americans of Chinese descent during the month of January – which is Americans of Chinese Descent History Month, under a 2023 state law.

If passed, McCune’s bill would give school districts until Sept. 1 to adopt a civics curriculum that incorporates instruction about the “Chinese Exclusion Act” and other relevant historical events, such as the “Tacoma Method.”

Districts would be able to meet this requirement using a curriculum created by the Washington State Historical Society in collaboration with members of state’s Chinese American community.

The measure is co-sponsored by Tacoma Democrat Sen. Yasmin Trudeau. She represents Washington’s 27th Legislative District, which includes Tacoma, Ruston, Browns Point, Dash Point, and Fife.

“This bill builds on years of work by members of the Chinese community and Senate Republicans to make sure future generations are aware of the Chinese community’s place in Washington history. The full story of its struggles and achievements needs to be taught in an honest and forthright manner,” McCune added. “I am happy to have bipartisan support for this bill, which will truly benefit all Washington children.”

The law created by Senate Bill 5000 designates each January as Chinese American/Americans of Chinese Descent History Month. It encourages public schools to designate time for appropriate educational activities in commemoration of the state’s complicated history with the Chinese community.

McCune’s measure, if enacted, would take the law one step further by guaranteeing Washington students receive these important lessons.

To testify on SB 5134 in person or remotely, or sign in as for or against the bill – visit:  https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate?selectedCommittee=12228&selectedMeeting=32381.    

In the News: 3 break-ins in 3 days: Cannabis shop owners, lawmakers frustrated by lack of legislation

Three pot shops were broken into three days in a row this week across Seattle. The repeated crime highlights efforts to address the issue which failed to result in any legislation this past session.

Early Tuesday morning, a car smashed into the front of Cannazone in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood, where the owner said five suspects stole upwards of $15,000 worth of merchandise.

…Senate Bill 6133, which was sponsored by Sen. Jim McCune, would have added an extra year of jail time for someone convicted of robbing a pot shop in a smash and grab. It would also require those businesses to report robberies or attempted robberies to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

The board can’t track how often robberies or attempted robberies are happening because reporting isn’t required.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously, but failed in the House.

Click here to watch full report.

Washington State Legislature Takes Aim at Local School Control

By Eileen Griffin, contributing editor at Heartland Daily News |Education Reform New | Feb. 22, 2024

The Washington State Legislature is advancing two bills that would impose curricula mandates on public schools.

The legislation would allow the state Superintendent of Public Instruction to mandate what materials schools are allowed to use, regardless of local decisions, The Center Square reports.

House Bill 2331 would give the state total power over educational materials. If a school chooses to use something the Superintendent does not like, he has the authority to withhold state funding from that school.

…Sen. Jim McCune (R-Graham) also spoke against the bill at the same hearing.

“This bill actually will start to force parents to leave schools,” McCune said. “It is a very controversial bill. This bill takes away local control and forces school boards—this will take away parents’ rights.”

McCune said the mandated teaching will encourage racism and further divide communities when schools should focus on academics.

“These liberal progressive policies will continue to sacrifice academics in our state for the political agendas,” said McCune. “We already know we have a failing school system and we need to work on these academics to bring them up.”

“Since 2019 the state legislature has passed laws encouraging school districts to teach the false and divisive Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in public schools,” Liv Finne, the director of the Center for Education wrote in a blog post. “Many local schools object to adopting textbooks and materials that promote harmful ideas to children.”

Both SB 5462 and HB 2331 will encourage the teaching of leftist ideology regardless of the preferences of local school boards, teachers, and parents, say critics. Locally elected school boards will be replaced with centralized, bureaucratic control over decisions affecting children and parents across the state.

Click here to read the full report.

Controversial curriculum choices bill moves forward in WA Senate

By Carleen Johnson | The Center Square | Feb. 22, 2024

(The Center Square) – A bill in Olympia is moving ahead that would give the Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction ultimate decision-making authority when it comes to controversial teachings on race, gender and sex education.

On Feb. 10, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2331 was passed by the House of Representatives.

On Monday, ESHB 2331 was passed out of executive session by the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education. It has been placed on second reading by the Rules Committee.

Minority Republicans on the committee sought to protect students from exposure to what they deemed harmful ideologies in the classroom.

Sen. Jim McCune, R-Graham, proposed an amendment.

“It prohibits school boards from approving the use of any textbook or instructional materials, supplemental instructional material or other material for student instruction if it contains erotic material, sexually explicit material or lewd material,” he explained.

…Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, who chairs the committee, urged a no vote on McCune’s amendment, but he asked for a chance to speak, which she granted.

“Pornography books have crept into our schools and school libraries,” McCune said. “This kind of printed visual material of dirty sexual talk and pictures of sexual activity [has] no place in our K-12 schools, and I’m very sad to see these books have no ratings on them.”

He went on to say, “They talk about rape, incest, sex organs, sex toys, and they talk about sex between couples.”

McCune then asked permission to read from one of the books in approved curriculum materials.

After hesitating, Wellman responded, “Well – yes.”

McCune then said he couldn’t read from them, because of the vulgar content.

“One of these books says, ‘eff you’ 128 times, and you wonder why kids are swearing,” he said. “This material is really crude.”

Wellman responded.

“Based on what I have heard, I’m surprised that for someone who has been so in favor of local control, you want to override local control and the process that is in place to review curriculum to determine if it falls into the category that you’ve said,” she said.

McCune asked to respond, but Wellman said there was no more time.

The committee did not pass McCune’s amendment but did pass Nobles’ amendment.

The issue of basic education curriculum and materials has been in the spotlight lately in the form of Initiative 2081 to the Legislature that would establish a parents’ bill of rights and access to any medical or health records for their child.

I-2081 is scheduled for a legislative public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 28, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Click here to read the full article.

E-News: Victory! Property tax hike dead for 2024

Week 5 of the 2024 session was spent on the Senate floor voting on bills previously approved by their assigned committees, in anticipation of this week’s deadline for us to consider “House of origin” bills; in other words, Tuesday was the cut-off deadline for the Senate to vote on Senate bills and for the House of Representatives to vote on House bills.

Now that we’ve reach that key deadline, all of the approved House bills will come to the Senate to begin the evaluation process all over again, starting with public hearings in committees. This will continue to whittle down the number of viable bills so that we are left with only the measures that have broad support of both chambers.

Unfortunately, one of my key bills didn’t make it. Senate Bill 6205, which deals with instruction on the history and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance, was killed by Democrats who refused to bring the measure to the floor for a full vote of the Senate. You can learn more about why I believe they did this in this update.

But I am happy to have an opportunity to also share some good news with you. Thanks to the work of citizens like you, Senate Republicans were able to kill the Democrat plan to triple the permittable growth rate of your property taxes without a vote of the people.

While the bill is dead for the session, we must remain vigilant and continue to push back against government greed, which is always looking for news ways to keep its hands in your wallet!

Click here to read my full E-newsletter.