It’s week number four in Olympia and this Friday is cut-off day for all standing policy committees in the House and Senate. As a reminder, that generally means if it hasn’t moved onto a fiscal committee or the rules committee by Friday, it’s dead for the session. So, you can bet this will be a week packed with round the clock committee hearings, impatient and tired legislators and anxious lobbyists.
Both House and Senate Higher Education committees continue hearing policy bills on Monday at 1:30 p.m. Executive session on HB 2548, which would establish a new UW branch campus in Everett is expected in the House Higher Education committee at the same time. Here’s today’s story in the Everett Herald about the current status of this issue in the state legislature.
Later that evening, the House Commerce and Labor committee will hold a public hearing on HB 3332 which applies only to institutions of higher education and would, among other things, permit the Governor to submit a funding request for a collective bargaining agreement that was not finalized by the current deadline of October 1.
On Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., the House Capital Budget committee will hold a public hearing on a brand new bill (HB 3329) sponsored by Rep. Bill Fromhold (D-Vancouver) and introduced at the end of last week. The bill would make significant changes to the capital budget prioritization process for four-year institutions. The measure abolishes the existing Council of Presidents managed process which was established in 2003 and instead places the prioritization responsibility with the Office of Financial Management. The new process would be based on the existing process used by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and would place four year capital projects into different categories (access, economic development, renovation, etc.). Of concern to the University is another requirement in the measure which would require development of two priority lists of capital projects — one for our two branch campuses and one for all other projects.
The public hearing on SB 6848, sponsored by Sen. Margarita Prentice (D-Renton) which would provide public financing for a renovation of Husky Stadium will be held Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Former Governor and UW Regent Dan Evans, Interim Athletic Director Scott Woodward, and head football coach Tyrone Willingham will testify in support of the measure on behalf of the University.
On Wednesday, the Senate Ways and Means committee will hear Sen. Paull Shin’s SSB 6391 which is the Senate version of the UW Everett branch campus legislation. Sen. Derek Kilmer’s legislation (SSB 5978) which would study the baccalaureate needs of the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas is scheduled for a public hearing at the same time.
I’m sure I’ve just scratched the surface of what is likely to be a fast and furious week. Just for your information, I am tentatively scheduling an in-person campus legislative briefing for February 12, so stay tuned for more details.