Legislative or Ballot Measure Activity

Legislation or a ballot initiative establishing or expanding pre-k has been debated or voted on during the past year.

Rationale: Legislation and ballot measures are significant, multipurpose components of pre-k success. They are essential to enacting, funding, and implementing, pre-k programs, but they are also important vehicles for educating members of the media and the general public about the quality, funding, and benefits of pre-k. The fiercer the debate, the more the public pays attention. Every legislative cycle is a new opportunity for people to learn about pre-k. Ballot initiatives are particularly effective at garnering media attention and fostering public debate. Initiatives offer numerous occasions for citizens to become involved and to indicate their support on petitions and at the voting booth. Legislation, particularly when introduced by powerful members of the state house, can also generate public attention and debate.

Examples: In Florida, a 2002 pre-k ballot initiative was passed overwhelmingly by newly informed and galvanized voters. Legislative action has been vigorous in response to this mandate. In 2004, lawmakers in Hawaii introduced more than ten pieces of legislation relating to early education, including proposals to create a school-readiness council and to expand eligibility for publicly funded, pre-k programs. This level of activity created a positive climate for pre-k and captured the attention of the governor, who, in the subsequent legislative session, proposed a $25 million increase in early childhood funding.