Author Archives: garverj

2011 Legislative Session: Week 12

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This week the focus will be on the Senate and House budget committees and some floor action.

Last Friday marked the passage of another major deadline, requiring all policy bills from the opposite chamber  be moved either to an appropriations committee.

The Legislature must move all bills from the appropriations committee to the floor by the end of this week (April 1).

To this end this week will be filled with a mix of public hearings and executive sessions to move bills forward as the deadline looms. Please see the links below for a list of all the hearings that might be of interest.

Several Bills That Would Impact Higher Education Considered This Week

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Tomorrow marks the passage of another major deadline in the Legislature. All bills, from the opposite chamber, must have moved out of policy committees either to an appropriation committee or the floor by the end of day.

The last two weeks have been a rush of activity as the House and Senate consider what bills to move forward through the process.

Several bills have been considered that will impact higher education. Legislators have heard public comment on bills ranging from mentoring programs at higher education institutions to efforts to provide great flexibility for higher education with regard to purchasing and contracts.

A handful of these bills are moving forward in the process and the fate of several more will be know after 5:00 p.m. tomorrow. Among the bills that have passed tomorrow’s deadline is legislation that would ease the transfer of advanced placement credits and other pre-college credits from high school to college and a bill that would restructure Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program.

Local Panel Discussion on Higher Education and the Budget

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Last week, The College Promise Coalition held a panel discussion at the Thurston Community Television (TCTV) station regarding higher education and the budget.   

Panel members included the following community leaders who spoke to the effects of budget cuts on higher education:

  • Cort Campbell, Associated Student Body, Senator For Legislative Affairs, Student Government, South Puget Sound Community College
  • Angela Shirley, Student Government, Senator of Commuters, Saint Martin’s University
  • Uriel Iniguez, Executive Director from the Commission on Hispanic Affairs
  • Gerald Pumphrey, President, South Puget Sound Community College
  • Les Purce, President, The Evergreen State College
  • George Le Masurier, Publisher, The Olympian (moderator)  

The Evergreen State College, Saint Martin’s University, and South Puget Sound Community College partnered with the College Promise Coalition to bring the event to Olympia.

The broad cast of the event is availabe on demand  (Select “Keeping our Promise” in both the drop down menus).

In addition the program will be broadcasted as follows:

  •  Friday 3/25/2011, 7:00 PM, Channel 77
  • Sunday 3/27/2011, 2:00 PM, Channel 77
  • Tuesday 3/29/2011, 8:30 PM, Channel 77
  • Monday 4/4/2011, 9:00 PM, Channel 77
  • Tuesday 4/12/2011, 3:00 PM, Channel 77
  • Friday 4/15/2011, 5:30 PM, Channel 77
  • Sunday 4/17/2011, 2:30 PM, Channel 77
  • Wednesday 4/20/2011, 9:30 PM, Channel 77

Similar events have taken place throughout Washington in recent weeks.   Please visit http://www.collegepromisewa.com/ to learn more about the College Promise Coalition.

Obama Administration Announces College Completion Effort

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Yesterday Vice President Biden announced a new grant competition focused on assisting institutions of higher education increase completion rates. 

The grant, and subsequent request to Governors to host a state college completion summit, are efforts by the Obama Administration to increase college graduation rates across the nation to meet the President’s goal to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

To kick-off this effort the Administration released a comprehensive college completion tool kit which includes suggested policies to help states boost college graduation rates.  The tool kit includes seven no-cost or low-cost strategies that states can use, fifteen related action steps, and several existing federal resource streams from which to draw.

Among the strategies in the tool kit is the alignment of high school exit and college placement standards and re-engaging adults with some college experience but no degree.

The Administration is also making a number of financial resources available to states to implement plans to increase college completion rates.

  • U.S. Department of Education: Accepting applications for the 2011 Comprehensive Grant program – $20 million to colleges to implement plans that can increase success and improve productivity in postsecondary schools.
  • Administration’s 2012 Budget: The First in the World initiative, which in its initial year would provide $123 million in competitive funds, to support programs that embrace innovative practices to accelerate learning, boost completion rates and hold down tuition.
  • Administration’s 2012 Budget: College Completion Incentive Grants, which would give a total of $50 million in awards to reward states and institutions for undertaking reforms that produce more college graduates.

Congress will have to approve spending for these programs before they can be implemented.

