Legislature Week 6: What is Happening

Posted on February 12, 2010 by garverj

The sixth week of the 2010 supplemental session will likely be the most chaotic of the session.

The beginning of the week continues the Legislature’s focus on the floor as the cut-off for moving bills from their chamber of origin to the other chamber nears (February 16).

Overlapping slightly will be a resurgence of policy committee meetings as policymakers consider bills from the opposite chamber and prepare for the next deadline. All policy committees must move policy bills to either the floor or an appropriation committee by February 23.

The focus of the higher education policy committees (i.e. House Higher Education and Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) will be to move several bills impacting Washington’s institutions of higher education out of committee and either to the floor for consideration or to an appropriation committee.

In addition, the appropriations committees (i.e. Senate Ways & Means and House Ways & Means) will meet to continue their work on budget related matters.

Finally it is expected that both the House and Senate will release their proposed budgets sometime next week.

House and Senate Floor – The New Hot Spot on The Hill

Posted on February 11, 2010 by garverj

Since yesterday the House and Senate have for all intense purposes been sequestered to their respective floor chambers.

As the deadline to move bills from their chamber of origin looms (February 16) both the House and Senate are focused on moving bills forward to the opposite chamber for further consideration.

The long hours spent by policymakers, often requiring 10 or more hours on the floor, has resulted in the movement of several large pieces of legislation. Here are some highlights.

Senate Bill 6696 moved from the Senate floor to the House for consideration today. The Senate passed the bill with a vote of 41-5.

Senate Bill 6696 comprises several policy changes to K-12 to make Washington more competitive for Race to the Top dollars. Senate Bill 6696 seeks policy and structural changes in the areas of school and teacher evaluation, assessment, and preparation.

In a close vote (26-22), the Senate passed Senate Bill 6843. Senate Bill 6843 temporarily suspends tax-limiting Initiative 960 in its entirety. The passage of the bill publicly indicates the Senate’s intent to raise revenue in the 2009-2011 fiscal biennium. From the effective date through July 1, 2011, any action or combination of actions by the Legislature that raises taxes may be taken with the approval of a majority of members elected to each house of the Legislature.

Senate Bill 6843 is scheduled for a public hearing on Saturday February 13 before the House Finance Committee along with other revenue related bills.

House Bill 2858, intitiated by the four-year, public institutions, passed the House 97-0. HB 2858 provides institutions of higher education the authority to participate in group purchasing agreements.

House Bill 2973 passed this the House this evening (97-0). HB 2973 includes, in the definition of “resident student,” a student who resides in Washington and is on active military duty stationed in one of nine Oregon border counties. In addition, the bill adds a student who resides in Washington and is the spouse or dependent of a person who resides in Washington and is on active military duty stationed in an Oregon border county to the definition of “resident student.”

Finally, three bills that are intended to provide costs savings passed both the House and Senate and are headed to the Governor’s desk.

House Bill 2998, House Bill 2921, and Senate Bill 6382 all passed the Legislature by end of day Wednesday. The bills, part of an agreed upon package by both the House and Senate, seek additional state savings by suspending state employee monetary performance-based awards through June 30, 2011; modifying appropriations for 2009-11 (does not impact Evergreen) by reducing approprations by $45.4 million; and continuing the freeze on salary and wage increases for exempt and Washington Management Service (WMS) employees of state agencies and institutions of higher learning is extended through June 30, 2011.

Senate Ways and Means Marathon – Tuition Policy and Teacher Preparation

Posted on February 8, 2010 by garverj

This afternoon the Senate Ways & Means Committee held public hearings on twenty-seven different bills with plans to move out of committee nearly nineteen bills.

The stars of this afternoon’s hearing were two education related bills.

Senate Bill 6562 a.k.a. the tuition policy bill. SB 6562 authorizes the University of Washington, Washington State University, and the Western Washington University governing boards to set tuition rates. The average annual compounded rate of change of undergraduate tuition fees may not exceed 9 percent based on the previous 15 years, or 14 percent in any one year.

The Committee on Higher Education Performance is created and authorized to approve performance agreements. The performance agreement must be six years in duration. Annual adequate performance as determined by the committee is required to maintain tuition setting authority. The committee is composed of the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, Senate Ways and Means Committee, House Higher Education Committee, and House Education Appropriations.

