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Governor Releases New Budget: Restores Some Cuts and Seeks Revenue

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Yesterday, Governor Gregoire submitted a new budget that she believes “better reflects Washington values and principles”.

The budget focuses on restoring cuts through additional revenue, either from the federal government or state revenue, that would benefit K-12, public safety, higher education, and set a stage for the state to move forward.

As it relates to higher education, the Governor restores $146.4 million to the Higher Education State Need Grant, an amount that restores full funding to the State Need Grant. Eligibility with this restoration would cap 70 percent of the state’s median family income (MFI) and serve an additional 12,300 students. The grant awards would also be restored to the levels enacted in the 2009-11 budget.

The Governor does not restore funding to any of the other state financial aid programs, including State Work Study, nor does she restore funding to 2-year and 4-year institutions.

The Governor proposed restoration of funds to the state budget by seeking additional revenues. She plans to submit proposals to introduce greater tax fairness by closing loopholes and seek additional resources through the Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP), fiscal stabilization dollars, and possibly waivers for the Basic Health Plan. The extent to which federal dollars will be available will not be know until the President gives his State of the Union address at the end of January. In addition, it is unknown at this time whether the fiscal stabilization dollars required to restore cuts to the State Need Grant would be permanent or one-time dollars. It is important to note that the fiscal stabilization dollars received for the 2009-11 biennium were one-time infusions.

Even with the restoration of these programs in higher education and others in basic health and K-12 the Governor’s proposed budget for 2010 contains more cuts than revenues to address the $2.6 state shortfall.

Governor Shares Her Vision of the State for the Next Year

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Governor Gregorie addressed the state this afternoon in her annual State of the State. In her address she called out the challenges Washington has and continues to face combined with solutions that Washington should explore to move the state forward.

Gregoire argued that jobs are the way out of this recession for Washington and Washingtonians. She proposed the creation of 40,000 new jobs this year.

How will this be done? By attracting $2 billion in investments, building on a long tradition in Washington of attracting capital and intellectual investments, especially in areas such as biotechnology, health care, and clean energy.

In addition, the Governor is supporting an employee tax credit for each full-time hire a business makes, an investment in a green building program focused on retrofitting, and efforts in streamlining permit processes.

Governor Gregoire also spoke to streamlining government. Included in this effort is the elimination of over 70 boards and proposed legislation to eliminate several more. In addition, she proposed merging state agencies and moving programs to better align missions and service to citizens and communities.

Finally, she asked the Legislature to budget with Washingtonians in mind. She urged the Legislature to meet Washingtonians half way and reach out to the vulnerable, especially those who need the most.

Governor Gregoire stated that the balanced budget proposed in December closes the door to higher education to 12,300 students. She called for the restoration of the State Need Grant, the provision of tuition setting flexibility to ensure the competitiveness of higher education institutions, and the appropriation of dollars for worker training at the community and technical colleges.

She closed by stating that she plans to release a budget this afternoon that includes revenue options to offset the all-cuts budget released in December, which will include federal dollars, tax revenues, or a combination of both.

Governor Gregoire’s State of the State address

Senators Take in the Serious Budget Impacts on Higher Education

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The Senate Higher Education Committee held a work session this morning focused on the Governor’s proposed 2010 supplemental budget for higher education and more specifically, the impacts to state financial aid programs.

Tim Yowell, Higher Education Fiscal Analyst for Senate Ways & Means and John Klacik, Director of Student Financial Assistance for the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) provided information to the Committee on the budget and state financial aid.

Yowell provided an overview and impact of the Governor’s proposed 2010 supplemental budget on higher education within the context of the reductions and tuition increases already in place.

Klacik also provided an overview of the impact on state financial aid to students. Klacik concluded with a philosophy that the HECB hopes the Legislature will take into account as they finalize the budget and move policy forward:

(1) Preserve current activities at reduced levels. Avoid suspending programs unless the goal is to permanently eliminate these programs;
(2) Give priority to need-based programs
(3) Understand that each program has levers and options that can be managed during these tight fiscal times
(4) Work with the HECB to determine options

Legislature Week 1: What’s Happening

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The Legislature is doing anything but dragging its feet this session. Several work sessions and public hearings are scheduled on critical issues that impact higher education. To learn more follow the links below.

