May 12, 2022
Governor and higher education leaders celebrate session successes at UW Tacoma
Governor Jay Inslee, legislators, students, and higher education advocates gathered at UW Tacoma yesterday for Bridge to the Future, an event celebrating the post-secondary successes of the 2022 legislative session. In recent years, the state has made considerable investments in higher education, including student financial aid and increased funding for faculty and staff compensation. UW…
March 22, 2022
Extraordinary number of state legislators not seeking reelection
Since October, twenty-two state lawmakers have announced their retirement from the Washington Legislature or their decision to run for the Senate instead of the House. Turnover in the legislature is common, especially in an election year, but the considerable number of state lawmakers not seeking reelection is sure to shake up the upcoming election season…
March 11, 2022
Session news: Final budget includes best compensation funding for the UW in a decade
The 2022 legislative session adjourned on time yesterday after the House and Senate passed the supplemental operating, capital, and transportation budgets. Due to improved state revenue and the availability of one-time federal COVID-19 relief funds, the supplemental operating budget includes significant investments in housing, social supports, health care and behavioral health, and climate policy, in…
February 22, 2022
Session news: Supplemental budget proposals released with UW investments
Over the past week, the House and Senate each released their 2022 operating and capital supplemental budget proposals. The proposals fully fund the University of Washington’s legislative requests and include significant support for student financial aid. Major investments for the UW in the operating budget proposals include: $14.6M (Senate) | $11.2M (House) for compensation increases…
February 16, 2022
State revenue projected to increase by more than $1.4 billion in the 2021-23 biennium
Washington state revenue projections for the current 2021-23 budget cycle have increased by more than $1.4 billion since November, according to the Washington State Economic Revenue Forecast Council’s February revenue report. The state’s Near General Fund revenues are now projected at $61.7 billion for the biennium ending June 30, 2023. High inflation rates, along with…
February 7, 2022
Session news: Floor action begins; Regents & trustees champion higher education
Tomorrow marks the halfway point of the 60-day legislative session. House and Senate fiscal committees met over the weekend to hear bills and move them out of committee prior to fiscal cutoff today. Bills that did not pass out of fiscal committee are now “dead” unless considered necessary to implement the budget. The House and…
January 28, 2022
Session news: UW leadership meets with legislators as policy cutoff approaches
It’s day 19 of the 2022 legislative session. The last day for bills to pass out of the policy committee in their house of origin is Feb. 3, with fiscal committee cutoff shortly thereafter on Feb. 7. If bills do not move out of their house of origin committees by the Feb. 7 deadline, they…
January 14, 2022
Session news: 2022 legislative session begins virtually, again
The 2022 legislative session took off at a breakneck speed on Monday, Jan. 10, once again in a virtual format. This short 60-day session is focused on the supplemental budgets, which usually make modest adjustments to the biennial budgets passed last session. However, due to improved revenue forecasts since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic…
December 17, 2021
Governor releases 2022 supplemental budget proposal with UW investments
The 2022 legislative session begins Jan. 10 and will focus on the supplemental budget, which will modify the biennial budget passed last session. Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled his 2022 operating and capital budget proposals today, as a first step in the state budget process. The Governor’s proposed operating budget emphasizes climate action and poverty reduction….
December 8, 2021
House College & Workforce Dev. Chair meets with UW students and President Cauce
Yesterday, the House College & Workforce Development Chair Vandana Slatter visited the UW Seattle campus to hear from students, faculty, and leadership and to learn more about the UW’s 2022 legislative requests. First, she participated in a roundtable with students in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) to learn more…
