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Category: State Budget

Ramping up toward 2016 session; Governor’s budget release is imminent

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It’s that time of year again! No, not holiday shopping and what some affectionately call “butter season,” but the crescendo toward the opening of the 2016 Washington legislative session!

As a “short” 60-day session, expectations are generally modest, as they usually provide a limited opportunity for both policy-making and funding. Why? Two primary reasons: 1- Because the biennial budget has already been adopted, a supplemental budget typically offers only small changes in terms of funding. 2- With every House member and half of the Senate up for re-election, legislators are often cautious about significant new policy endeavors and are anxious about being held accountable for big changes in the re-election cycle.

Arguably, the release of the governor’s proposed budget is the unofficial kickoff of the session. This year, the budget release is expected on December 17

The outlook for the budget release, however, isn’t terribly rosy. The November 18 state revenue forecast reported an additional $113 million for the 2105-17 biennium, and an additional $30 million in 2017-19. Meanwhile, according to the governor’s budget office, state costs to maintain current services and other mandatory costs for the current biennium have grown by nearly $700 million. This is made up of increased costs to maintain current programs as a result of increasing caseloads, fire suppression costs, lawsuit costs, mental health needs, and other urgent needs.

December 17 is just around the corner, and we’re eager for the governor to unveil his spending proposal. It would be excellent to see some higher education priorities wrapped up with a big red bow. Perhaps we’ll even leave out some milk and cookies on the 16th just for good measure.

Seattle Times Editorial: Legislature should fund UW computer science expansion

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CSE Students and Faculty in the Lab
CSE Students and Faculty in the Lab Photo: Photograph ©2007 Stuart Isett

From today’s Seattle Times:

WHILE computer science and engineering jobs boom in Washington, the state is graduating too few of its own residents in this field, which plays such a crucial role in the state’s fortunes.

The University of Washington argues persuasively that it needs more space to address the demand both from students and employers.

The state Legislature should appropriate funds this year to help pay for a new 130,000-square-foot computer science and engineering building.

The university asked lawmakers for $40 million of the $105 million total, with plans to raise the remaining costs from private donors. So far, the Senate’s capital budget set aside $32 million, while the House budget appropriated only $6 million. The final capital budget should be closer to the Senate’s amount.

Continuing reading here.

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Revenue forecast shows $400 million uptick

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State budget writers received some positive news this week in the form of a modest increase of about $400 million over previous assumptions in the state’s revenue forecast.

From TVW’s Capitol Record:

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council expects the state to collect $327 million more in the 2015-17 cycle than previously projected. It also projects an additional $79 million more in the current 2013-17 budget cycle.

UW’s Office of Planning & Budget has a blog post with additional highlights.

From OFM’s news release:

Today’s forecast was released a month ahead of schedule to help lawmakers reach agreement on its 2015–17 operating, capital and transportation budgets. Gov. Jay Inslee called lawmakers into special session last month after they were unable to reach final budget agreements during this year’s regular legislative session. The 30-day special session ends May 28.

Watch TVW’s coverage of the Economic & Revenue Update online here.

 

UW weighs in on State House and Senate budgets

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HOUSE OPERATING & CAPITAL BUDGETS

On Monday (March 30), UW testified in House Appropriations on the Chair’s operating budget proposal, and in House Capital Budget on the Chair’s capital budget proposal.

View the testimony on behalf of the University by Director of State Relations Genesee Adkins in House Appropriations via TVW  here.

You can also watch testimony by Ian Goodhew on behalf of the UW School of Medicine via TVW here.

Read Interim President Ana Mari Cauce’s statement on the House budget here.

For a more detailed analysis on how the House operating and capital budget impacts UW, read the UW Office of Planning & Budgeting’s brief.

SENATE OPERATING BUDGET

On Tuesday (March 31), UW testified in Senate Ways & Means on the Chair’s budget proposal.