The UW, WSU, and WWU must waive full-time tuition fees for resident undergraduate students based on family and state median family incomes. Waivers of full time tuition fees for resident undergraduate students are provided on a graduated scale in 4.5 percent increments based on state median family income and the institution’s tuition fee rate. The waivers must be reduced by the amount of any state need grant, federal, state, and institutional scholarships, grants, and waivers. Such waivers are exempt from tuition waiver limitations.

Tuition fee setting authority remains the same as current law for Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, the Evergreen State College, and the community and technical colleges.

The State Actuary presented to the committee the potential impact on the Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program. The State Actuary, given the assumptions in the bill, concluded there is virtually no risk of the GET Program running out of assets over the next 50 years if the program remains open and all other current policies and provisions remain unchanged. The one cautionary note shared by the State Actuary was that the impact may differ if purchaser behavior changes.

President Emmert (UW), President Floyd (WSU), and Trustee Phil Sharpe (WWU) testified in support of the bill. Each one stated that the bill provided the balance needed between a quality education and an accessible education for Washingtonians.

Members of the Senate Ways & Means Committee asked several questions, including the current percentage of state funds that make up the budget of those institutions in the bill and how under these policy changes policymakers can be assured that student-debt load would not rise and economic and ethnic diversity would not decline. In addition members asked whether or not the tuition setting authority in the bill allows the state to back away from future state support. Additional questions posed included the impact on retention and the middle-income student population.

Charlie Earl, Executive Director, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the League of Education Voters also testified in support of the bill. The Washington Student Association and students from WSU, UW, and WWU testified in opposition to the bill. Students raised concerns regarding the increases in tuition identified in the bill and the fiscal pressure that will be placed on funding for state financial aid.

Senate Bill 6696 comprises several policy changes to K-12 to make Washington more competitive for Race to the Top dollars. The House proposed similar legislation, but disaggregated the policy changes among three bills – HB 3059, 3068, 3035.

Senate Bill 6696 seeks policy and structural changes in the areas of school and teacher evaluation, assessment, and preparation. Of importance to Evergreen are the policy changes to teacher preparation programs. In particular the bill would require Evergreen’s teacher preparation programs to offer an alternate route program, which may negatively impact the College. If grants and Race to the Top dollars are not received, Evergreen would be left to shoulder the costs of developing and implementing this program with no additional funds. Evergreen proposed a change to the language that would make offering alternate route programs permissive. The change in language was not included in the final bill approved by the committee and passed to the floor.

Evergreen also kept an eye on several other bills.

SSB 6702 makes available educational programs for juveniles confined in adult jails. Each school district, within which there exists an adult jail, must provide a program of education for juveniles confined therein. Districts may contract with educational service districts, community and technical colleges, four-year institutions or other qualified entities to provide all or part of these services.
SSB 6761 implements the recommendations put forward by the Quality Education Council during the interim.
SSB 6362 requires the Legislature to identify ten government priorities to verify that state agencies and activities are performing at their highest efficiency. The ten priorities include improving: student achievement in K-12; quality and respect for the public workforce; value of state college or university education; health of state citizens; security of the state’s vulnerable children and adults; the economic vitality of businesses and individuals; statewide mobility of people, goods, information, and energy; safety of people and property; quality of the state’s natural resources; and cultural and recreational opportunities throughout the state. The State Auditor is required to select the highest priorities to audit and the lowest priorities to assess. In addition, the State Auditor is required to present its work plan at an open public meeting for evaluation and recommendations prior to commencing audits.
SB 6374 requires the Office of Financial Management (OFM) to include economic modeling or other procedures that take into account increased economic activity which may result from economic development contemplated in legislation in fiscal note instructions.
SSB 5543 requires producers of mercury-containing lights (lamps, bulbs, tubes, or other devices containing mercury and providing illumination) sold in or into Washington to participate in product stewardship programs that are fully implemented by 2013.
SB 6843 temporarily suspends the two-thirds vote requirement for tax increases and permanently modifying provisions of Initiative Measure No. 960 for improved efficiency and consistency with state budgeting.
SB 6833 allows the Office of the State Treasurer to enter agreements with state agencies for investment by the Treasurer of funds not currently deposited with the Treasurer. At this time higher education is exempt from the bill. Evergreen supports the bill in its current form.
SB 6845 requires the collection and use of additional information regarding information technology projects, including the requirement that OFM obtain specific information about IT projects, including current and future costs by category, estimated operating savings and other benefits, and estimated start and end dates.

House Ways and Means Works through Weekend

Posted on February 6, 2010 by garverj

The House Ways & Means Committee held public hearings and executive sessions on a slew of bills this weekend. The Committee is focused on moving bills forward as the fiscal committee deadline, February 9, looms.

