Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1251513
Legislative Piece Tate Mullen WEA Government Relations Director tmullen@wyoea.org (307)286-3096 Funding for education in Wyoming faces two pervasive threats: The first being a dangerous camp of lawmakers sitting at the ready to blindly tighten our state's purse strings, strangling high-quality education in the name of opposition to generating additional tax revenue. The second threat—put simply— is the Senate. From the question of adequate funding of the External Cost Adjustment during the 2020 Bu dget Session, to the threat of gubernatorial discretion in funding education faced in the more recent special session, education funding is consistently under fire from the Senate, to be saved only by the House. Even before Wyoming faced the bleak economic future created by the COVID-19 crisis, a fiscal cliff loomed before our state. Cuts are inevitable. In this election year, it's essential—perhaps no w more than ever—that education advocates are at the forefront of choosing those lawmakers who will continue to acknowledge and safeguard what the Wyoming electorate has confirmed time and time again: adequate funding for Wyoming education is important to Wyoming voters. In these uncertain times, one thing is certain: Now is the time to act. Engage in the WEA Political Action Committee for Education (WEA-P ACE). Lend your vote and your voice to leadership that will practice good stewardship of the nation-leading education system we've worked so hard to build. I encourage our members, not only to make a monetary donation to WEA-PACE, but to consider giving your time and talents to deserving candidates. Currently, WEA is in the process of establishing Candidate Interview Teams (CIT). Learn more about sitting on a CIT, and WEA-PACE on page 17. Education emerged relatively unscathed in the 2020 Budget Session. But, we're far from being out of the woods. We cannot allow Wyoming students' fundamental, constitutionally mandated right to a high-quality education to be a casualty of the current crises facing our state. The WEA Lobby Team continues our dedicated efforts to protect Wyoming education, but we cannot su cceed without you. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime to discuss the many ways in which you can become engaged in the political process and do your part to defend our students' future. Learn the latest from the WEA Lobby Team at wealegislativeinfo.com 11