View the testimony on behalf of the University by Director of State Relations Genesee Adkins via TVW here.

Read Interim President Ana Mari Cauce’s statement on the Senate budget here.

For a more detailed analysis on how the Senate budget impacts UW, read the UW Office of Planning & Budgeting’s brief here.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Both chambers will pass their respective budgets out from committee to the floor. We anticipate that once both chambers pass their budgets off the floor, negotiations will begin to find compromise operating and capital budgets for the 2015-2017.

As a reminder, several weeks remain until the 2015 regular legislative session adjourns on Friday, April 24. Stay tuned to the blog for more updates!

UW Interim President Ana Mari Cauce statement on proposed House budget

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The following statement is from University of Washington Interim President Ana Mari Cauce:

“I am pleased to see that the House budget begins the critical work of reinvesting in higher education for the benefit of our students and our state. The new funding for faculty and staff compensation, computer science enrollment expansion and medical residencies is critically important. The proposed budget in its entirety, however, may not be sufficient to keep tuition affordable and to fulfill our public commitment to deliver the innovations, discoveries, products and talented young people that our region needs. We must be about both access and excellence, and we will continue to stress that a robust state investment is critical.

“We are also extremely pleased that the House budget proposal recognizes the critical importance of keeping the UW’s #1-ranked primary care program in Spokane and of increasing our enrollment from 40 to 60 students per year. The transfer of $4.7 million in dedicated funding for our medical school from WSU to the UW will ensure that we can maintain and grow our medical education program to meet the critical physician workforce needs of the state.”

via UW News & Info

Universities react to Governor Inslee’s 2015-17 budget proposal

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On December 18, Governor Inslee released his plans to fund education in the 2015-17 biennium. You can find information about the Governor’s full budget proposal online here.

This is what Washington’s public universities had to say about Governor Inslee’s plans for funding higher education:

This week’s budget proposal from Governor Inslee makes important investments in early childhood, K-12, and higher education. However, it falls short of providing sufficient funding to expand student access, fund a tuition freeze, and increase degree production in high demand fields to meet current demand and make progress towards the state’s higher education degree goals.

Washington’s public college and universities are united behind a request to increase state investment by $198 million over the next two years. This additional funding would increase degree production in high-demand areas, improve student access and performance through targeted, evidence-based initiatives, and hold the line on tuition increases for an additional two years.

During the most recent economic recession, higher education in Washington state experienced some of the largest decreases in state funding in the nation. During that time, class sizes, time to degree, student indebtedness, and tuition dramatically increased while nearly 2,000 faculty and staff positions supporting the academic mission were lost. In 2013, the Governor and state legislature rallied to reverse this trend. New state investments in higher education allowed for the first resident undergraduate tuition freeze since 1986. Even with this recent funding, Washington still ranks 49th nationally in per student funding, including both state support and tuition.

We look forward to working with the Governor and the legislature to advance this request during the legislative session.

To learn more about how Governor Inslee’s budgets would impact the University of Washington, view the Office of Planning & Budgeting brief here.

The legislature will return to Olympia for a 105-day session beginning January 12. The state budget process will shift into higher gear following the state’s March revenue forecast, which will give lawmakers the most timely sense of how revenue is shaping up for the 2015-17 budget period.

House and Senate release supplemental budget proposals

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This week, leaders of the Senate and House fiscal committees released their supplemental operating and capital budgets.

The budgets propose technical corrections and appropriation changes to the current 2013-15 biennial budgets.

Read UW’s Office of Planning & Budgeting brief (PDF) comparing the Governor, House, and Senate budgets.

In terms of process, the Senate budget was passed out of the Senate Ways & Means committee last night, debated and voted off the Senate floor today on a vote of 41 to 8.

The House has scheduled floor action for Saturday.

Once both chambers pass their respective budgets, negotiations begin towards a compromise budget.