House Committees Focus on the Future

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This afternoon higher education took part in a collaborative discussion in the House Community Development and Housing Committee focused on increasing productivity, jobs, and prosperity.

Rep. Phyllis Kenney – chair of the committee –  hosted a conversation with representatives from the business, environmental, labor, and education communities, including the Council of Presidents, with the goal of identifying what actions can take place to move Washington’s economy forward using data and results-driven conversations.

The conversation focused on four major questions:

  • How do Washington’s changing demographics impact how we do business (in education, workforce development, and economic development)?
  • How doe we enhance public-private partnerships that generate business activity, facilitate private investment, and increase jobs?
  • What are the key strategies for creating prosperity and economic recovery for all of Washington’s residents?
  • Given current budget constraints, what strategies and investments of the state will lead to the highest return on investment?

The conversation was contexted by presentations from the Office of Financial Management, Employment Securities Department, and the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board regarding changing demographics, employment, and education and training in Washington.

Also focused on the future was the House Higher Education Committee. This afternoon the Committee spent considerable time on Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program. The GET Program allows purchasers to buy tuition units at current prices for use at a later date.

The Committee heard presentations from the Higher Education Coordinating Board,  Office of the State Actuary, and Office of the State Treasurer.

The Legislature often reviews the GET program and the policies that underscore the program. This session, however, the GET program has been incorporated into a couple of bills, placing the program under a new light. 

Senate Bill 5749 would make changes to the membership of the Committee on Advanced Tuition that oversees the program and to a handful of policies that currently structure the program. The Committee held a public hearing on SB 5749 this afternoon.

The GET program is also identified as part of House Bill 1795 which would require an actuarial analysis by the state actuary for the Guaranteed Education Tuition Program.

Legislative Session 2011: Week 11

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The release of the March forecast this week opens the door for the release of proposed biennial budgets next week. The House will release their biennial budgets first this session.

While both the biennial transportation budget and the capital budget (March 23) have been scheduled for a public hearing and executive session, no actions have been scheduled to date for the operating budget. 

The budget will be the center of focus next week, both in terms of the biennial budget and the move from policy committees to fiscal committees.

All policy bills from the opposite chamber must be moved either to an appropriations committee or the floor by the end of Friday, March 25 (one week from today).  The Legislature will then have a week to move all bills from the appropriations committee to the floor. Bills with a fiscal impact must be moved to the floor by the end of Friday, April 1.

To this end this week will be filled with a mix of public hearings and executive sessions to move bills forward as the deadline looms. Please see the links below for a list of all the hearings that might be of interest.

State Loses Revenue But Does Not Hit $1 Billion Mark

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Washington’s state budget took a large hit this morning. The March Economic & Revenue Forecast, released today, shows an additional $777.8 million decline in revenue between now and 2013.

The Forecast will require Washington to further reduce the budget for the current fiscal year by $79.8 million and by $698 million in 2011-13.

The forecast widens the state’s budget shortfall from $3.6 billion to $5.5 billion. The shortfall is the difference between projected state revenues and what it would cost to continue state services at current levels, plus pay for wage and benefit increases, new programs and higher costs to keep up with inflation and population growth.

Washington’s State Chief Economist, Arun Raha stated that the revenue forecast is primarily down because the economy is not recovering as quickly as previously expected. In addition, Raha cited conflict in the Middle East and the subsequent hike in oil prices  as well as the economic impact to the state from the natural disasters in Japan as contributors.

The latest revenue projections are in line with what budget writers had been expecting. Though budget action has not been scheduled for next week, it is likely to take place soon so stay tuned.

Biennial Budgets Expected Soon

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Tomorrow the Washington State Forecast Council will be presented with the latest revenue forecast. Dr. Arun Raha, Washington’s State Economist will present the forecast at Noon.

Initial projections for the 2011-13 biennium were estimated at $4.6 billion when the legislative session began in January. Since January lawmakers have passed a second supplemental budget reducing the budget gap in the current fiscal year to approximately $250 million and have been planning on an additional $500 million shortfall in the latest revenue forecast for the 2011-13 biennium.

However, it is expected that $500 million may be a low ball figure, with some expecting the shortfall to range between $1-2 billion.

If the forecast is not significantly greater than anticipated, the House plans to release their proposed biennial budgets on March 22, hold public hearings on the proposed budget as soon as March 23, and move the bill out of Committee by March 24. A vote on the budget on the House floor is tentatively scheduled for March 26.

The budget discussions would then shift to the Senate.