Category: 2021 Interim

Representative Liz Berry recently visited the Clean Energy Institute (CEI) and Washington Clean Energy Testbeds at the UW to learn more about clean energy research and development taking place in Washington state. CEI was founded in 2013 with support from the state with the mission to accelerate the adoption of a scalable clean energy future to improve global health and the economy. Established four years later, the testbeds serve as an active gathering space for cleantech innovators and investors working to accelerate the development and adoption of new clean energy technologies.

As a member of the House Environment & Energy Committee as well as the Transportation Committee, Rep. Berry has a keen interest in clean energy. During her visit, she met with CEI leadership and innovators to discover more about the institute’s groundbreaking research in solar energy, battery development, and transportation electrification and to see student and faculty-led projects in development.

Thank you, Rep. Berry!

Today, the University of Washington and Cascadia College community celebrated the groundbreaking of their new shared STEM academic building. UW Bothell and Cascadia have the unique distinction of being jointly located on one campus and partnered to make this new facility a reality. Each institution will occupy half the building with shared space designed for students and staff from both UW Bothell and Cascadia.

Scheduled to open in fall 2022, the 75,000 square-foot building will accommodate more than 500 new students and increase UW Bothell’s STEM graduates by 260 per year. STEM degrees have seen unprecedented demand over the past decade from students and industry so the new facility will help meet demand. The facility will also strengthen the partnership and collaboration between UW Bothell and Cascadia College.

The building would not have been possible without generous support from the state. In attendance at the groundbreaking was Senator David Frockt, Representatives Vandana Slatter and Davina Duerr, and former Senator Guy Palumbo. Sen. Frockt spoke as the Senate Capital Budget Chair about the importance of supporting higher education and STEM degrees.

Thank you legislators for attending the celebration and for the continued support of UW Bothell.

Representative Marcus Riccelli joined External Affairs staff members last week for a construction site tour of the future Regional Health Partnership building in Spokane. The UW School of Medicine and Gonzaga University entered into a public-private partnership with McKinstry, who is developing and will manage the building.

The four-story, 90,000-square-foot building is scheduled to open July 2023 and will serve more than 600 UW and Gonzaga medical and health sciences students. The facility will include state-of-the-art teaching classrooms, anatomy labs, research and innovation centers, study space, offices, and space to embark on shared research. For more information about this exciting project, click here.

While in Spokane, the external affairs team also had the opportunity to meet with Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig to thank him for his support during legislative session and to connect on the UW projects happening in Spokane.

Thank you, Rep. Riccelli and Sen. Billig for your continued support of the UW.

Today, Senator David Frockt, representing the 46^th legislative district in North Seattle, toured the UW Evans School of Public Policy & Governance’s newly renovated Parrington Hall. Built in 1902, Parrington was one of the first buildings on today’s Seattle campus. After serving students for over 100 years, campus leaders began efforts to update the Hall’s learning environment and make repairs.  Their vision was to transform Parrington into a space that fosters innovation and collaboration while respecting its history.

Through the generosity of the Evans School community, the UW, and the State of Washington, construction on Parrington Hall began in June 2019 and was completed in September 2020. As the Senate Democratic leader on the capital budget, Sen. Frockt was instrumental in securing state funds for this important project.

During the tour, Sen. Frockt had the opportunity to see the expanded, modernized building, including spacious new classrooms, gathering spaces, and sustainability features and improvements. These updates will benefit public policy and governance students at the Evans School for many years to come.

Thank you Sen. Frockt for visiting Parrington Hall and for championing efforts to secure state funding to support the critical renovations on this important historic landmark.

In May, Governor Jay Inslee announced most remaining COVID-19 restrictions would lift by June 30 or earlier if more than 70 percent of Washingtonians over the age of 16 initiated vaccination. While the state has yet to reach 70 percent according to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), the majority of Washington state’s COVID-19 restrictions were lifted as planned yesterday. Some mask requirements did stay in place for individuals who aren’t vaccinated.

