House Democrats celebrating the life of #MLK. https://t.co/eOxwpMH3RR #waleg #IHaveADream
— Marcus Riccelli (@marcusriccelli) January 20, 2014
Sen. Joe Fain welcomes Kent student leaders to the Capitol; remembers Dr. King. #waleg #MLK #WASenate pic.twitter.com/clXEiJNu
— Majority CoalitionWA (@WashingtonMCC) January 22, 2013
Today (Jan. 24) is Day 12 of the 60-day 2014 Regular Session.
The week kicked off on Monday with a full day of events at the State Capitol to celebrate and remember Martin Luther King, Jr. (See sidebar for two tweets from Rep. Riccelli and Sen. Fain, both UW alums serving in the State Legislature)
On Tuesday, the House Higher Education Committee held a work session on Higher Education Performance and Results (watch TVW video of the session). The Senate Higher Education Committee held a similar work session on Thursday, getting an update on the Technical Incentive Funding Model Task Force report, presented by the Office of Financial Management and the 4-year public institutions of higher education (watch TVW video of the hearing session).
On Wednesday, Director of UW State Relations Margaret Shepherd gave an update to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education. Shepherd’s presentation focused on how institutional funding as appropriated in the 2013-15 Operating Budget impacted the UW. (View PowerPoint slides of the presentation, watch TVW video of the session).
In the middle of the week, President Young visited Olympia for meetings with legislative leaders, in both the House and Senate, to discuss the University’s 2014 Legislative Agenda. Topics of conversation included the University’s commitment to preserving the resident undergraduate tuition freeze in 2014 (so long as there are no funding reductions), the importance of fully funding the State Need Grant Program, and how small investments in the University’s core strengths can produce high-impact outcomes for the state economy and its people.
The successful day of meetings wrapped up with the Council of Presidents‘ annual legislative reception.
Next week will be a whirlwind of committee hearings on bills, with the first cutoff date (for policy bills to be heard in committee) now just two weeks away (Feb. 7). Floor activity is also possible in the House and Senate. Stay tuned!