The Committee held public hearings on twenty-two bills ranging from teacher preparation to public disclosure laws.

Evergreen is watching a handful of the bills that were before the Committee.

House Bill 3174 allows the Office of the State Treasurer to enter agreements with state agencies for investment by the Treasurer of funds not currently deposited with the Treasurer. At this time higher education is exempt from the bill. Evergreen supports the bill in its current form.

House Bill 2914 establishes a producer-designed product stewardship program for the collection, recycle, and disposal of mercury-containing lights. Evergreen supports this effort.

Finally, two teacher preparation related bills were also heard this weekend. House Bill 3035 and House Bill 3038. Both bills focus on accountability and evaluations for schools, teachers, and principles. Evergreen has expressed support for both bills throughout the legislative process.

Legislature Week 5: What is Happening

Posted on February 5, 2010 by garverj

As the Washington State Legislature gears up for the fifth week of the 2010 supplemental session all eyes will be on the fiscal committees in each chamber.

All fiscal committees must move bills with fiscal impacts to the floor of their respective chambers by end of day Feburary 9.

The appropriations committees (i.e. Senate Ways & Means and House Ways & Means) will meet Monday and Tuesday to continue their work on budget related matters and meet the legislative deadline.

The remainder of the week will be focused on the floors of the House and Senate. Both chambers will have until February 16 to move House bills to the Senate and vice versa.

After February 16 the process will re-start in a way as House bills go through the committee and floor process in the Senate and vice versa.

Senate Policy Committees Continue to Take Action on Bills

Posted on February 3, 2010 by garverj

Today Senate Policy Committees were busy moving bills forward before the cut-off deadline on Friday.

Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development

The Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee passed a tuition policy bill for the University of Washington, Washington State University, and Western Washington Univerrsity.

Substitute Senate Bill 6562 allows the board’s of UW, WSU, and WWU to set tuition rates within limits. Tuition (the average annual compounded rate of change of undergraduate tuition fees)at these institutions is not allowed to exceed 9% based on the previous 15 years or 14% in any one year. In addition, the Committee on Higher Education Performance is created and authorized to approve performance agreements for UW, WSU, and WWU. Finally, these institutions must waive full-time tuition/fees for resident undergraduate students based on family and state median family income levels. The waivers are based on a graduated scale based on state median family income and institutional tuition fee rates.

For Evergreen as well as Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, and the community and technical colleges tuition fee setting authority remains the same as current law.

The substitute bill was further amended in committee. The amendments establish a sunset for tuition setting authority for the three institutions in the bill at the end of the 2017-18 academic year; change the title from Relating to higher education finance to Relating to higher education accountability and access; and modifies the Committee on Higher Education Performance to include members from the minority party.

Substitute Senate Bill 6562 passed unanimously out of committee. The bill is now headed to Senate Ways & Means for their consideration.

Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

The Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education committee took action on an omnibus teacher preparation and K-12 bill. Substitute Senate Bill 6696 includes the following changes related to teacher preparation.

Section 402: Clarifies that community colleges and non-higher education providers can be considered for new providers of the alternative routes. Moves the option for residency teacher preparation programs to provide a summary of procedures providing flexible completion opportunities to section 403 and makes it part of what alternative route providers must include in their application.

Section 403: Removes “higher education” since such institutions will not be the only providers of alternative routes.

Section 409: Clarifies that the service regions for institutions of higher education is for those institutios of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 (all the 4-year universities and college & the community and technical colleges).

In addition, Substitute Senate Bill 6696 was amended as follows related to teacher preparation: (1) Amends the four-level evaluation system for teachers to use student growth data if available and relevant to the teacher and subject matter. Requires the school districts participating in the pilot of the teacher and principal evaluations to submit all student data to OSP; (2) Amends section 202 by adding a parent representative to the group that will create models for implementing the new teacher and principal evaluation system, student growth tools, professional development programs, and evaluator training for classroom teachers and principals. The parent representative must have certain specified qualities and will be chosen by the PTA using a lottery system; (3) Moves the phrase addressing professional development so that it applies to both closing the achievement gap and STEM; and (4) Amends the evaluation criteria for classroom teachers in section 202 to include collaborating, not just communicating with parents and school community.

House Moves Furlough Bill Forward to the Floor

Posted on February 2, 2010 by garverj

Monday evening the House Ways & Means Committee passed Senate Bill 6503 (a.k.a. the furlough bill) out of committee and to the House floor. After four scheduled executive sessions on the bill the committee finally moved the bill forward by a 12-10 vote along party lines.