The Governor also issued a new proclamation for higher education institutions clarifying requirements for campuses. To be exempt from the proclamation, the UW must meet the following requirements: have a policy requiring students, staff, and faculty to be vaccinated, subject to medical, religious, or philosophical exemptions; put a policy and procedures in place to verify vaccinations status; and require students, faculty, and staff who claim an exemption to wear a face covering. The University currently has plans in place to meet these requirements and will follow the DOH’s COVID-19 recommendations as encouraged.

The UW is working to quickly adjust its own policies to match the new guidance from DOH. In the meantime, the University’s current health and safety policies, including masking and distancing requirements, will remain in effect until changes are communicated by the Executive Office or Environmental Health & Safety. For UW COVID-19 updates, click here.

The Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council released their June quarterly report today showing significantly improved revenue collections. The state’s General Fund revenue for the current 2019-21 biennium ending on June 30 is forecasted to increase by more than $1.3 billion with revenues totaling $52.3 billion. If projections actualize, the state will have a surplus of nearly $3 billion – including Rainy Day reserves – at the end of the biennium.

This is a stunning rebound from this time last year when the state’s revenue collections plummeted due to the impacts of COVID-19. The 2020 June quarterly report forecasted revenue collections for the current biennium (2019-21) to decrease by nearly $4.5 billion leaving the state with a $1.4 billion shortfall at the end of the biennium.

The council also projects revenue collections for the upcoming 2021-23 biennium starting July 1 will increase by more than $1.9 billion with total revenue estimated at $56.6 billion.

Washington state employment numbers have seen a slight improvement with employment rising 37,300 over the last three months but remain 200,000 lower than in February 2020. Washington’s unemployment rate has decreased significantly to 5.3 percent from the all-time high of 16.3 percent in April 2020.

Overall, the state economy is still feeling the impacts of the pandemic but is moving in a positive direction with year-over-year growth expected to remain high. For more information, view the Economic Revenue and Forecast Council forecast reports here.

Tomorrow, people across the U.S. will celebrate Juneteenth. The holiday commemorates the day in 1865 on which enslaved people in Texas learned that the Civil War and their enslavement had ended, two months after the Confederate army surrendered and more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Celebrated as Independence Day by Black Americans, there has been a move in Washington state and at the national level to formally recognize Juneteenth.

Our state will mark Juneteenth as a paid holiday for state employees beginning June 19, 2022 thanks to the tireless work of the legislature this past session. House Bill 1016 was approved by the legislature and signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on May 13, formally establishing Juneteenth as a legal state holiday. Just yesterday, President Joe Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday as well.

Honoring Juneteenth is a small step toward fully acknowledging the lives and labor stolen in the making of America. It is also an opportunity for education about Black history and a continued reckoning with systemic racism still faced by Black Americans today. For further reading, we recommend the following resources as a starting point.

• BlackPast.org: Juneteenth: The growth of an African American holiday
• UW News: An occasion for unapologetic Black joy, community connection, and reeducation’: UW’s LaTaSha Levy discusses Juneteenth
• UW President Cauce: On Juneteenth, we honor the past and act for the future

Earlier this week, Gov. Jay Inslee signed the 2021-23 operating, capital, and transportation budgets into law with an effective date of May 18.

While the Governor vetoed portions of the operating budget, no changes were made to the University of Washington’s section of the budget or student financial aid. The capital budget was signed into law without any changes. Generally, both budgets included solid and targeted investments for the UW. For an overview of the major investments included in the budgets for the University, click here.

The Governor also partially vetoed the transportation budget and sections of two new climate bills on clean fuel standards and carbon that require a new statewide transportation funding package for the legislation to take effect. There are discussions about a potential special session in September to address this topic and pass a transportation package.

The UW’s Office of State Relations will monitor legislative action and provide updates to campus on the potential for a special session.