Category: 2020 Legislative Session

On Thursday, March 12, the legislature adjourned on time after passing the 2019-21 supplemental budget. In the final hours, the legislature included $200 million for the state’s COVID-19 response efforts. These funds go towards a comprehensive response to the virus including greater access to testing, supporting efforts to slow transmission, and expanding unemployment insurance for displaced workers. The bill that provided these funds (HB 2965) was a top priority of the legislature in the final weeks and passed both the House and Senate unanimously.

Other supplemental budget highlights include the preservation of critical higher education and financial aid investments made last session. The legislature fulfilled the UW’s request for re-appropriation of one-time payments to represented employees, as well as reauthorized and funded the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology and Innovation (JCATI). Additionally, numerous provisos for research projects and programs at the UW were included in the final budget, one of which was $300,000 to help train sexual assault nurse examiners in rural areas around the state.

In the capital budget, $1 million in pre-design funding for phase 2 of the Magnuson Health Science Center renovation and replacement project was appropriated to the University. The current health sciences complex operates well beyond capacity and with mostly original infrastructure. This project will ultimately allow the UW to further increase and modernize our health science workforce training capacity. The UW also received $100,000 to restore the historic ASUW Shell House.

For a comprehensive summary of the operating and capital budgets, view these briefs prepared by the UW’s Office of Planning and Budgeting.

The UW Office of State Relations is grateful to the UW community for their efforts in Olympia this session. Stay tuned for updates during the interim.

It’s week eight and opposite house fiscal committee cutoff is today. Any bills that moved through their house-of-origin (the chamber where they were introduced) must now progress through the opposite house for consideration. In order for bills to get the Governor’s desk, they must move off the floor of the opposite house by 5 p.m. Friday, March 6.

Here are some highlights from the past two weeks:

House and Senate publish budget proposals
The House and Senate released their proposed 2019-21 supplemental operating and capital budgets. The proposals focus on affordable housing, healthcare and behavioral health, and childcare. They also preserved the higher education investments made last session and funded Senate Bill 6492, which addresses college affordability and access.

Major operating and capital budget investments for the UW include:

• The reappropriation of funding provided in the biennial budget last session for one-time bonuses for lower-wage employees (House and Senate);
• $1 million in pre-design funding for phase 2 of the Magnuson Health Science Center replacement and renovation (Senate); and
• $100,000 to preserve and restore the historic ASUW Shell House (Senate).

The budget proposals did not include maintenance and operation funds for the new Hans Rosling Population Health Sciences building.

For an in-depth summary of the proposals, click here to view a brief prepared by the UW’s Office of Planning and Budgeting.

Legislators from both chambers are now negotiating compromise budgets. The budgets must be finalized by the end of session, which is scheduled for March 12.

President Cauce travels to Olympia
President Ana Mari Cauce visited Olympia on Wednesday, Feb. 26 to meet with House and Senate leaders and budget writers. Her day was packed with meetings, during which she discussed the budget proposals and advocated for critical operational funding for the Hans Rosling Population Health facility.

She also had the opportunity to have lunch with UW student interns working in Olympia.

Dr. Dan Schwartz participates in clean energy work session

Dan Schwartz, PhD, Director of the Clean Energy Institute (CEI), was invited by the House Environment and Energy Committee to provide information about CEI’s mission and efforts. He introduced the committee to CEI’s education programs, transformational facilities, and cutting-edge research.

Thank you, Dr. Schwartz for presenting at this work session!

It’s week five and just like Winter Quarter, session is halfway over. Today is the last day for bills to pass out of the fiscal committee in their house of origin. Bills must move out of their house of origin and into the opposite chamber by 5 p.m. next Wednesday, Feb. 19 in order to continue through the policy making process.

Yesterday, Senate Bill 6492 was the first bill signed into law this year by Gov. Jay Inslee. This bill applies funding fixes to the Workforce Education Investment Act, which made critical investments in higher education and student financial aid last session. The Act guarantees the full cost of tuition at any in-state public college or university through the Washington College Grant for resident students from a family of four making $50,000 or less per year. It also establishes partial grants for students from families making up to the state’s median family income, currently $97,000 per year.

