Monthly Archives: November 2013

Washington Legislature Kicks Off November Assembly Days

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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.

Senate Democrats Name New Leader

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This afternoon the Washington Senate Democrats named Sen. Sharon Nelson the new leader of the caucus.

Nelson, who represents parts of Burien, North Highline, Vashon and Maury Islands, and West Seattle, served as Assistant Ranking Member on Ways & Means during the 2013 legislative session.

Prior to serving in the Senate she served in the Washington House and as Chief of Staff for then King County Councilmember Dow Constantine, where she worked on a broad range of public policy issues, including complex land use legislation.

Nelson replaces Sen. Ed Murray. Murray resigned his position after being elected as the Mayor of Seattle earlier this month.

Washington Student Achievement Council Adopts Ten-Year Roadmap

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This morning the Washington Student Achievement Council adopted a Ten-Year Roadmap to increase educational attainment in Washington.

The Roadmap identifies two bold goals for Washington by 2023:

  • All adults in Washington will have a high school diploma or equivalent
  • At least 70 percent of Washington adults will have a postsecondary credential.

The Council will monitor progress toward the goals annually to evaluate their long-term impacts by examining increases in the number and percentage of Washingtonians completing a high school diploma or equivalent; in the percentage of the population enrolled in a postsecondary certificate, apprenticeship, or degree program; and the number of postsecondary certificates, apprenticeships, and degrees awarded annually.

To achieve these goals the Council has identified twelve action steps:

  • Ensure Access
  1. Ensure cost is not a barrier for low-income students
  2. Keep college affordable
  3. Ensure all high school graduates are career and college ready
  4. Streamline and expand dual credit and dual enrollment programs
  5. Increase support for all current and prospective students

 

  • Enhance Learning
  1. Align postsecondary programs with employment opportunities
  2. Provide greater access to work-based learning opportunities
  3. Encourage adults to earn a postsecondary credential
  4. Leverage technology to improve student outcome

 

  • Prepare for Future Challenges
  1. Respond to student, employer and community needs
  2. Increase awareness of postsecondary opportunities
  3. Help students and families save for postsecondary education

 

The top 2013 Roadmap priority is to ensure costs is not a barrier for low-income students. To that end the Council will advocate for full-funding of the College Bound Scholarship and the State Need Grant programs. In addition work is underway to develop a funding policy to better guide legislative appropriations to institutions. Finally, the Council will prioritize the remaining Roadmap actions during the development of the 2014 Strategic Action Plan, which will outline policy and funding needs for the 2015-17 biennium.

Revenue Forecast Released in the Black with Little Wiggle Room

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This morning the Washington Economic & Revenue Forecast Council approved a November forecast that increased slightly by $368 million for 2013-15. The increase is the result of a slow-recovering economy and tax changes approved by the Legislature.

Overall the increase gives the state about $862.7 million in total general-fund reserves for the current budget. Though good news given the deep declines in revenue over the past few years, the positive forecast does not change course, in many policymaker’s minds,  for the upcoming supplemental session. In other words a session geared towards technical changes and not new major investments.

This cautious approach may well be supported given pending litigation on state employee pensions that in the worst case could hit the state with a$1.3 billion price tag.

Changes in Leadership in Olympia

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This week Governor Inslee announced the appointment of a new chief of staff. Inslee named senior advisor Joby Shimomura as his new chief of staff.

Shimomura is a longtime aide of the Governor’s who has served on the governor’s executive team since January. She is a veteran Congressional staffer and campaign manager, working as Inslee’s Congressional chief of staff for six years and managing several of his campaigns.

Shimomura replaces Mary Alice Heuschel who has served in this role since January. Heuschel will lead state efforts on an interm basis to implement the Governor’s accountability framework “Results Washington”.

In other news, Senator Ed Murray resigned his position as Senate Democratic Leader.  Murray successfully won election as the Mayor of Seattle this week. Murray cited the need to focus on the transition of becoming mayor. However, he plans to remain in the Legislature through the special session, setting a date later for resignation from the Legislature.

Senator David Frockt will take over as interim leader of the Senate Democratic caucus.

Happenings on The Hill

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Yesterday the Washington Legislature convened for the third special session since the adjournment of the 2013 regular session in April. Governor Inslee called lawmakers back to Olympia, with 48 hours notice, to move through legislation designed to retain Boeing in Washington.

The legislation would continue current tax incentives for the airplane manufacturer through 2040 at a cost to the state of approximately $8.7 billion in loss revenue and a second bill would make additional investments in the community and technical college system for aerospace related training and education.  The state would also agree to fast-tracking aircraft-factory permits and working to find a balanced plan for more stringent water quality standards under consideration by the Washington Department of Ecology.

In return Boeing has agreed to keep the manufacturer of the 777x in Washington from which the state hopes to gain jobs and additional economic benefit.

The announcement of another special session also gave new life to the potential consideration of a transportation package. The proposed transportation package in the regular session ultimately was a casualty as lawmakers sought to strike a deal in the second special session and adjourn a very long session.  However the chances of a transportation package moving this special session is increasingly unlikely as the Senate is expected to vote on the Boeing related legislation and then adjourn tomorrow without considering a transportation package.