Tag Archives: state legislature

Senate Passes Supplemental Budget

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This morning the Washington Senate passed (38-9) a striking amendment to the supplemental budget bill (ESHB 1086), the House version of the operating supplemental budget.

The supplemental budget brought to the Senate floor this morning was amended and passed out of the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Thursday.  The Committee adopted a handful of amendments during the executive session, including language to add back funds each four-year, public baccalaureate institution pays as members of the Council of presidents that were reduced in the original bill.

The Senate’s supplemental budget still reduces higher education by $25.4 million through a tuition transfer from the institutions -public 2-year and 4-year – to the Higher Education Coordinating Board for financial aid.

In addition,  funding reductions were retained to the Higher Education Coordinating Board ($909,000), Workforce Employment and Training (ESD) ($318,000), and the following HECB programs and services ($632,000): (1) College Readiness Program, (2) Health Sciences and Services Authority (HSSA), (3) student financial aid administration, and (4) the Technology Transformation Task Force. 

The next step is to convene a conference committee comprised of three senators ( two Democrats and one Republican) and three representatives (two Democrats and one Republican) to iron out the differences between the two budgets. Once there is agreement, the bill will be voted on by both chambers with no opportunity for amendments, and then sent to the Governor for her signature.

House Higher Education Committee Hears Legislation

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This morning the House Higher Education Committee heard several proposed bills, ranging from purchasing to membership on community and technical college boards.

The following bills were heard:

  • HB 1568 – Regarding appointing members to the boards of trustees for community colleges and the state board for community and technical colleges.
  • HB 1477 – Authorizing the board of trustees at Eastern Washington University to offer educational specialist degrees.
  • HB 1663 – Removing the requirement that institutions of higher education purchase from correctional industries.
  • HB 1631 – Providing for academic employee salary increments for community and technical colleges.
  • HB 1451 – Eliminating the goal of global challenge state funding levels.

The Evergreen State College signed in support for HB 1477 and HB 1663 and did not take a position on the community college related legislation.

Evergreen also submitted written testimony to the Committee in support of House Bill 1451. As stated in our testimony, Evergreen supports the elimination of the Global Challenge State (GCS) framework.  We believe the elimination of this framework will simplify and clarify accountability metrics for Washington’s four-year, public baccalaureate institutions and allow the state to refocus on maintaining access to college for Washington residents.

The GCS framework was established in 2002 as part of the New Economy Index (NEI). The framework lasted for only two-years. Currently, the New Economy Index no longer exists and the states identified in 2002 have not been updated since 2004.

College Promise Coalition Elevates Higher Education at The Capitol

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This morning the College Promise Coalition, a coalition that advocates for the colleges and universities, alongside students, parents, faculty, alumni, labor and business leaders, and education advocates in order to urge the legislature to make higher education a top priority, held a media event at The Capitol.

Students from two- and four-year institutions opened the event announcing the Coalition, its importance and the broad support within the Coalition for higher education in Washington.  In addition, the students shared how their lives have been impacted as funding for institutions has declined.

Following the student President Les Purce – The Evergreen State College,  President Elson Floyd – WSU, President Roy Heyndrickx – St Martin’s, Ana Mari Cauce – UW Dean of Arts and Sciences, the College Success Foundation, and faculty and union representatives shared what is at stake for the state regarding reductions to higher education investments over the last few years, spoke to the value of the student experience, and recognized the need for investments in access.

Senate Proposes Supplemental Budget

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Higher education takes a hit in the Washington Senate’s proposed FY11 supplemental budget. On Wednesday the Senate released their proposed supplemental budget and held a public hearing on the legislation.

Under the Senate’s proposal higher education funding is reduced in total by $27.412 million, including $25.4 million through a tuition transfer from the institutions -public 2-year and 4-year – to the Higher Education Coordinating Board for financial aid.

In addition, the proposed Senate supplemental budget would reduce funding to the Higher Education Coordinating Board ($909,000), Workforce Employment and Training (ESD) ($318,000), and the following HECB programs and services ($632,000): (1) College Readiness Program, (2) Health Sciences and Services Authority (HSSA), (3) student financial aid administration, and (4) the Technology Transformation Task Force. Finally, the proposed supplemental reduces the funds each four-year, public baccalaureate institution pays as members of the Council of presidents ($168,000).

In addition, the proposed supplemental budget makes reductions in several other parts of the state budget including the Basic Health Plan and the Disability Lifeline program.

Legislators are trying to close a $588 million shortfall in the fiscal year that ends this June. Neither of the proposed supplemental budgets closes the budget gap in the current fiscal year, both proposals leave an approximate $200 million shortfall. 

The Senate Ways & Means Committee will hold an Executive Session on the proposed supplemental budget at 3:30 this afternoon.

