Democrats see brighter future for anti-bully bill

By Melanthia Mitchell

Associated Press

OLYMPIA — An anti-bullying bill, one of the Democrats’ top social issues, is on a fast track toward passage now that they hold majorities in both houses for the first time since 1994.

The House Education Committee will soon take comments on House Bill 1444, which would require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies and train workers and volunteers to stop harassment.

A hearing set for Monday was canceled Friday and will be rescheduled.

Deadly acts of violence in schools across the country, including the 1996 shooting deaths of two students and a teacher at a Moses Lake school, led Washington lawmakers in both houses to push for legislation cracking down on school bullying.

While the Democratically controlled Senate passed the bill twice last year, it never made it out of committee in the House because of an even split that allowed then co-chairwoman Gigi Talcott, R-Tacoma, to block a vote.

Now the bill’s backers are confident it will get a more favorable reception.

"I think there is widespread support for the bill. Many districts already have strong anti-bullying policies, but this bill is requiring that every district have a model policy," said Rep. Dave Quall, D-Mount Vernon, committee chairman.

Attorney General Christine Gregoire, who researched the problem of bullying in Washington, is an enthusiastic backer of the bill.

Assistant Attorney General Dave Horne said Gregoire feels that now is the time to do something about the issue.

"There are kids all over the state being tormented. Some schools are dealing with it and a lot of them aren’t," Horne said.

A 2001-2002 legislative survey shows that out of 243 state school districts surveyed, almost 45 percent have no anti-bullying policy, according to the Washington Association of School Administrators.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ed Murray, one of two openly gay members of the Legislature, has spent the past four years trying to get an anti-bullying bill pushed through the Legislature. The Seattle Democrat said he is hopeful it will pass this year.

"We have an obligation to create a safe learning environment for all students, regardless of who they are," Murray said. "We’re not asking to kick students out or punish students, just for inappropriate language. It’s when they physically threaten another student or actually harm another student."

The bill has been a priority for education forces and the gay community, but a number of Republicans say it’s unnecessary because school districts already have adequate power to crack down on bullying.

Talcott said last year that she opposed the bill because she didn’t want the state piling mandates on already overburdened school districts.

Some conservatives also are troubled by the push from the gay community. The Christian Coalition of Washington has expressed concerns that the legislation would infringe on a student’s First Amendment right to speak out against homosexuality.