By Bill Lucia | Editor
Opponents of a pair of ballot initiatives that would restrict the participation of transgender girls in sports and undo changes to the rights of parents of public school students formally launched their campaign last week. “We have to balance the rights of loving parents with the additional life-saving duty to protect the safety of youth who are victims of domestic violence and child abuse,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, during a kickoff event in Seattle for the No Hate in WA State campaign.
Also in today’s edition…
The push to ban student cellphone use in Washington’s public schools.
And, why schools around the state are facing spiking insurance costs.
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No Hate in WA State yard signs for the campaign against two Let’s Go Washington ballot initiatives. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)
By Jake Goldstein-Street
No Hate in WA State argues the two initiatives, backed by the conservative group Let’s Go Washington, would invade children’s privacy, vilify transgender youth and leave vulnerable kids unwilling to seek help.
One of the initiatives, IL26-001, looks to eliminate changes Democratic lawmakers made in 2025 to a Let’s Go Washington initiative on the rights of parents of public school students. The Legislature had approved the initiative a year earlier. The other measure, IL26-638, would bar transgender K-12 students from competing in girls’ sports, confirming children’s sex assigned at birth through routine athletic physicals.
No Hate in WA State has raised $736,000 this year in its fight against the initiatives, with big backing from teacher unions, including the National Education Association and its Washington state branch. The American Civil Liberties Union, Gender Justice League and the Service Employees International Union 775 are among the other major donors.
(Photo by StockPlanets/Getty Images)
By Aspen Ford
Earlier this month, Gov. Bob Ferguson trumpeted his plan to back legislation in the next legislative session to ban student cellphone use in K-12 public schools during the school day. In doing so, he’s joining an effort that’s already been underway. The state superintendent and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have tried, unsuccessfully, to implement a policy like this for the past three years. A question now is whether Ferguson putting his political weight behind legislation will make a difference.
By Charlotte Alden, Cascadia Daily News
A sudden increase in the cost of sexual abuse claims brought against Washington school districts is driving up insurance rates for schools. About 130 districts received notices last month that their rates for the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool would rise by an average of 45%. School districts contribute funds to the risk pool instead of paying for traditional liability insurance. Those dollars are pooled to pay for settlements or costly claims against individual districts, keeping rates more manageable for all. School officials, especially in smaller districts, say it’s becoming difficult to manage insurance costs without cutting into funding for education.
ICYMI
$35M campaign finance fine against Meta upheld by WA Supreme Court | by Jake Goldstein-Street
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