This week the focus of the appropriations committees (i.e. Senate Ways & Means and House Ways & Means will be a review of the Governor’s proposed supplemental budget, released in mid-December.

In addition, the higher education policy committees (i.e. House Higher Education and Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) plan to tackle several critical issues impacting Washington’s institutions of higher learning, including high skills and wages, tuition policy, budget, governance, and technology.

Correction Re: NO Hearing on Financial Aid This Week

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The Senate Higher Education Committee is meeting this week, Wednesday, January 13, to here from legislative staff, the Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Washington Student Association regarding impacts of the Governor’s proposed 2010 supplemental budget on higher education.

Wednesday will not include a public hearing, but instead is a work session with invited testimony only. A work session is an opportunity for the members sitting on a committee to listen to invited experts and stakeholders on key issues that impact the policy work of the committee. There will not be an opportunity for the public to testify at this meeting of the Senate Higher Education Committee.

Biomass Takes Center Stage as Evergreen Works to Move Forward Biomass Gasification Project

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Biomass gasification will put Evergreen and its design and construction partners at the forefront of alternative energy production systems in the NW. That is why Evergreen is asking the state to join Evergreen students and the College to fund a pre-design for a Biomass Gasification Project to facilitate detailed planning for the design & construction phases of the project.

As part of the effort to encourage the state to fund projects and policies that address this rising technology -biomass- The Evergreen State College testified in support of Senate Bill 6236 this afternoon before the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee. Senate Bill 6236 would allow the Washington Department of Natural Resources to enter into forest biomass supply agreements. Evergreen encouraged the Committee to pass the bill which would provide the Department with the tools and research necessary to be a viable partner in the area of biomass.

2010 Supplemental Session Begins in Washington

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The 2010 supplemental session began today in Olympia. A quick “101” regarding the Washington Legislature. Each even-numbered year the Washington State Legislature meets for sixty days to make technical corrections, introduce policy bills needed, and rebalance the buget if required. This session all of these are topics of discussion.

This week the focus of the appropriations committees (i.e. Senate and House Ways & Means, House Education Appropriations) will be a review of the Governor’s proposed supplemental budget, released in mid-December.

In addition, the higher education policy committees plan to tackle several critical issues impacting Washington’s institutions of higher learning, including high skills and wages, tuition policy, budget, governance, and technology.

Stay tune for the latest news from The Hill…..

Student Trustee Dixon McReynolds Holds Town Hall on Budget Reductions and How Students Can Get Involved

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Yesterday’s meeting to discuss Evergreen’s response to the Governor’s proposed 2010 supplemental budget was attended by a mix of students and staff. Dixon McReynolds, student trustee, spoke to the dire situation all Washingtonians find themselves in at the mid-point of the 2009-2011 biennium. McReynolds, who spent the 2009 session as an intern in Senator Adam Kline’s office and will serve during the 2010 session as an aide for Senator Debbie Regala, has a broad range of knowledge on legislative issues and a lot of experience when it comes to navigating the complicated venue of state government. His goals this session are to engage effectively with students during the budget-writing process so that when it comes time for the Board of Trustees to vote on Evergreen’s final budget, he has as much input as possible from the student body.

Also present at the meeting was Geoduck Student Union (GSU)  liaison Josie Jarvis, who offered to connect any interested students with the Washington Student Association (WSA). The WSA is a lobbying service provided to the student body and paid for by student fees, and each participating institution of higher learning has student representatives to WSA from student government organizations. This year Evergreen’s liaison is GSU representative Colin Bartlett. Josie encouraged students at the town hall meeting to approach her if they are interested in participating in WSA’s lobby efforts this year. WSA’s website is http://www.wastudents.org

Evergreen’s Executive Director of Operational Planning and Budget Steve Trotter was on hand to translate some of the more esoteric elements of the budget, and he and Director of Governmental Relations Julie Suchanek offered their support and knowledge to students interested in the budget process.

