Senate Ways and Means Committee Funds Evergreen’s Biomass Feasibility Study Among Other Actions

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The Senate Ways & Means Committee met for a better part of today to hear several bills and take action on several more.

Of great significance for Evergreen was action taken to move forward the Senate’s 2010 proposed Capital Budget (SB 6364).  SSB 6364 was amended in committee, by Senator Fraser,  to appropriate $125,000 to Evergreen to complete a feasibility study on the College’s Biomass Gasification Project.

In addition, the Senate’s proposed capital budget:

  • Reduces appropriations for debt limit bonds by $139 million.
  • The reduction of $139 million is a combination of reducing new appropriations for the 2009-11 biennium by $73 million and the reappropriation authority for projects authorized in the prior biennia by $66 million.
  • Avoids exceeding the 9 percent constitutional debt limit.
  • Captures $48 million in savings for major higher education construction projects from competitive bids received for these projects.
  • Provides $36 million in funding for the replacement of Balmer Hall at the University of Washington.
  • Places greater reliance on Evergreen’s local funds, including the school trust and a portion of student tuition.

The Committee also took action on House Bill 3178– Information Technology. House Bill 3178  organizes, consolidates, and, where appropriate, contracts with private providers for technology systems and resources.  In addition, the bill establishes spending restrictions for information technology for the 2009-2011 biennium.

The Senate Committee removed the language in the House version of HB 3178 and replaced it with language that primarily reflects the House bill but with the following changes:

  • The Legislature and courts are no longer required to submit major IT project budget requests to executive branch agencies for review.
  • Language is more explicit regarding IT in the Legislature and courts.
  • Legislative and judicial branches are no longer required to develop IT portfolios consistent with the provisions of 43.105.172.
  • The legislative and judicial branches are no longer required to prepare and submit to the department a biennial performance report consistent with the provisions of RCW 43.105.17.
  • Other technical changes.

In addition to the replacing the language in the bill, the Committee also adopted two amendments to the bill: (1) A null and void clause added which would repeal the language in the bill if no dollars are appropriated for the bill and (2) Removes language referring to the pilot project.

Both Senate Bill 6364 and House Bill 3178 go to the Senate floor for further consideration.