Tag Archives: legislators

House Ways & Means Committee Amendments Provide Exemption for Higher Education Employees From Statewide Salary Freeze

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Two amendments proposed to Substitute Senate Bill 6382, which would extend a salary freeze on exempt and Washington Management Service Employees statewide, will allow an exception of certain Higher Education employees.

Including those already excepted, those employees spared from the salary freeze are, according to the amendment language, “exempt higher education personnel for critical retention purposes or additional summer quarter responsibilities,” and other exempt personnel covered under collective bargaining agreements.

SSB 6382, the first Senate bill to be considered by the House Ways & Means Committee during this session, was passed out of committee. A procedural point was made by staff that the two amendments will be considered as one when the bill is referred to Rules Committee.

Evergreen Speaks to Race to the Top Legislation

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A trio of bills were heard before the House Education Committee today that would better position Washington for Race to the Top dollars. The Race to the Top Fund provides competitive grants to encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform at the K-12 level.

Washington plans to apply for Race to the Top in the second phase. 

Evergreen weighed in on two of the three bills heard by the House Education Committee.

Evergreen expressed support with concerns regarding Senate Bill 3059. SB 3059 expands opportunities for teacher preparation by requiring all teacher preparation programs to provide alternative routes to earning a teaching credential.

Evergreen expressed concerns with regard to the lack of funding that accompanies the mandate laid out in SB 3059. Without additional funds to support this effort, Evergreen could find itself assuming the costs of developing and implementing an alternative route program at a time of declining resources for higher education.

In addition, Evergreen raised the strength to the state of the varied missions among higher education institutions. The requirement in the bill to create an alternative route program may require the Collee to move away from Evergreen’s mission and the mission of the College’s teacher preparation programs.

Evergreen encouraged the Committee to consider an amendment that would remove the mandate language in the bill.

Several other organizations and individuals, including the Professional Educators Standards Board (PESB) and the Washington Education Association (WEA), testified to the legislation before the House Committee.

Randy Dorn, Superintendent of Public Instruction, spoke to all three bills before the Committee. He stated Washington needs legislation that strengthens current accountability and data systems to allow the state to be a player in the arena of the Race to the Top.

He also recognized that the Race to the Top criteria is built on the priorities of  the federal government. He encouraged policymakers to keep in mind the need to determine what works for Washington and move these efforts forward.

Greater Government Accountability

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This morning the Senate Operations & Elections Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 6362.

Senate Bill 6362 relates to government accountability. In an effort to learn more, I attended the hearing.  Evergreen did not weigh in on the bill.

Senate Bill 6362 builds on an evolving effort to improve state government accountability and transparency. In the mid-nineties the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) was created to make state government operations  more effective, efficient, and accountable. JLARC employs the State Auditor and conducts performance audits, program evaluations, sunset reviews, and other analyses to meet its objectives.

In 2005, the Legislature passed legislation that created the Citizen Advisory Board to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability in state government. The Board works in sync with the State Auditor.

In the fall of 2005, Washingtonians passed Performance Audits of Government Act (PAGA) which increased the role of the State Auditor by allowing this office to conduct independent, comprehensive performance audits of state and local governments. 

Senate Bill 6362 would focus the State Auditor’s work on verifying the efficiency of the top ten government priorities identifiedy by the Legislature. As a result, in addition to audits of programs and activities by agency, SB 6362 would permit audits of identified priorities.

So what are these priorities? They are:

1.  Student achievement in K-12

2. Quality and respect for public workforce

3. Value of state college or university education

4. Health of state citizens

5. Security of the state’s vulnerable children and adults

6. The economic vitality of business and individuals

7. Statewide mobility of people, goods, information, and energy

8. Safety of people and property

9. Quality of the state’s natural resources

10. Cultural and recreational opportunities throughout the state.

Each year, under SB 6362, JLARC would select one of the ten priorities and determine the relative priority of all programs and actitivies within that category. Those priorities identified as the highest would be subject to a performance audit by the State Auditor to determine that the programs and activities are operating at maximum efficiency. Those priorites determined to be the lowest would have a less demanding assessment.

The tasks identified under SB 6362 would be funded through a 30% allotment of funds assessed against the Performance Audits of Government Account.

The only group to testify during the public hearing for SB 6362 came from Washington newspapers in support of the bill.

Tuition the Topic of Conversation in the Senate

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The Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee held a public hearing this afternoon focused on tuition policy. Four bills held the attention of Committee Members and a packed hearing room for nearly three hours.

SB 6276 – Grants the University of Washington tuition-setting authority.

SB 6562 – Authorizes the governing boards of the four-year, public institutions to set tuition and fees for resident undergraduate students with constraints, requires institutions to develop performance agreements with the state, and increases the amount that institutions must maintain for financial aid.

SB 6509 – Modifies the current budget proposal process between the HECB and the institutions to include recommendations on tuition and fees.

SB 6625 – Changes higher education tuition and financial aid provisions.

Each of the Senate bills approached tuition policy in a different way, especially with regard to levels of flexibility, required financial aid investments, and the establishment of performance agreements between the four-year public institutions and the State of Washington.

Tuition Comparison

Students from across Washington expressed concerns regarding shifting tuition setting authority from the Legislature to the governing boards of the four-year, public institutions. Most students spoke in favor of SB 6509 and shared concerns about the three remaining bills. Students shared specific concerns with regard to SB 6562 including the high tuition cap,  lack of oversight in the bill, and exclusion of graduate tuition and fees.

The six presidents of the public baccalaureate institutions spoke as a panel to the bills and tuition policy overall.  Chair Kilmer captured the comments of the presidents well by restating five principles/themes he noted from their comments.

1.  Optimize the state investment in higher education.

2. Any tuition policy does not release the state from its responsibility to fund higher education.

3. The unique missions and students mixes of each institution must be acknowledged relative to state appropriations, tuition, and financial aid.

4. Tuition policy should provide limits that will allow students greater predictability and stability.

5. Accountability of the institutions is a critical component of any tuition policy dialogue.

In his comments to the Committee, President Purce acknowledged the major role tuition plays in our higher education funding structure and the  unprecedented economic times facing Washington, which will require non-traditional thinking and strategies to manage our public institutions.

Purce affirmed Evergreen’s long-held position on tuition by stating that the College believes that any conversation regarding higher education funding must integrate and acknowledge the interplay between state appropriations, financial aid, and tuition. In addition, he welcomed the active dialogue Evergreen is engaged in with  the other public, four-year institutions in Washington to move forward a policy by which higher education can have the tools necessary to manage in times of even more cuts this year and those projected for the 2011-13 biennium.

Purce echoed the need for the state and higher education to make a commitment to find a way(s) that recognize the different missions among the institutions, different student bodies, a strength of Washington’s higher education sector, and  meet the unusual circumstances we find ourselves in as a sector and as a state.

State Treasurer Jim McIntire provided his personal support for SB 6562. He stated that institutions should be responsible to set their own tuition prices that reflect the unique markets each institution works within. In addition, he recognized the limited authority provided in the bill to raise tuition, presence of accountability measures via performance agreements, and need to maintain the integrity and quality of Washington institutions of higher learning.

Ann Daley, Executive Director for the Higher Education Coordinating Board, discussed tuition policy within the context of the Board’s recent tuition policy study. She encouraged policymakers to aim to recalibrate the relationship between tuition, financial aid, and state approprations.

In addition, representatives from the Governor’s Office, League of Education Voters, business community, faculty, and the community colleges also testified to the need to protect the quality of higher education while keeping the doors open to students.

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.