A few people present indicated their lack of exposure to the legislative process, and specifically shared their hesitance at visiting the capitol. Students interested in contacting their legislators have the following resources available:

  • http://leg.wa.gov – find information about bills, Senators & Representatives, committee hearings and other issues.
  • Email & phone – if you live in Olympia, your legislators are most likely Senator Karen Fraser (D), Representative Brendan Williams (D), and Representative Sam Hunt (D). Their offices are in Olympia, and their staff are all friendly and helpful if you need more information. Here’s how to contact them:

Senator Karen Fraser–  fraser.karen@leg.wa.gov website

404 Legislative Building
PO Box 40422
Olympia, WA 98504-0422
(360) 786-7642
Fax: (360) 786-1999

Representative Brendan Williams – williams.brendan@leg.wa.gov – website

132F Legislative Building
PO Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7940

Representative Sam Hunt – hunt.sam@leg.wa.gov – website

438B Legislative Building
PO Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7992

  • If you do not live in Olympia, you can use the legislative web service to find your representatives
  • What should you say in an email? An email to your legislator should include your name, address, phone number, the issue or bill number that you are concerned about (if your issue is budget cuts, make sure you are specific about which services or programs you do not want cut).
  • What should you say if you call? All Washingtonians can call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000 (TTY for Hearing Impaired 1-800-635-9993) to let their legislators know how they feel about issues . If you would like to speak instead with a member of your representative’s staff, you can call their office. Let them know what issue you are calling about, how you feel about it, and what if any recommendations you have as alternatives. If you want to schedule an appointment to speak to your legislator, call their office and their staff will help you. 

President Purce Responds to Governor’s Budget Proposal

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Governor Gregoire’s December 9th supplemental budget proposal fulfilled a state constitutional requirement that the spending scenario not exceed available revenues. While suggesting that without new revenue, the cuts Washington State needs to incur would test Washingtonians’ closely-held values, the Governor challenged citizens and administrators statewide to respond with creative solutions.

In an email to the Evergreen community, President Les Purce emphasized the threat posed to the College by the budget scenario. He highlighted the fact that this early proposal represents the beginning of a process that will continue in upcoming months. He also specifically outlined the potential damage: the permanent $4 million reduction in state support to the College and the deep cuts to the State Need Grant:

Statewide, 77,000 students rely on the State Need Grant.  The Governor’s proposal would change eligibility requirements to remove more than 12,000 students from the program and cut the level of grant for the remaining students almost in half.  At Evergreen, more than 1300 resident undergraduate students – 41% of our resident undergraduates – currently rely on the State Need Grant for at least a portion of their total cost of attendance.  The average size of the grant is about $4,200.  While the Governor has indicated her desire to restore funding for student financial aid in a budget proposal she will release in January, the final impact on specific students will not be known until the legislature completes its work at the end of March.

The College “will be using our budget cut scenarios from last year as a starting point for decision making” in an effort to underline the already devastating cuts enacted with the 2009/2011 operating budget. Discussions are ongoing as to how Evergreen can continue to manage those previous cuts with a view to preserving our current funding. Further cuts will threaten fundamental aspects of the Evergreen experience, by drastically affecting students’ ability to attend and pay for college and Evergreen’s ability to provide instructional and student services at sustainable levels.

Assembly Days at the State Legislature

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The 61st Legislature convened last week for the last time before the regular session begins in January. Capitol campus was buzzing with activity as representatives, staff, lobbyists and interest groups packed parking lots and committee hearing rooms to start the very difficult conversation of governance in 2010.

Part of that discussion is with the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB), which recently completed Tuition and System Design studies for submittal to the legislature. At a November 19 meeting at Renton Technical College, representatives from the public institutions of higher learning asked for more input in the tuition policy report, and met last week to draft a new proposal. The contents will push for a higher commitment from the State of Washington to fund higher education and improve access to all students.

Paramount in this process is the conversations between stakeholders and decision makers, and on Thursday several lawmakers attended a presentation and breakfast organized by the United Faculty of Washington State and Washington Student Association. Also in attendance were representatives from K-12 and a handful of Evergreen students. Suggestions were solicited on how to deal with the challenge of the budget crisis, and legislators offered creative solutions. The discussion also centered around how to keep Washington competitive in the larger higher education community.

On Friday Evergreen Provost Don Bantz testified in front of  the House of Representatives Committee on Higher Education on the HECB’s System Design study. Don was part of the work group that created the study, and he emphasized Evergreen’s unique position among state institutions while speaking highly to the content and quality of the report.

Assembly Days wrapped up just in time for Governor Gregoire’s press conference this morning in which she proposed the first of the several budgets the State of Washington will consider in the coming months.