Legislators in Washington sink their teeth into pandemic-era issues for schools By Dahlia Bazzaz, The Seattle Times Published: January 25, 2021, 8:16am Share: The Capitol Building in Olympia. (iStock.com) As they launched into their full-fledged pandemic legislative session earlier this month, lawmakers in Washington state had no shortage of education issues to sort through. More than 60 bills related to K-12 schools are in the works already, including proposals to maximize the role of school counselors, change truancy policies and reopen school buildings. Heading into the session, lawmakers and state executives said their priorities would be focusing on supporting student mental health, granting financial flexibility to school districts and expanding access to the internet.