What’s the only thing on our Washington State Legislators’ minds these days? Our state’s budget.
Legislators are deep in the budget battle. They’re pouring over pie charts, having back-room conversations and deciding what programs they’ll keep and what programs they’ll slash.
We think there’s one thing missing from their fancy pie charts: Kids! We don’t want to see cuts in key programs for kids, like quality early care and education, left behind in this budget battle. So how can we get the attention of legislators and get them to put kids back in their pie charts?
Pies! We’re bringing the Washington State Legislature kid-decorated pies and notes from parents across Washington to remind our legislators that kids are a big piece of our state’s future.
There are two ways you can help (feel free to do one, or both):
1) Come decorate the pies on Wednesday, March 16, at High 5 Pies in Seattle at 9:30 a.m. Bring your kids and your friends, too. RSVP
2) Come to Olympia to deliver the pies. Members of MomsRising are meeting at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16. RSVP
Here’s why the legislature needs to include kids in their pie charts: Child poverty is skyrocketing in Washington right now. Over 15 percent of all Washington kids are living in poverty, and the poverty rate is even higher among Latino children (24.8 percent), Native American children (24.4 percent), and African American children (24.3 percent).
If the legislature cuts the key programs that keep families working and children thriving, it will make matters much worse. Scientific research and leading economists have said for years that investing in children is one of the smartest investments we can make.