Watch via TVW:

Senate Supplemental Budget Media Availability

House Democrats Supplemental Budget Media Availability

Governor Inslee releases 2014 supplemental budget proposal

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This week (Dec. 17), Governor Jay Inslee released his 2014 supplemental budget proposal, calling it a “hold-steady” budget in a “get ready” year, acknowledging that tough decisions await on the horizon for the next biennial budget in 2015.

READ: UW Office of Planning & Budgeting Blog and Brief (PDF) on the Governor’s budget proposal.

The funding levels in the Governor’s supplemental budget proposal will allow UW to maintain its commitment to holding resident undergraduate tuition at current rates through the next academic year.  The University of Washington’s Board of Regents are currently the only governing board that have voted on a 0% resident undergraduate tuition increase in both years of the biennium.  This budget affirms that vote.

Governor Inslee’s budget proposal also makes a few small, but important investments in targeted areas at UW that will benefit Washington’s economy.  These investments include:

  • $1 million in state funding for UW’s Institute for Protein Design to spur commercialization of next generation medical research.
  • $750,000 in state funding for the Entrepreneurs in Residence program that aids in commercialization of R&D projects at the state’s research universities.
  • $500,000 in state funding to define and develop a business plan for an Advanced Materials Manufacturing (aerospace) facility in partnership with local governments and private industry in Snohomish County.

In addition to the above state investments in the University of Washington, Governor Inslee’s budget includes a necessary investment to ensure the College Bound Scholarship Program is fully funded. The College Bound program supports 1,338 students at the UW.

In sum, the Governor’s budget appears to reflect the reality of steady but slow improvement in the state economy. It preserves increased funding levels for higher education that were established last legislative session, and makes several targeted new investments in the University. As the state’s revenue outlook continues to improve, UW will advocate for additional important priorities as part of our 2014 legislative agenda. These include fully funding the State Need Grant program, and making additional state investments in STEM education.

The 2014 legislative session begins on January 13, 2014.

Additional Budget Links

Governor Inslee’s Press Conference (TVW)

Governor Inslee’s 2014 Budget Education Highlights (OFM)

Governor’s News Release (GOV)

Forecast shows revenues up, confidence down

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On Friday (Oct. 11), the Washington State Economic Revenue & Forecast Council published it’s monthly economic and revenue update.

Among other news, the report shows that tax collections were again higher than previously forecast, and consumer confidence is down, likely as a byproduct of the federal government shutdown.

A few additional highlights from the update:

  • Washington employment and income continue to grow moderately.
  • Major General Fund-State revenue collections for the September 11 – October 10, 2013 collection period were $32.3 million (2.9%) higher than the September forecast.
  • The forecast included a $22.5 million refund that did not occur this month but will occur at a later date. Had the refund occurred as expected, collections would have been $9.8 million (0.9%) above the forecast.

The ERFC’s revenue review released in November will be the basis for Governor Inslee’s supplemental budget proposal for the 2014 legislative session. Session is set to begin in early January.

Editorial: A proud moment for the state Legislature

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UW President Michael K. Young
President Michael K. Young

In a guest opinion editorial published in The Olympian newspaper, UW President Michael K. Young recognizes state legislators for their work on behalf of higher education in the state budget:

I am very proud of our state Legislature. As difficult and protracted as the process was, our legislators passed a state budget that reinvests in the state’s future by supporting the education of our young people. It’s an achievement that deserves to be recognized.

…

The state budget is an encouraging reminder that the trajectory of a public issue can be altered for the better and that downward spirals need not continue. Many individuals, including faculty and student leaders, labor leaders, business executives, and newspaper editors demonstrated the power of a thoughtful argument, persistently and eloquently presented, and the capacity of our citizens and our democratic institutions to respond constructively. The resulting political compromises and the long-term thinking of the legislators should be a source of pride for every Washington citizen. By their bold action, our legislators have taken an important step to reenergize our public colleges and universities and return momentum to Washington’s historic commitment to educating its citizens to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Read more here.