OLYMPIA, Wash. — Just minutes after convening a 60-day legislative session Monday, lawmakers in Washington’s state House approved a measure that would expand state financial aid to students who are living in the country illegally.
The rare opening day action set an early tone for the session, as House Speaker Frank Chopp called on his colleagues to take action. He dedicated much of his opening message to the financial aid proposal, saying the state constitution calls on lawmakers to provide an education to all students who reside in the state.
“It is fundamental to our state and nation,” Chopp said.
The financial aid measure also passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate, where a Republican-dominated majority is in control. Similarly, the Senate approved measures last year — such as changes to the state workers’ compensation system — that didn’t get a hearing in the House, which is controlled by Democrats.
For the first time in several years, lawmakers gathered in Olympia without needing to deal with a budget shortfall, and it’s unclear whether they will approve any revisions to the existing state budget.
Many of the issues on the agenda this year were also discussed in 2013 but didn’t make progress. That includes a proposal to raise the state’s gas tax to pay for transportation projects.
Some lawmakers also want to continue talks on how to grow spending for the state education system, whether to overhaul the state’s medical marijuana laws to bring it in line with the new legal recreational system, and whether to take action on competing gun initiatives that would otherwise appear on the ballot for voters to consider.
House Minority Leader Dan Kristiansen gave a message of unity in his first floor speech of the session, saying both sides are concerned about education and the vulnerable. He said while there are going to be differences, he expects lawmakers to work together and finish the job on time — unlike last year.
“We will debate the issues,” Kristiansen said. “We will do it in a respectful fashion.”
The financial aid bill passed the chamber by a 71-23 margin after a brief debate.
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