A(nother) Early Childhood Bill Has a Hearing This Week
Just when we thought the committee hearings were over - plot twist! Earlier this week, SB 1 was published, and it has a hearing in the Education Committee on Wednesday, March 19, at 10 am.
In part, this bill intends to expand access to child care. We love that! Senate Leadership is clearly prioritizing Early Childhood Care and Education, which is fantastic. Unfortunately, SB 1 needs some work. One example: it would have unintended, yet severely negative consequences to child care businesses and families. SB 1 focuses funding for school-day preschool in public school systems only, and does nothing to support the existing Early Start system that supports full-day, full-year pre-k in community programs that meet the needs of working families. You can read more about this bill and see how it compares to the other major Early Childhood bills currently in play, the Governor’s Universal Pre-K bill, and the House priority bill HB 5003, by clicking here.
So, now is the time to get involved! Here’s how you can help:
Let us know your advocacy situation! Who are your Senators? How well do you know them? How can you be involved in this issue? How can we help you? Fill out this form to let us know.
Come to our testimony prep session for SB 1 TODAY (Monday, March 17) (click to register) at 1:30 pm. You’ll hear about the bill and have the opportunity to ask questions about the bill, the testimony process, and anything else you need to know.
Collaborate with other ECE advocates in your community to schedule meetings with the Senator who represents both your home and your work districts. Aim to talk to them before Wednesday March 19!
Come to the Capitol with us on Wednesday March 19 to give testimony at the Education Committee Hearing and talk to legislators 1:1 about SB 1. We’ll be with you every step of the way!
Sign up to give spoken testimony via Zoom during the Education Committee Hearing on March 19. We can help you sign up and keep track of your place in the speaker order, so you don’t have to spend your day waiting for your turn to speak.
Submit written testimony! It doesn’t have to be a 10-page research project. We’ll be coming out with a sample testimony template very soon to make the process easy and painless. For now, you can check out our list of talking points.
You can find more information and resources for SB 1 and the Education Committee meeting hearing by clicking here to check out our SB 1 Testimony Kit.
