Today, a large crowd of supporters from Children's Alliance, an advocacy organization for children, marched through the Capital campus to voice concerns and support for a number of issues they're facing this session.

House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, spoke to the crowd pledging to continue the campaign to provide healthcare care for all kids in Washington State by 2010, and promised to "Redefine basic education."

"Unfortunately there are those who are proposing cuts for children's health for all kids, but you said NO, and we said NO," he said, to a crowd of cheering supporters.

In Gov. Chris Gregoire's budget, this goal would not have been fully reached, but federal money is now slated to protect the slice of the program that would have been suspended, due to the budget deficit.

The four main objectives for Children's Alliance this session include:

• Early learning now


• Healthcare campaign


• End childhood hunger


• Fairness for foster kids

"We're very concerned that budget cuts are going to hurt children and families, and make Washington a state we don't recognize, and a state that would not be good to raise families in," said Jon Gould, the deputy director of Children's Alliance.