Tag Archives: legislators

House Releases 2010 Capital Budget Proposal

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Later this afternoon, the House released their proposed 2010 supplemental capital budget.  The Senate’s proposed capital budget is expected later this week.

Highlights of the proposed budget are below. Details regarding the specific impact to Evergreen will follow soon.

House Capital Budget Highlights

  • Avoids exceeding the 9 percent constitutional debt limit should general state revenues decline, interest rates rise, and potential emergencies occur.
  • Reduces the overall bond appropriations by $31 million.
  • Directs the Office of Financial Management to work with state agencies to achieve savings in the amount of $42 million by reducing allotments or by withholding allotment approval for those projects that have not demonstrated substantial progress towarwd contract execution by November 30, 20010.
  • Provides $200 million to create jobs through energy efficiency improvements in K-12 public schools.
  • Provides $100 million towards housing assistance.

Details of the House proposed 2010 capital budget can be found on the Washington State Legislative Evaluation & Accountability Program Committee Website.

     

House Releases Operating Budget

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This afternoon the House released their proposed 2010 supplemental operating budget.

Highlights of the proposed operating budget are below. A more detailed account of the impact of the House’s proposed 2010 supplemental budget on Evergreen will be in a blog later today.

Highlights Higher Education Budget

  • Reduces state funding for colleges and universities by $40.8 million.
  • Maintains eligibility, grant awards, and the number of students anticipated to be served by the program.
  • Reduces funding for the State Work Study by $7.7 million. To achieve this savings the money a student can earn in an academic year is reduced.
  • Reduces funding for State-funded GEAR UP projects.
  • Reduces funding for the Health Professions scholarship and loan repayment program.
  • Suspends funding for the Future Teachers Scholarship program. Continues commitment to students currently recipients of this grant.
  • Reduces funding for the Community Scholarship Matching Grant Program.
  • Reduces funding for the Leadership 1000 Scholarship Programs.

Details on the House’s proposed 2010 supplemental operating budget is located on the House Ways & Means Committee website. The House did not release a revenue package today.

Senate Releases Operating Budget and Revenue Package

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This morning the Senate released their proposed 2010 supplemental operating budget and revenue package.

Highlights of both proposals are below. A more detailed account of the impact of the Senate’s proposed 2010 supplemental budget and revenue package on Evergreen will be in a blog later today.

Highlights Higher Education Budget

  • Restores funding to the State Need Grant
  • Reduces funding for public colleges and universities by $69.5 million
  • Increases worker retraining funds by $27.8 million
  • Reduces state work study by 30% in the second year of the biennium
  • Suspends funding for the health professional conditional scholarship and loan repayment program. Funding will continue to complete scholarship commitments to current recipients, but no new applicants will be selected.
  • Suspends the Educational Opportunity Grant. Funding will continue to complete grant commitments to current recipients, but no new applicants will be selected.
  • Continues funding to complete commitments to students who receive the Washington Scholar and Washington Award for Vocational Excellence funds but no new applicants will be selected for 2010. 
  • Suspends the Future Teachers Scholarship. Funding will continue for current recipeints who were awarded the scholarships in prior years to complete their studies.  
  • Suspends matching funds to support innovations in child care delivery at the public universities
  • Reduces the Passport to College program by 30%
  • Reduces funding by 30% to the State-funded GEAR UP Projects
  • Suspends the Western Interstate Compact for Higher Education Professional Student Exchange program. Funding is continued to maintain commitments to current recipients
  • Suspends funding for state work study experience for students considering careers in math and science instruction.
  • Suspends the state contribution in the second year of the biennium for the Foster Care Endowed Scholarship
  • Suspends funding for the Leadership 1000 program.

Highlights of Revenue Package

  • Anticipates $483 milliono in additional resources based on the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP).
  • Anticipates $87 million in additional federal resources from state savings related to Medicare Part D.
  • Assumes additional federal resources of approximately $12 million from two smaller sources of federal aid.
  • Transfers $269 million additional dollars from various funds to increase General Fund-State resources.
  • Transfers $229 million from the Budget Stabilization Account (a.k.a. Rainy Day Fund) to the state general fund. As a result there will be no ending fund balance in the Rainy Day Fund.
  • Incorporates a net increase in new revenue of $918 million. The net increase consists of three major components: (1) Narrows or eliminates numerous current tax preferences or “tax loopholes” ($518 million); (2) Impose a temporary 0.3% sales/use taxk increase ($313 million); and (3) The cigarette tax is increased by $1 per package ($86 million).

Details on the Senate’s proposed 2010 supplemental operating budget and revenue package are located on the Senate Ways & Mean’s Committee Webpage.  

Latest on State Budgets and Tuition Policy

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Tomorrow, Tuesday February 23 is a pivotal day for higher education in the 2010 supplemental legislative session.

In the morning, the Senate will release their proposed 2010 supplemental operating and capital budgets at a press conference. The press conference is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. in the Cherberg Building in Senate Hearing Room 4 and will be televised on TVW.

