Lawmakers are busy on the floor this week, but even busier in negotiations over the state budget. All of the UW’s request bills remain alive at this point. Our bills on tuition-setting authority for graduate and out-of-state students and to streamline public works contracting both await House floor votes; we are continuing to work on final language. Our bill to protect private investment information provided to our endowment has cleared both chambers, but is awaiting final resolution of some small differences.
Of course the backdrop for all of the action on the floor is the state budget. Rep. Kathy Haigh has introduced a bill in the House that would allow lawmakers to set tuition levels, and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles is planning to offer an amendment in Senate Ways and Means to allow tuition to increase by 14%. Both are indications that lawmakers are seriously considering allowing higher tuition levels as a way to mitigate the impact of proposed budget cuts. It is very important to note that even with higher tuition, the cuts being contemplated for higher education would still be substantial and require significant cost-cutting measures.
On the revenue front, discussion appears to be narrowing to a proposal to put to voters a three-tenths of one percent increase in the sales tax which would be used to offset a portion of health care cuts. At the same time, today saw the largest Capitol Campus rally of the session — an anti-tax rally that the State Patrol estimates drew over 5,000 people.
Lawmakers are also facing a ticking clock — the regular session is scheduled to end April 26. They will need to reach budget agreements several days before that to finish on time. To date, neither chamber has passed a complete budget which is highly unusual and a sign of the difficulties lawmakers are having reaching a final accord.
On the Capital Budget front, negotiations are also continuing. One major difference is how the House and Senate dealt with the UW building account. The House transferred the money to the general fund; the Senate did not. How that issue (among others) is resolved will determine how many capital projects will be funded this cycle.
So even more than usual, this year the mantra for the final ten days of session is “watch and wait.” No word yet on coffee (and aspirin) sales at the legislative cafeteria — but it’s probably safe to put your money on a record performance.