Following a historic financial investment in higher education by the Washington state Legislature last year, I am excited for the 2020 legislative session which kicks off today in Olympia. Last year, our state drew national attention with the passage of the Workforce Education Investment Act which among other things fully funded the Washington College Grant. A big win for students, parents and employers, this landmark legislation established one of the most progressive higher education investments in the country by guaranteeing financial aid to more than 110,000 qualified students.
Lawmakers also invested directly in the University, providing funding for critical operating and capital budget requests. Investments included critical support for UW Medicine and funding for new a mental and behavioral health teaching hospital – a move that acknowledges the need to address our growing mental health crisis. To the many the UW faculty, students, alumni and other supporters who advocated with us in 2019, thank you!
This week our State Relations team is headed back to Olympia for the 60-day session. Mindful of last year’s investments, the University will put forward a modest legislative agenda limited to requests which are mostly holdovers from last year. The agenda includes five requests:
- $3.8 million in Maintenance and Operations (M&O) funding for the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health. Construction of this facility was funded by state dollars and a transformational gift from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, however there remains a gap in funding. With the building scheduled to open this fall, the UW is asking the Legislature to fully fund the maintenance of this new public asset.
- $1 million in pre-design funding for phase two of the Magnuson Health Science Center replacement and renovation. The need for more well-trained healthcare provider is clear. In an attempt to meet this need, the Magnuson Health Sciences Center is currently operating well beyond capacity and is in need of major upgrades. In 2019, the Legislature funded the construction of a new health sciences education building. This additional funding will enable the UW to plan for the replacement and redesign of the remaining health sciences complex.
- $725K to fund three new Assistant Attorney General positions within the UW to handle workload increases due to the UW’s growth in size and complexity. This request is in conjunction with the state Attorney General’s Office.
- Reappropriation of conditional wage increases at the UW. Last session, $7.4 million was earmarked to support an additional 1% salary increase for all represented employees — an allocation contingent on the UW providing the remaining funds. Because the increase was not financially feasible for the University, this funding was returned to the state. The UW and three eligible collective bargaining units are requesting the funds be reallocated in FY21 to provide one-time payments to lower-wage workers.
- Reauthorization of the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation which will sunset June 30, 2020 without reauthorization. JCATI fosters economic development, creates jobs and allows for collaborative research between business and academic partners.
On a personal note, the beginning of the 2020 session also marks my 16th year working in government relations for the University – the same amount of time that I previously spent working on staff for the Washington State Senate. A lot has transpired during this time both within the UW and in the state capitol, but the bottom line is that the current leadership of the University has developed a powerfully positive relationship with state elected officials, our partners in higher education, and the labor and business communities. This foundation will help insure continued investment as well as sustain the University through the next inevitable economic downturn. I’m proud to have played a part in shaping this foundation and look forward to at least a few more years of work to build on this success.