When many people think of “the government”, they think of legislators giving long winded speeches on the floor of the House and the Senate. However, most of the work done during the Legislative Session is done in committees. Committees are the place where bills are researched, discussed, debated, and voted upon. Committees are where the public has the chance to have their voices heard, and committees allow legislators to focus on a specific topic so that the nuances of a proposed law are clear. In this 4 minute episode of Capitol Classroom+, you will experience the anatomy of the committee room, so that when you watch a committee hearing on TVW, you know the ins and outs. Essential Questions:
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Overview: I went to bed in one district, and woke up in another! Help your students understand how legislative districts work in WA. 2024 is an election year! Do you know who will be on your ballot? Every 10 years, our legislative and congressional district lines are redrawn and thus your district may have changed since the last presidential election. However, due to a legal challenge to the redistricting done after the 2020 census, 13 legislative districts changed as of the first week in April 2024. Don’t be surprised when your primary ballot comes in July! Check this map below to see if you are one of the 300,000 people who have new legislators representing them! Essential Questions:
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One of the responsibilities that a Precinct Committee officer has is to nominate candidates for vacant positions in the Legislature. Learn about how this works in this short video from Chirag, a PCO himself. Essential Questions:
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How to become a Precinct Committee Officer – There are many vacancies and you are needed! Chirag lays out all the steps for you in this easy to follow guide. Essential Questions:
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Senate Page, Ella Garcelon asks House Environment & Energy Committee Vice Chair, Victoria Hunt (D), and Ranking Member, Mary Dye (R), about the impacts of Green Energy Incentives. The House Environment & Energy Committee considers issues relating to air quality; aquatic lands; oil spill prevention; solid waste; hazardous waste; toxics; climate change; energy; Puget Sound; the State Environmental Policy Act and the Shoreline Management Act; state parks; and outdoor recreation. Overview: During the 2025 session, Legislative Pages (students ages 14-16) had the opportunity to interview legislators from both the Majority party and the Minority party about issues of interest. In this lesson, students will learn about where the Majority Party, currently the Democrats, and the Minority Party, currently the Republicans, stand on three important policies regarding the environment and energy. Essential Questions:
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House Page, Theron Clements, asks House Environment & Energy Committee Vice Chair, Victoria Hunt (D), and Ranking Member, Mary Dye (R), how recycling policy can address the high cost of recycling. Overview: The House Environment & Energy Committee considers issues relating to air quality; aquatic lands; oil spill prevention; solid waste; hazardous waste; toxics; climate change; energy; Puget Sound; the State Environmental Policy Act and the Shoreline Management Act; state parks; and outdoor recreation. Essential Questions:
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Senate Page, Vishvath Vinesh, researched and brought his question to Committee Leadership of the Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs, and Elections Committee about addressing partisanship. Hear what Committee Chair Javier Valdez (D) 46th Dist., and Ranking Member Jeff Wilson (R) 19th Dist. each had to say! Overview: The 2024 Election was historic with Washington surpassing 5 million registered voters for the first time. In order for this to happen, there needed to be a lot of organization at the state level. The Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs, and Elections Committee is in charge of passing laws to ensure that the state government runs smoothly, ethically, and efficiently. They consider issues relating to: State contracts, Agency rulemaking, Emergency management Veterans Elections Campaign finance Public disclosure Ethics in government Archaeological and historic preservation. Essential Questions:
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