February 25, 2020
Washington State Legislation Bill formed to set up a Statewide Office of Equity has moved from the House to the Senate.
According to Washington State Legislature, in January 2019 House Bill 1783 was first read to the Washington State Government. Though the bill was put on second reading, suspending it until this past January.
On Jan. 13, 2020, the bill was reintroduced, seven days later it moved from the House to the Senate.
House Bill 1783 is sponsored by State Rep. Mia Su-Ling Gregerson-Dahle. The bill intends to set up a statewide office of equity for Washington State.
Through assistance, promotion, collaboration, and community outreach, and to develop policies to maintain a diverse and inclusive environment. The focus of the Equity Office is to expedite statewide policy and systemic change to facilitate equitable policies, practices, and results, according to the Bills Fiscal Note Package.
“As you know the Bill didn’t make it to the floor last year, what comes with that is a burning desire to talk about these things and deal with them and work on them in a way that brings everybody along… We have been working so hard on it hopefully the Senate will follow suit,” said Rep. Gregerson
The bill has been supported by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and over 50 different organizations.
Currently, the bill has been introduced to the State Senate and is in the committee phase.
According to the bills Fiscal Note Package, “The Office of Equity (Equity Office) [will be established] within the Office of the Governor, to promote access to equitable opportunities and resources that reduce disparities and improve outcomes statewide across state government.”
At Washington State University the Office of Outreach and Education is working on the mandate to train, provide workshops, activities, and practices around equity and diversity for WSU staff, students, and the Pullman-Moscow community.
The Office helps underrepresented students, white students, or international students to understand that the world is a global society and that they have to learn to work with people who may have different thoughts, different opinions, and different feelings.
The Office of Equity could reinforce the practices of the Office of Outreach and Education in the WSU community. According to Dr. Allen Contilleyu Sutton Executive Director of the Office of Outreach and Education, “It would help if it eventually started trickling down toward more local governments, it would impact Washington State and our office. Our office will be offering training for the community and local governments and I think [the offices] will go hand in hand with the push from the state level.”
On the WSU campus the Gender Identity, Expression, and Sexual Orientation Resource Center (GIESORC) serves and supports LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff, and alumni throughout the WSU system by providing resources, fostering community building, and relevant initiatives, according to GEISORC.
Additionally, GIESORC serves the larger community around WSU campus and community through advocacy, education, and alliance furthering equity and accessibility throughout the University.
Along with the bill “Jay Inslee recently put together an LGBTQ+ commission and so it seems like there is a deep dedication and reverence for knowing that we need to change our practices to make a more equitable society,” said Matthew Jefferies Director of the Gender Identity, Expression, and Sexual Orientation Resource Center.
The Office of Equity is set to be launched on Jul. 1, 2020. As of today, the bill is scheduled for an executive session in the Senate Committee for Feb. 28. For more details on house bill 1783 go to https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1783.
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