Category: 2014 Legislative Session

Today (March 13), the House and Senate passed a supplemental budget that makes several small, but important investments in higher education. Notably, the compromise supplemental budget preserved funding provided last year to UW. Preserving this funding allows the University to freeze resident undergraduate tuition another year.

Read an overview brief from UW’s Office of Planning & Budgeting on the supplemental budget.

Specific highlights from the 2014 60-day session, during which the Legislature took action on UW’s top budget and policy priorities, include:

Budget

$1 million for the Institute for Protein Design (UW’s top budget priority)

$5 million for the REAL Hope/DREAM Act

$11 million in Life Science Discovery Fund (LSDF) active grants protected

$400,000 for UW Tacoma Law School planning

Policy

The House and Senate passed HB 2163, which concerns higher education efficiencies. The bill was UW’s top policy priority, and saves the University approximately $700,000 per year.

While $11 million in active grants from the Life Sciences Discovery Fund to the UW were protected, unfortunately, the compromise budget eliminates future funding for the LSDF.

Stay tuned for more news from Olympia, as the supplemental budget and bills that have passed the Legislature now head to the Governor for his consideration.

Last Friday (March 7) was the second to last cut-off deadline of the session (the last day to consider opposite house bills), with the other being Sine Die (the last day allowed for regular session under the state constitution).

The Friday cutoff doesn’t apply to bills considered necessary to implement the budget (“NTIB”), or already agreed to by both the Senate and the House.

While the House did not meet over the weekend, on Saturday the Senate began considering bills placed on the “concurrence” calendar. Essentially, that means considering bills passed by the other chamber, but that have been amended.

For a bill to go to the Governor’s desk, it has to pass with the same exact language in both chambers. In many cases, the chamber of origin agrees to the other’s changes. But it is also possible that the chamber of origin can insist on the original bill. If the latter happens, negotiations usually take place to iron out any differences.

Speaking of negotiations — the “four corners” (representatives from the House majority and minority, and Senate majority and minority) are reportedly inching closer to agreement on a supplemental budget. The process is marked by a sort of “shuttle diplomacy,” with budget negotiators seen crossing the Capitol rotunda, to meet with counterparts.

Stay tuned for more, as the end of the 60-day session quickly approaches!

In today’s The Olympian newspaper, Lee Huntsman, president emeritus of the University of Washington, and Lee Hartwell, president emeritus of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, published an opinion editorial urging the Governor and state lawmakers to preserve funding for the Life Sciences Discovery Fund in the supplemental budget.

Read the editorial.

Two legislative proposals to help higher education institutions operate more efficiently cleared hurdles this week.

Each year a work group from higher ed institutions, made up of administrators and staff, meets to study and review efficiency efforts, and then recommends a range of efficiency measures to the state legislature that require changes to state law.

This year, those efficiency measures are contained in House Bill 2613, sponsored by Rep. Mia Gregerson (D-SeaTac) and Senate Bill 6362, sponsored by Sen. Barbara Bailey (R-Whidbey Island).

Both bills contain provisions that would help higher ed institutions save time and money, ranging from streamlining certain reporting requirements to allowing universities to move from semi-monthly payroll to bi-weekly payroll. For instance, UW estimates the latter provision alone would result in savings of $700,000 per year.

As of this writing, both bills have passed out of their respective policy committees, cleared fiscal committees, and are now moving closer to a floor vote in both chambers.

Stay tuned for more news as these two bills move through the process!

This week is policy cutoff in the House (Wednesday) and Senate (Friday). That means that if a policy bill hasn’t had a public hearing and been voted out of committee, it’s not likely going further in the process this legislative session.

Another cutoff date will occur next week, when the same process will unfold on bills in fiscal committees. Following fiscal cutoff will be the floor cutoff, the date by which a bill has to make it out of its house of origin, to be considered by the other chamber.

Legislative cutoff dates signal the ebb and flow of legislative activity, as committee, staff and legislative members’ workloads change in response to the winnowing list of bills left “alive.” Of curse, some bills considered “dead” may still be revived if they are deemed necessary to implement the budget (“NTIB”).

On Wednesday, President Michael Young returned to Olympia to continue meeting with lawmakers on the University’s top legislative priorities (Learn more: 2014 Legislative Agenda). President Young alsp took time out to meet with UW students from all three campuses interning in Olympia during the legislative session.

Students had a chance to hear from the President on his perspectives on public service, as well as share their individual experiences working in legislative and caucus offices. Students were given an opportunity to ask questions on a range of topics.

Today (Thursday), UW Regents Rogelio Riojas, Constance W. Rice, and Kiana M. Scott appeared before the Senate Higher Education committee for their gubernatorial appointment hearings. All three shared their personal stories, their qualifications for the position, and what they hope to accomplish during their tenure on the UW’s Board of Regents. Watch their testimony via TVW.

Finally, ASUW held its annual “Huskies on the Hill” student lobby day. As part of the day of activities, ASUW held a legislative forum, and invited UW Director of State Relations Margaret Shepherd to speak about her work as the University’s chief representative in Olympia. The forum also featured the University’s faculty representative, Prof. Jim Fridley, representatives from the alumni legislative advocacy group UW Impact, and State Representatives Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane), Gerry Pollet (D-Seattle), and Chad Magendanz (R-Issaquah).

On Thursday (Jan. 30), UW Director of Student Financial Aid Kay Lewis presented during a work session of the Senate Higher Education Committee.

UW provided an overview of cost of attendance, tuition and fees, sources and types of student financial aid, along with several UW-specific pride points and challenges.

View the UW PowerPoint:

Watch the work session on TVW.

Yesterday (Jan. 30) at an afternoon press conference, Senate Higher Education Chair Barbara Bailey (R-Whidbey Island) announced the introduction of Senate Bill 6523, referred to as the REAL Hope Act.

The proposal, which mirrors the so-called “DREAM Act” would allow students who were illegally brought to the United States as children to be eligible for state financial aid. Notably, the bill appropriates $5 million to the State Need Grant program.

Also sponsoring the bill are Senators Tom, Fain, Litzow, Hill, and Dammeier.

A vote is expected as early as today (Jan. 31) on the REAL Hope Act, along with Senate Bill 5318, which removes the one-year waiting period for veterans or active members of the military for purposes of eligibility for resident tuition.

Read more in the Seattle Times.