The Washington Senate spent a few hours on the floor yesterday debating a proposed biennial operating budget. The final budget passed with a vote of 26-23.
The budget now goes to the House for further consideration.
Next week the Legislature kicks into high gear again. Given the actions of this week the focus will be on advancing key components required to reach a final budget deal.
The House passed a proposed biennial operating budget along party lines on Thursday. However further action on revenue, which underlies the operating budget, has yet to be scheduled (at the time of this blog). The House also advanced, with a strong bipartisan vote, a biennial capital budget. The House operating and capital budgets now go to the Senate for consideration.
The Senate spent nine hours debating a proposed operating budget on Thursday and Friday. However a final vote was not taken to advance the proposal to the House. It is expected that the Senate will take the operating budget up again next week for a final vote. The Senate has also not released its proposed biennial capital budget. It is expected that the Senate’s capital budget will likely be released next week followed by action to advance it to the House.
Within that context both the House and Senate must take action on bills referred to a fiscal committee by the end of day on April 7. Dozens and dozens of bills await their fate in the fiscal committees.
For higher education this includes legislation to create a task force on mental health and suicide in higher education, remove tuition-setting authority, align state and federal student veteran residency policies, a study of higher education cost drivers, the display of campus data, and recommendations to the College Bound Scholarship program.
The Washington Senate spent the wee hours of Friday morning on the floor debating a proposed biennial operating budget. No final vote was taken on the budget.
Over seventy amendments were offered and five were passed. The debate began with a vote to change the rules. Know as Rule 53, the rule change required a higher vote threshold for amendments to the operating budge. The change required thirty votes to approve an amendment not a simple majority (25).
After nine hours of debate, a final vote on the budget was blocked. A Senate procedural rule requires additional time before a bill can be voted on.
A final vote is expected some time next week.
The Washington House spent the afternoon debating a proposed biennial operating budget. Thirty-two amendments were proposed and less than ten passed. The final budget passed with a vote of 51-47.
The budget now goes to the Senate for further consideration.
Last night the Senate Ways & Means committee took executive action to advance a proposed biennial operating budget to the Senate floor.
The committee passed a substitute bill which mostly made technical changes to the original bill. The substitute includes a technical change to reporting language for Evergreen. The original language included reference to engineering, a program that the College does not offer. The substitute reflects this change and focuses the reporting language on computer science. A correction Evergreen highlighted in testimony.
The Senate’s proposed operating budget now moves to the floor for further consideration.
This evening the House Appropriations committee took executive action to advance a proposed biennial operating budget to the House floor.
The committee passed a substitute bill which makes several changes to investments in higher education. The substitute reallocates funds for Evergreen by reducing the $750,000 appropriated for student success and degree completion appropriations by $300,000 and reallocating these funds to support the computer science program and meet student demand at the College. The total investment for Evergreen remains $750,000.
The substitute also:
Finally the substitute bill allows the Department of Corrections to implement postsecondary education degree programs within funding provided in the appropriation for offender change and programming. Evergreen supported similar policy legislation this session
The House’s proposed operating budget now moves to the floor for further consideration.
This afternoon Evergreen testified before the Senate Ways & Means Committee on the proposed biennial operating budget.
The Senate’s proposed budget reduces resident undergraduate tuition to a percentage of the state average wage. The budget would reduce the research institutions by 18% in 2016 and 14% in 2017 and the comprehensive institutions and Evergreen by 12% in 2016 and 10% in 2017. The budget provides dollars to offset the loss revenue from a tuition reduction for institutions. The budget provides $5.659 million to Evergreen to offset this reduction.
The budget provides $22 million to the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program for the state’s match. The budget also suspends the Washington Scholars Program, Washington Award for Vocational Excellence, and Future Teachers Loan Repayment and Conditional Scholarship Program.
Finally the budget makes investments in other key areas including medical education; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and compensation. The budget appropriates $3 million to increase the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded for STEM and $1.518 million for employee compensation.
Evergreen spoke to the investments for higher education. In particular Evergreen shared its support for investments that will directly impact and support Evergreen students, including funding to support the tuition reduction policy and recognition for the need to make an investment in employee compensation.
