Gov. Inslee announced at a morning press conference that a second 30-day special session would begin tomorrow at 9:00 AM.

The second special session is necessary, because the House and Senate have yet to agree on a final budget plan.

As the Associated Press reports, the second special session comes after a week of floor action on revised budgets — and continued disagreements about how to best address both the state budget deficit and a State Supreme Court ruling on K-12 education funding.

The Seattle Times reported yesterday on the current state of negotiations, saying both sides still appeared to be “far apart,” citing conversations with negotiators in the Governor’s office and both chambers of the legislature. 

Stay tuned to the blog and our Twitter and Facebook feeds for updates.

The Associated Press reports:

With lawmakers entering the final days of a special session, the House voted 53-35 to approve the budget. Republicans in the chamber praised budget writers for dropping a proposed business tax extension but still expressed concern about how the measure was structured.

Rep. Ross Hunter (D-Medina), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement:

“This budget is a down payment – not as much as we’d like, or we passed out of the House – but it does allow us to move forward in reducing class size, investing in all-day kindergarten, and supporting college students.”

TVW’s blog The Capitol Record outlines many of the key features in the House proposal.

In terms of it’s effects on Higher Education, the revised budget changes the tuition assumptions from 5% to 3% at the state’s public colleges and universities. The proposal also includes a separate tax package (HB 2034), which closes or narrows seven tax exemptions and redirects the revenue to the Education Legacy Trust Fund. Together, the underlying budget and HB 2034 would dedicate $39 million to significantly expand Computer Science and Engineering enrollments at UW.

The initial reaction to the House Budget from the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus (MCC) came in a statement released by Majority Leader Rodney Tom:

Earlier in the week, Governor Jay Inslee stepped up pressure on both sides to come to an agreement. Senate Democrats, meanwhile, have started a countdown clock warning of an impending fiscal cliff if the legislature can’t agree on a budget by June 30.

Stay tuned to the blog for more updates on budget negotiations, as the first special session is set to wrap up on June 11.

UPDATE: The State Senate passed a revised budget on Saturday (June 8). Read more via the AP.

The mainspring for landing the Boeing 777X in Washington is higher ed and addressing the skills gap in engineering and technology. The best social program for self-sufficiency, the best business strategy for curtailing unemployment and goosing the economy, is higher ed.

The editorial goes on to cite a range of data that points to the need to reinvest in higher education in our state:

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Washington ranks 37th in public bachelors’ degrees produced per 1,000. Washington falls to 49th in participation in public graduate education. The state also sits, 49 out of 50, in total education funding per student. At UCLA, in a state that defines budget austerity, per-student funding is $11,850 compared to $6,751 at the UW.

For a generation in Washington, the cost (or funding per student) has remained flat. As state support nosedived, tuition ticked up to bridge the divide, pricing out many low and middle-income kids. In 2013, even after four years of double-digit tuition spikes, funding per student at places like the UW is $3,000 less (!) than it was in 2008.

We know the solution. Washington should appropriate $225 million to freeze resident undergrad tuition for the next two years, to make college a manageable option for middle class students. Student financial aid must be fully funded. And boosting capacity in engineering and computer science to align with student demand, a proposal floated by the Washington Roundtable, is the low-hanging strategy to remedy the skills crisis.

Read more.

[W]e hope lawmakers will consider the remarks made by University of Washington President Michael Young at the Thurston County Chamber luncheon Wednesday. Young, who met earlier with The Olympian’s editorial board, laid out a convincing argument for increasing, not decreasing, the state’s investment in affordable higher education.

 

During a recent tour of countries in Asia, the UW president said he saw an urgency building in Korea, Japan and Taiwan to invest heavily in their higher education systems. Those countries see education and university-based research as the keys to America’s innovative and entrepreneurial advantages. In the long run, it’s the only model that works.

 

…

To retain our position as the world’s leader in innovation and science we must not let our investment in higher education stagnate. Investing in Washington’s higher education system today makes sense if we value sustained prosperity for all.

Read more.

If the Legislature won’t give more money to higher education, University of Washington students are calling on the school to raise tuition by 3 percent, then put all of that money into faculty salaries.

Read more.

Late yesterday, Governor Inslee announced a Special Session will begin on May 13th at 9:00AM. State budget writers will meet in Olympia for the next two weeks in an attempt to work out a budget agreement.

In addition to agreeing on a state budget, the Governor called on state lawmakers to work on several policy bills that didn’t make it out during the Regular Session.

The #waleg has adjourned. Legislators must still balance budget with more edu funding, pass a transpo package. Special session to begin 5/13

— Governor Inslee (@GovInslee) April 29, 2013

Senate Republicans, meanwhile, called for a focus on the state operating budget and a priority list of jobs bills during the Special Session.

Let’s focus on jobs, budget for special session: …neaholmquistnewbry.src.wastateleg.org/holmquist-newb… #waleg

— Senate Republicans (@WashingtonSRC) April 29, 2013

On its final day in the Regular Session, the State Legislature did manage to pass a transportation budget, but a wider transportation package is among the issues Governor Inslee wants lawmakers to consider in the Special Session.

Wash. state Legislature passes transportation budget on final day of regular session (by @jekaminsky): bit.ly/14Ei8Eq #waleg

— Rachel La Corte (@RachelAPOly) April 29, 2013

In other legislative news, House Republicans elected State Rep. Dan Kristiansen (R-39th Legislative District) as their new Minority Leader on Saturday (April 27). Kristiansen replaces Rep. Richard DeBolt (R-20th Legislative District) who recently stepped down due to health concerns.

Regular session is slated to end in just over two weeks on April 28.

After today, the main business left to accomplish is negotiating the state budget. Both the House and Senate have passed operating budgets (read President Young’s statement’s here and here).

For more analysis of both budget proposals and how they affect UW, read the OPB blog.

“In the absence of significant, new state investment, we appreciate this budget allows for modest tuition increases, which will be necessary to preserve student access to a high quality education. If we want to keep tuition increases low, the state must adequately reinvest in our students and public higher education.

“There is much more work to be done as budget negotiations progress, and I look forward to working with the House, Senate, and Governor on getting this right.”