April 25, 2021
Session news: Final budgets passed by legislature include investments in the UW
The 2021 legislative session adjourned tonight after the legislature passed the final 2021-23 operating, capital, and transportation budgets. Despite the unprecedented fiscal and logistical challenges resulting from the pandemic, session ended on time and without the substantial budget cuts anticipated at the outset. The higher education sector saw strong, targeted investments in both the operating…
April 14, 2021
Session news: Final days of legislative session; State Relations to hold recap
The 2021 legislative session is nearing the finish line with Apr. 25 scheduled to be the last day. The only bills still being considered are those deemed “necessary to implement the budget” or those that need to be reconciled between the chambers. All bills must pass out of both chambers on or before Apr. 25…
April 2, 2021
State Relations briefs campus on the 2021 legislative session
Today, the Office of State Relations held a campus-wide legislative session update. State Relations Director Joe Dacca shared the latest news “from” Olympia—including an overview of the House and Senate budget proposals—and answered questions. As a refresher, the House and Senate budget proposals included solid investments in the higher education sector and the University of…
March 27, 2021
Session news: Senate and House publish draft budgets with investments in higher education
The Senate and House released their proposed 2021-23 operating and capital budgets this week, which include solid investments in the higher education sector and alleviate fears of across-the-board cuts due to poor 2020 revenue forecasts. Federal COVID-19 relief funding and improved revenue collections ultimately eliminated the need for sizable cuts. For the University of Washington,…
March 17, 2021
Session news: Substantial increase in state revenue as legislators finalize draft budgets
The March economic and revenue forecast published by the Washington State Economic and Revenue Council today shows that general fund state revenue collections will increase by $1.34 billion for the 2019-21 biennium and $1.949 billion for the 2021-23 biennium. These amounts essentially constitute a full recovery to the February 2020, pre-COVID forecast, which was used as…
March 10, 2021
Session news: Legislature passes house of origin cutoff; Join State Relations for an update
The 105-day legislative session is more than halfway over. Yesterday marked the house of origin cutoff, meaning bills that did not pass out of the chamber they originated in are now considered dead unless they are necessary to implement the budget (NTIB). Any proposed legislation that passed off the floor in their house of origin…
February 24, 2021
Session news: Legislators move to the House and Senate floor to consider bills
It’s week seven of session and proposed legislation is now being considered on the floor by all legislators in the chamber they originated in. Bills that did not advance out of the fiscal committee in their house of origin by Feb. 22 are now considered dead unless they are necessary to implement the budget (NTIB)….
February 12, 2021
Session news: Regents and trustees advocate for higher education; Furlough bill update
It’s week five of session and the legislature is quickly approaching policy and fiscal cutoffs. Feb. 22 is the last day for bills to pass out of the fiscal committees in their house of origin. If bills do not move out of fiscal committee by that date, they are considered dead and will not become…
January 28, 2021
Session news: Virtual legislative session begins with UW testimony on the Governor’s budgets
The 2021 legislative session began on Jan. 11 in a virtual format. Legislators convened at the Capitol building on the first day under strict safety standards to take the in-person vote required to allow for a virtual session and then returned to their legislative districts to conduct business for the remainder of session. This long…
December 22, 2020
Gov. Inslee unveils 2021-23 budget proposals
Gov. Jay Inslee released his 2021 supplemental, 2021-23 operating, and 2021-23 capital budget proposals last week. The Governor’s proposed biennial operating budget includes $57.6 billion in spending focused heavily on public health and economic recovery. The budget commits an additional $397 million to the state’s public health system for personal protective equipment, testing supplies and…
