This Thursday and Friday the Washington Legislature meets for Assembly Days to focus on the issues they will face in January during the 2014 supplemental session.

Several work sessions will be held that center around the 2014 supplemental operating and capital budgets as well as the impacts of legislation passed during the 2013 regular session.

Higher education kicked off the week early with the convening of the Joint Higher Education Committee yesterday. Committee members engaged with members of the Washington Student Achievement Council on the launch of the Councils’ Ten-Year Roadmap.

On Thursday the Senate Higher Education Committee and the House Subcommittee on Education Appropriations will meet. The Senate Higher Education Committee will hold a work session on meeting Washington’s workforce demands with a focus on the workforce skills gap, higher education efforts to meet employer needs, and using data to measure success in meeting workforce demand. The House will focus on the Guaranteed Education Tuitin (GET) program and an update on the College Bound Scholarship program.

In the afternoon the Senate Ways & Means Committee will receive an update on the 2014 supplemental capital and operating budgets, most recent revenue forecast and collective bargaining agreements. In addition members will hear from the Council of Presidents regarding the Higher Education Performance Funding Task Force.

The House Appropriations Committee will also convene to receive updates regarding Lean management savings, the higher education budget, and the Affordable Care Act.

On Friday the House Higher Education Committee will meet to learn more about the 2014 legislative agendas for the Washington Student Achievement Council, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and the Council of Presidents.