Sen. Rolfes will closely review support for schools, issues affecting veterans and Puget Sound cleanup in her new assignments to special legislative committees.

The Legislature has been ordered by the State Supreme Court to step up funding of K-12 education, which the state constitution names as Washington’s paramount duty. Rolfes, vice-chair of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee, has been appointed to an eight-member Joint Select Committee to Address School Funding, which will serve as a bridge between the court and the Legislature in the work to improve education funding.

Additionally, Rolfes has been named to the Joint Select Committee on Education Accountability, which will consider how the state addresses schools that persistently fail to show improvement in student achievement.

“We need to do a better job of supporting our community schools and students, and I’m eager to get to work on it,” said Rolfes. “At the same time, we have to do the right thing for our students and parents by ensuring schools that need to improve, do improve. The Committee on Education Accountability is tasked with finding the best way do to that.”

Rolfes, who has sponsored a number of bills addressing veterans’ issues, will also serve on the Joint Committee on Veterans’ and Military Affairs. The committee studies issues facing members of the military, veterans and their families, and makes recommendations for action to the Legislature.

And Rolfes was appointed to the Ecosystem Coordination Board. The board advises the leadership of the Puget Sound Partnership, the state agency charged with coordinating cleanup efforts across the sound.

“Our veterans and military families have made many sacrifices for us, and I’m honored to serve on a committee dedicated to addressing the special concerns they face,” said Rolfes. “And clearly, Puget Sound is a big reason Washington is the beautiful and wonderful place it is. I look forward to being part of the work to restore its health.”