Following the release of the Senate proposed budgets, the House Higher Education Committee will hold a hearing on Senate Bill 6562 – the tuition policy bill.  The public hearing will take place beginning at 10:00 a.m. in Hearing Room A.

At lunch time, 12:15 p.m., the House will release their proposed 2010 supplemental operating budget in the John L. O’Brien Building in Hearing Room A.  The release of the House operating budget will also be televised on TVW.

In the afternoon, the House will release their proposed 2010 supplemental capital budget at 1:30. The budget will be released to media only but will be available along with the other proposed budgets on the Washington Legislature’s website.

Following the release of the Senate and House versions of the 2010 supplemental operating and capital budgets, public hearings will be held in the late afternoon and into the evening.

The Senate Ways & Means Committee will hold a public hearing on the Senate’s proposed operating and capital budgets in the late afternoon. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. in Senate Hearing Room 4 of the Cherberg Building.

In the early evening, the House Ways & Means Committee will hold a public hearing on the House’s proposed 2010 operating budget. The public hearing will begin at 6:00 p.m. in Hearing Room A of the John L. O’Brien Building.

At the same time, the House Capital Budget will hold a public hearing on the House’s propsoed 2010 capital budget. The public hearing will begin at 6:00 pm. in the John L. O’Brien Building in Hearing Room C 

On Wednesday, February 24 the Senate Ways & Means Committee will hold another public hearing focused on the Senate’s proposed revenue package. The public hearing will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Cherberg Building in Senate Hearing Room 4. 

The House, at this time, is not expected to release a revenue package along with its proposed budgets.

Senate Concurs with House Version of Bill to Suspend I-960

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This evening the Senate concurred to the House amended version of Senate Bill 6130.

Senate Bill 6130 temporarily suspends tax-limiting Initiative 960 in its entirety.  The passage of the bill publicly indicates the Legislature’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.

The final version of Senate Bill 6130 passed by both chambers reinstates the public notification requirements for tax and fee increases through July 1, 2011.

Senate Bill 6130 now goes to the Governor for her signature.

Policy Committee Deadline Looms for House, Senate to Follow

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Today, House and Senate policy committees continued to work bills from the opposite chamber through the legislative process.

The House has less than 24 hours to consider policy bills from the Senate before the deadline for policy bills is reality. The House must move Senate initiated policy bills by 5:00 p.m. on February 23. 

The Senate has a few more days to get bills through the process. The Senate must move House policy bills to an appropriations committee or to the floor by 5:00 p.m. February 26.

Several bills of interest to Evergreen were heard by policy committees today and one bill was moved to the floor by the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

This morning the  Senate Early Learning & K12 Education Committee held a public hearing  on Senate Bill 3068. SB 3068 expands eligibility to additional students if funds are available for the conditional scholarship after currently qualified students have been accepted. Evergreen has supported the passage of SB 3068 since it was introduced earlier this session.

At the same time, the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean, and Recreation committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2481. HB 2481 provides the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with the necessary tools and resources to be a viable partner in the emerging biomass industry in Washington. The bill authorizes DNR to maintain a list of all potential sources of forest biomass on state lands for the purposes of making biomass available ot others; allows DNR to enter into biomass contracts for up to 5 years; and authorizes DNR to lease lands for the purpose of biomass.

Evergreen has testified in support of House Bill 2481 as a vehicle by which to stabilize DNR’s viability as a potential partner with the College in our Biomass Gasification Project effort.

In the afternoon, the Senate Ways & Means Committee took action on Senate Bill 6409. SB 6409, which Evergreen supports, creates the Washington Investment in Excellence Account.  The Account is funded through state lottery proceeds and directs those funds to a range of research and financial aid programs. In particular the programs eligible to receive funds from the Account include efforts to recruit entrepreneurial researchers, innovation partnership zones, and research teams and higher education financial aid programs including opportunity grants, educational opportunity grants, state work study, GET ready for math and science scholarships, passport to college promise, college bound scholarships, and the Washington promise scholarship.

The Senate Ways & Means Committee amended the bill in executive session. The amendment to the bill makes the following changes:

  • Changes the Account name to Opportunity Pathways Account
  • Extends eligibilty to the following programs: Washington Scholars, Washington Award for Vocational Excellence, the State Need Grant, Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program
  • Transfer $102 million per year from the General Fund to the Education Construction Account to replace lost lottery dollars
  • Requires the Lottery Commission to report to the Legislative higher education and economic development committees on marketing strategies and revenue targets for the new account
  • Provides for a JLARC performance review of lottery marketing.

Legislature Week 7: What’s Happening

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The seventh week of the 2010 supplemental session will be focused on the release of the House and Senate proposed 2010 supplemental budgets for operating and capital.

The House is expected to release their capital and operating budgets on Monday. Though it is unclear, the Senate is likely to release their budgets on Monday as well.  Public hearings and executive sessions on the budgets will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The beginning of the week continues the Legislature’s focus on moving bills from the opposite chamber through the policy committees in preparation for the policy committee cut-off (House cut-off February 23 and Senate cut-off February 26).