The budget also makes an investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for Evergreen. These funds will be used to eliminate the current wait list for computer science at the College.
While Evergreen expressed support for funding for the College Bound Scholarship program and the Opportunity Scholarship, Evergreen expressed strong concern about the lack of investment for the State Need Grant.
Finally, Evergreen asked to work with policymakers regarding policy language in the budget and the impact of proposed LEAN efficiencies.
The Senate Ways & Means committee will take executive action on the budget tomorrow afternoon.
This afternoon the Washington Senate released a proposed 2015-17 biennial operating budget. The budget provides a $4.1 billion increase from current spending levels. The net increase represents policy level additions, savings and transfers. The budget leaves $487 million in the ending fund balance.
The budget makes several investments including funding for K-12 education ($1.3 billion), enhancements for higher education ($300 million), general government compensation increases ($113 million), expanded preschool and funding for the Early Start Act ($95 million), and mental health related programs ($90 million).
The budget includes savings by maximizing the Hospital Safety net funding mechanism ($190 million), implementing additional LEAN management efforts ($49 million), and reducing state employee health care spousal coverage and lowering the retiree subsidy payment ($53 million).
Higher Education
The Senate’s proposed budget reduces resident undergraduate tuition to a percentage of the state average wage. The budget would reduce the research institutions by 18% in 2016 and 14% in 2017 and the comprehensive institutions and Evergreen by 12% in 2016 and 10% in 2017. The budget provides dollars to offset the loss revenue from a tuition reduction for institutions.
The budget provides $22 million to the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program for the state’s match. The budget also suspends the Washington Scholars Program, Washington Award for Vocational Excellence, and Future Teachers Loan Repayment and Conditional Scholarship Program.
Finally the budget makes investments in other key areas:
Evergreen
The Senate’s budget reduces tuition for undergraduate, resident students for the biennium at Evergreen. The budget provides $5.659 million to Evergreen to offset the tuition reduction.
In addition the budget provides The Evergreen College $3 million to increase the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The budget provides for an increase in employee compensation ($506,000 FY2016 and $1.012 million FY2017).
Finally, the budget does not provide new funds for student support services.
Next Steps
The Senate Ways & Means Committee will continue the public hearing tomorrow, April 1 at 1:00 and take executive action on the bill later in the day.
The Washington Senate is scheduled to release a proposed biennial operating budget tomorrow, March 31 at noon.
The Senate Ways & Means Committee will hold a public hearing on the proposed operating budget at 3:30 the same day.
This afternoon Evergreen testified before the House Appropriations Committee on the proposed biennial operating budget.
The House’s proposed budget freezes tuition at current rates over the next biennium. The budget provides dollars to offset the tuition freeze, providing funds to increase compensation and inflationary costs at institutions. The budget appropriates $2.954 million to Evergreen to offset the tuition freeze..
In addition the House increases funding for the State Need Grant by $53 million. The funds are
expected to serve approximately 24 percent of the currently 34,500 unserved students as well as increase private award amounts by 3.5% per year beginning in FY 2017. The budget also provides $60 million to provide the state’s match for the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program. The budget also suspends the Washington Scholars Program, Washington Award for Vocational Excellence, Community Match Program, Foster Care Endowment, and Future Teachers Loan Repayment and Conditional Scholarship Program.
Finally the budget makes investments in three other key areas including medical education, computer science, and student support services. Evergreen would receive $750,000 to expand student advising and support services that lead to increased degree completion but no funds to eliminate the student wait list in computer science at Evergreen.
Evergreen spoke to the investments for higher education. In particular Evergreen shared its support for several investments that will directly impact and support Evergreen students, including funding for the State Need Grant and Opportunity scholarship, funds to support a tuition freeze for resident, undergraduate students, and an investment in compensation for faculty and staff.
The budget also makes an investment in support services for students at Evergreen. These funds will allow Evergreen to continue to be a leader in four-year graduation rates, time to degree and credit efficiency for a diverse student population.
Evergreen expressed strong concern about the lack of support to reduce or eliminate the current wait list for computer science at the College.
The House Appropriations committee will take executive action on the budget tomorrow afternoon in Committee.