Late last year, forecasts showed that more Washington students than anticipated plan to take advantage of the Washington College Grant, creating a funding gap. Senate Bill 6492 addresses that expected shortfall and ensures funding for the investments is secure and easy to collect.

During the bill signing, the Governor thanked the bill sponsor, Sen. Jaime Pedersen, as well as Sen. Emily Randall and Reps. Drew Hansen and Frank Chopp for their leadership on this issue.

It’s week three and the legislature is quickly approaching policy committee cutoff. Next Friday, Feb. 7, is the last day to pass bills out of policy committee in their house of origin.

Here are some highlights from the past two weeks:

UW Regents visit Olympia for public higher education’s Regents & Trustees Day

On Wednesday, along with dozens of regents and trustees from our state’s public four-year and community and technical colleges, UW’s Regents  thanked legislators for the historic investments made in public higher education and financial aid last session. Throughout the day, they engaged legislators on the importance of higher education and emphasized critical topics such as increasing Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion. This day served as another terrific example of the public higher education community’s partnership to better serve students, our local communities, and our growing economy.

Confirmation hearing for Regent Suarez

The confirmation hearing for Regent Daniela Suarez was held in the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee on Jan. 21.

Regent Suarez provided testimony about her journey to higher education, her previous legislative engagement, and her goals for continuing excellence at the UW. She also thanked the committee for making higher education more accessible and inclusive to all individuals.

She was unanimously confirmed by the committee. Her appointment now waits to be heard on the Senate floor for a confirmation vote. The UW community is proud to have the leadership of Regent Suarez!

Dr. Robert Sweet, UW Medicine, encourages funding for the Magnuson Health Sciences Center

Dr. Robert Sweet, executive director of the WWAMI Institute for Simulation in Healthcare (WISH), and his team met with legislators to ask for their support of the UW’s request of $1 million in pre-design funding for phase 2 of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center replacement and renovation. The Center was originally built in 1973 and currently operates with mostly original infrastructure and well beyond capacity. During his meetings, Dr. Sweet emphasized the need for new flexible learning space to train Washington’s health science workforce to better serve patients and local communities.

UW faculty and students advocate for the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation 

UW faculty and students traveled to testify in support of reauthorizing funding for the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation (JCATI), which is part of the UW’s 2020 legislative agenda. JCATI supports economic and workforce development through collaborative research between business and academic partners. Without reauthorization, this program will sunset June 30, 2020.

Washington State’s 2020 legislative session started on Monday, Jan. 13 and took off running. This 60-day (short) session is scheduled to last until March 12 and is focused on the supplemental budget, which applies fixes to the biennial budget passed last legislative session. Some of the big legislative topics will include transportation, homelessness, behavioral health, and data privacy.

A “Democratic Trifecta” holds in Olympia, with Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, Senate, and Governor’s Mansion. However, some key leadership and committee chair positions have changed. Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D–Legislative District 27) was sworn in on Monday as the new Speaker of the House. She is the first woman and first out lesbian to hold the position. Sen. Andy Billig (D–LD 3), Sen. Mark Schoesler (R–LD 9), and Rep. J.T. Wilcox (R–LD 2) remain in their caucus leadership roles. In the Senate, Sen. Emily Randall (D–LD 26) now serves as Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee Chair, with Rep. Drew Hansen (D–LD 23) continuing in his role as the House College & Workforce Development Committee Chair.

Yesterday, President Ana Mari Cauce traveled to Olympia to meet with legislators to discuss the UW’s 2020 legislative priorities. She also participated in a meeting with Gov. Jay Inslee with the presidents of Washington’s other public four-year higher education institutions. During this meeting, they thanked the Governor for the historic investments made in higher education last session and discussed common goals moving forward.

Earlier in the week, Morgan Hickel, Associate Director of State Relations, testified before the House and Senate fiscal committees on the Governor’s proposed operating budget. She encouraged legislators to invest in the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, which is scheduled to open later this year and will be an innovative convening space to advance population health locally and globally.

Throughout session, the Office of State Relations will work with campus partners to advance the UW’s legislative agenda.

Stay tuned for updates from the state relations team. Updates can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.