Overlapping slightly will be a resurgence of fiscal committee meetings as policymakers take action on the budgets and prepare for the next legislative deadline .  All fiscal committees must move policy bills to either the floor or an appropriation committee by March 1. 

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.

Senate Passes Tuition Policy Bill

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Only an hour before midnight, the Senate passed Senate Bill 6562 – a.k.a. the tuition policy bill – with a vote of 29-19.

The debate on the floor with regard to SB 6562 did not cut along Democratic and Republican lines but along much more subtle differences in principles and policies with regard to the future of higher education in Washington.

Senator Kilmer, sponsor of the bill, shared the thoughts of many of the Senators who supported the bill with regard to quality and affordability.  Kilmer stated that the bill provides greater predictability for institutions and students by setting tuition limits in the future, accountability for the state and Washingtonians through the requirement of institutional performance agreements, and affordability by off-setting the tuition increases permitted through additional commitments to financial aid for low- and middle-income students.

Senator Schoesler spoke in opposition of the bill arguing that the accountability provided in the bill is not enough to ensure affordability, predictability, and accountability within higher education. Schoesler, who summed up many of the same concerns others who opposed the bill shared, argued that the best policy and the best financial aid program is low-tuition which allows for a wider door to be open to a post-secondary education for Washingtonians.

Senators spoke to the bill citing concerns with regard to the potential impact on student mix and the missions’ of Washington’s institutions of higher learning. Others expressed frustration that the emergence of this bill comes because the state has not kept its commitment to higher education through strong funding. Finally, Senators across both aisles gave props to the efforts of students this afternoon and this session to be heard with regard to tuition policy.

Two amendments were proposed on the floor. The first amendment, which passed, was a technical amendment that clarified the inclusion of graduate students as only “resident” graduate students.

The second amendment sponsored by Sen. Pflug, which failed, would have made tuition setting authority and waivers contingent upon full funding of the state work study program.

Senate Bill 6562 now goes to the House for further consideration.

Legislature Moves Bills as Deadline Looms and Governor Signs Cost Savings Bills into Law

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Today Governor Gregoire signed three bills  intended to provide costs savings into law – House Bill 2998, House Bill 2921, and Senate Bill 6382 and the Senate and the House continued their long hours on the floor.

The bills signed by the Governor 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.

The House and Senate moved more bills forward in the legislative process ranging from greener cleaning products in state facilities to state information systems.

House Bill 2818 requires state agencies to purchase and use cleaning products having properties that minimize potential impacts to human health and the environment. HB 2818 passed with a vote of 73-25. Evergreen supports this bill which carries forth the sustainable practices in place at the College to other state agencies. 

Senate Bill 6579 creates the Information Systems Improvement Committee to develop recommendations for improving information technology and systems across state and local governments, and develop an action plan to build consensus and support for the recommendations. A report of the Committee’s work is due September 2011. Sb 6579 passed with a vote of 48-0.

Finally, two bills were introduced – HB 3185 and SB 6857 – and referred to their respective higher education policy committees.  The bills do away with the Higher Education Coordinating Board and transfer the current work of the HECB to the newly created  Student Financial Assistance Board, Office of Financial Management, and Workforce Education & Training Board.  The bills are companion bills, which means they are the exact same bill introduced in each chamber.

Latest at the Legislature February 12

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The Senate and the House spent another long day on the floor. As I am writing this blog, both Chambers continue to caucus and prepare for a long night.

Here are some highlights since yesterday.

The House took action on a teacher education bill today. House Bill 3068 passed with a vote of 95-0. HB 3068, which Evergreen supports, allows individuals who participated in one of the Recruiting Washington Teachers programs for high school students to participate in the Pipeline for Paraeducators conditional scholarship program.

The Senate took action on three bills that Evergreen has tracked and weighed-in this session. Senate Bill 5041 encourages state agencies and institutions of higher education to increase contracts with veteran-owned businesses. Evergreen worked with the sponsor of the bill, Sen. Kilmer, during the interim to revise the original language of the bill. Evergreen strongly supports SB 5041 which passed with a strong vote of 48-0.

Senate Bill 6355, a.ka. the system design bill, passed the Senate 47-0. SB 6355 implements the recommendations put forth by the Higher Education Coordinating Board’s (HECB) System Design Plan work during the interim. Evergreen was represented in this work by Don Bantz, Provost.  The bill identifies a process for expanding the higher education system upon proven demand and for reaching the goals in the HECB’s Master Plan.

Evergreen also supported the passage of Senate Bill 6357. SB 6357 requires The College Board in consultation with the four-year sector, workforce training and education board, private career schools, business, and labor to develop policies for awarding academic credit for learning from work and military experience, military and law enforcement training, career college training, internships and externships, and apprenticeships. The policies must address, but are not limited to, issues regarding verification, accreditation, transfer of academic credit, licensing and professional recognition, and financial aid.

Finally, Governor Gregoire is expected to take action on three bills that are intended to provide costs savings on Monday, February 15 – House Bill 2998, House Bill 2921, and Senate Bill 6382.

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.