Washington is nearly a month in to the 2015 legislative session. Activity abounds.
In the House, the 2015 supplemental budget passed off the floor late last week and the Appropriations Committee has held a public hearing on the Governor’s proposed biennial budget. In addition, the Capital Budget Committee took testimony on the Governor’s proposed biennial capital budget.
The House Higher Education Committee opened the legislative session with several work sessions focused on timely topics including access and affordability and areas of study that lead to good jobs – highlighting computer science, rural health care, and maritime industries. Beginning last week, the Committee began hold public hearings on legislation introduced this session. The focus of bills introduced this session have ranged from efficiencies and transparency within higher education to strategic planning to access and affordability policies.
The Committee will continue to hold public hearings and begin executive sessions through this week and likely most of next week as the first legislative deadline nears at the end of February.
The Senate has followed a similar path. The Senate Ways & Means Committee opened the session with a public hearing on the Governor’s biennial operating budget followed by two work sessions focused on higher education funding and capital construction. This week the Committee will hold a public hearing on the Governor’s proposed biennial capital budget.
The Senate Higher Education Committee also has taken time to focus on topics of the day in higher education, such as medical education, campus sexual assault prevention, and higher education funding. Beginning last week the committee focused on advancing legislation introduced this session, giving attention to a series of bills focused on financial aid and transparency. The committee will continue this work this week with hearings on sexual assault prevention legislation, tuition policy, and veterans.
Finally, the Committee has held a series of conversations with trustees and regents appointed by the Governor to serve on higher education related public boards.