The bill headed to the House floor for a vote looks different than the bill received from the Senate.

The subsitute bill includes, but is not limited to, the following:

– An intent section is added stating the Legislature intends that state agencies and institutions of higher education reduce government operating costs through the methods described in the act by $50 million from the General Fund-State and the Education Legacy Account, as well as additional proportionate amounts from other funds.

– The Office of Financial Management (OFM) shall certify to each state agency the compensation reduction amount to be achieved by the executive branch agency or institution.

– Executive branch general government state agencies and higher education institutions may submit plans that achieve compensation cost savings equal to closing the agency for 11 days to the OFM by May 15, 2010.

– Compensation reduction plans submitted by higher education institutions may include leave without pay, temporary layoffs, reductions in force, reduced work hours, and voluntary retirement, separation, and other incentive programs authorized by law. By June 1, 2010, the OFM shall review, approve, and submit the higher education institution plans that achieve the required cost reductions to the legislative fiscal committees. Those institutions that do not have approved plans will close on the 11 dates specified in the amendment.

Senate Bill 6503 now goes to the House floor for a vote. If it passes the House, the bill will return to the Senate for consideration of the amended legislation.

Senate Higher Education Ends Week Strong Moving Additional Legislation Forward

Posted on January 31, 2010 by garverj

At the end of the third week of the 2010 supplemental session, the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Committee held public hearings on three bills.

The Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 6467. SB 6467 authorizes honorary degrees for students at the public, four-year institutions in Washington who were ordered into internment camps. Immediately following the public hearing, the Committee entered Executive Session and moved the bill to Senate Rules for consideration.

The Committee also heard Senate Bill 5237. Senate Bill 5237 would require Washington’s public, four-year institutions to develop three-year baccalaureate programs. Currently, 9% of Evergreen students, who begin as first-years, graduate within three years.

Language is being considered that would replace mandating language in the original bill with more permissive language and require the institutions to report their progress and plans to the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB).

The Council of Presidents testified in support of Senate Bill 5237 with the revised language.

House Higher Education Executive Session Amends Performance Agreement, Student Loan and Teacher Preparation Bills

Posted on January 29, 2010 by garverj

The House Committee on Higher Education met this morning to pass several bills out of committee.

House Bill 2979, establishing performance agreements for institutions of higher learning, received two amendments by Representatives Sells and Wallace. The amendments would establish space in performance agreement committees for faculty and student representatives, as well as establish high employer demand programs of study and require the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee to conduct an evaluation of the higher education performance agreements and make recommendations to the Governor and Legislature regarding their continuation and expansion.

House Bill 2930, providing for conditional scholarships and loan repayment programs for potential teachers in high-demand fields, was introduced as a proposed substitute bill. The substitute would bill would take effect in the 2013-2014 school year and increase the amount of the award for both the Future Teachers Conditional Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program and the Alternate Routes to Certification Conditional Scholarship Program to cover the full cost of attendance or $15,000 per academic year, whichever is less. In addition, the substitute bill stipulates that teachers in high-demand fields receive loan reimbursement per year of service, while students in non-high-demand fields receive one year of loan repayment for every two years of service.

Finally, a proposed substitute to House Bill 2854 would add career colleges to the list of institutions and agencies that must be
consulted when the HECB conducts periodic assessments of the HELP program, remove the reference that requires students to be enrolled in an “academic” field of study, clarify that students can be enrolled in an aid-eligible certificate program and still qualify for HELP, and clarify that students enrolled in both academic and technical associate degrees are eligible.

All of these bills received enough votes in the committee to be referred to fiscal or rules committees.

Legislature Week 4: What is Happening

Posted on January 29, 2010 by garverj

The fourth week of session will be heavily dictated by cut-off deadlines for policy committees. All House policy committees (i.e. House Higher Education) must move any House bills out of committee by February 2. All Senate policy committees (i.e. Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) must move any Senate bills out of committee by February 5.

This week the focus of the higher education policy committees (i.e. House Higher Education and Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) will be to move several bills impacting Washington’s institutions of higher education out of committee and either to the floor for consideration or to an appropriation committee. Any bill that may have a fiscal impact must go through an appropriations committee once it passes out of a policy committee.

Both the House and Senate higher education committees will look to move legislation that focuses on issues, such as performance agreements, system design, teacher preparation, tuition policy, three-year degree, and financial aid.