Subject: Action Alert - WA Anti-bullying House Bill 1163 passed the full House of Representatives. Need folks to contact & to testify March 17 in Olympia
From: Gabi Clayton ~ Safe Schools Coalition <gabi@safeschoolscoalition.org>
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:21:25 -0800
To: IMPORTANTNEWS@safeschoolscoalition.org

Dear Safe Schools Coalition Members and Friends:

      Note: We are sharing the Action Alert item because we believe that it is an issue Safe Schools Coalition members and friends may be interested in.
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The Anti-bullying bill, WA House Bill 1163 passed the full House of Representatives! Need folks to contact & to testify for Senate Education Committee on Thurs., March 17th in Olympia

Safe Schools Coalition Law and Policy Committee members Lonnie Johns-Brown and Jennifer Allen are very pleased to report that House Bill 1163, Representative Liias' anti-bullying bill that includes an ongoing task force to monitor state anti-bullying efforts and classroom-based assessments of youth suicide prevention and mental health education, has passed the full House of Representatives!
 
Thanks to those of you who sent speedy responses to our call for contacts to legislators and our request for bullying stories that could be used on the floor, especially to Gabi and Alec Clayton, Cecilia Icenogle, several folks from the ACLU, and Equal Rights Washington. 

The bill passed on a bipartisan vote of 76-21, and you can view the roll call here: http://flooractivityext.leg.wa.gov/rollcall.aspx?id=35517&bienId=21. 

Special credit to legislators who helped with passage goes to Prime Sponsor Representative Liias, and Representatives Laurie Jinkins and Norm Johnson who spoke in favor of the bill on the floor.

Thanks to all for an excellent outcome in the House!

We're now on to the Senate, where a hearing in the Senate Education Committee is: Thursday, March 17th at 1:30 PM in Senate Early Learning and K12, Senate Hearing Room 4, John A Cherberg building.

Calls/emails should go to members of the committee asking them to "support HB 1163 to continue to strengthen our state's law to prevent bullying by creating an ongoing oversight mechanism. ".

We need three to four folks to testify, Sue Eastgard, ED of the Youth Suicide Prevention Program will be coming to speak for the bill and particularly for the amendment that included a provision on youth suicide education.

If you are interested in testifying or have questions about this, contact Jennifer Allen: jennifer.allen@ppvoteswa.org and Lonnie Johns-Brown: lonniejb@comcast.net.
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