House and Senate Committees hear Governor’s Bill Implementing Task Force Recommendations

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The House Higher Education Committee and the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Committee held public hearings today on House Bill 1666. The legislation has yet to be assigned a bill number in the Senate.

As Gov. Chris Gregoire and the Task Force announced in December, the proposal would alter the policies that currently structure funding, transfer, and accountability for higher education in Washington.

The bill would set degree production targets to increase 27 percent over 2010 levels by 2018. In addition, the legislation establishes a state funding baseline, tuition flexibility and funding levels for four-year public baccalaureate institutions comparable to institutions in other states; creates an endowment for low and middle income students who wish to obtain a baccalaureate degree and a tax credit for businesses that contribute; adopts new performance measures for four-year public baccalaureate institutions and creates a program to incentivize progress; and requires the creation of a one year transferrable certificate and other measures to ease student transfer and increase recognition of prior learning.

Both committees heard from business, including the big ones (i.e. Microsoft and Boeing), members of the Task Force, faculty, and the institutions of higher education, including The Evergreen State College.  The testimony was clearly in favor of the work of the Task Force and the elevation of higher educatin in the minds of those in Olympia but was accompanied with the need to continue to work on the bill.

No further action is scheduled for the bill at this time.

2011 Legislative Session: Week 4

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During the fourth week of the 2011 legislative session committees will continue to hold public hearings on proposed legislation.

This week the focus of the appropriations committees (i.e. Senate Ways & Means ,  House Ways & Means, House Education Appropriations, and House Capital Budget) will be on legislation that impacts the state’s revenues (i.e. tax exemptions), an overview of various human service and health programs, and a report on the economic and revenue forecast.

In addition, the higher education related committees (i.e. House Higher Education and  Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) are scheduled for public hearings on a wide range of bills, including the Governor’s Higher Education Task Force recommendations, financial aid, transfer, and prior learning credits.

House and Senate Higher Education Committees Hold Hearings on Bills

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This week both the House Higher Education Committee and the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee held public hearings on legislation referred to committee.

This morning the House Higher Education Committee held public hearings on four bills:

  • HB 1089 – Regarding instructional materials provided in a specialized format.
  • HB 1221 – Regarding the rights of certain higher education students involved in military service.
  • HB 1424 – Regarding administrative consistency in student financial aid programs.
  • HB 1425 – Concerning the higher education coordinating board’s responsibilities with regard to health sciences and services authorities.

The Evergreen State College testified in support of HB 1221, advocating for the predictability and stability this bill would offer veterans attending higher education institutions in Washington.

In the afternoon, the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee focused on higher education reform through governance.  The Committee held a public hearing on three bills that proposed different reforms to the state’s current higher education governance structure.

  • SB 5182 – Establishing the office of student financial assistance by eliminating the higher education coordinating board and transferring its functions to various entities.
  • SB 5107 – Creating efficiencies in the Washington state college and university system by consolidation.
  • SB 5108 – Abolishing the council of presidents.

The Evergreen State College, as the current Chair of the Council of Presidents, provided testimony on behalf of all the four-year, public institutions in opposition to abolishing the Council.

2011 Legislative Session: Week 3

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During the third week of the 2011 legislative session committees will begin to transition from work sessions to public hearings on proposed legislation.

A handful of work sessions and more 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 ,  House Ways & Means, House Education Appropriations, and House Capital Budget) will be a review of the Governor’s proposed operating and capital budgets for 2011-13, the impacts of the proposed budget on higher education, and a public hearing on the Governor’s proposed 2011-13 capital budget.

In addition, the higher education related committees (i.e. House Higher Education and  Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) are scheduled to hear presentations regarding the recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force on Higher Education and the Governor’s proposal for reorganizing education in Washington. In addition, the committees will focus on tuition, financial aid, and governance, hearing a variety of bills that would impact these areas of higher education.

WA House Releases Proposed Supplemental Budget

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Higher education is preserved for the most part in the Washington House’s proposed FY11 supplemental budget – HB 1086.

Total spending reductions for higher education funding are $4.5 million, including a $4 million reduction to research for the University of Washington and Washington State University and $541,000 in reductions to the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) – $378,000 and the Spokane Intercollegiate Research & Technology Institute (SIRTI) – $163,000.

The proposed supplemental reduces funding to the following HECB programs and services: (1) College Readiness Program, (2) Health Sciences and Services Authority (HSSA), (3) student financial aid adminsitration, and (4) the Technology Transformation Task Force.

In addition, the proposed supplemental budget makes reductions in several other parts of the state budget including K-12 and health and human services, including a $42 million reduction to K-4 class size enhancement and reductions to the Basic Health Program

The proposed House supplemental budget differs from the Governor in several ways. The House’s proposal maintains current levy equalization for K-12 districts and current funding for Apple Health for Kids and the Disability Lifeline. In addition, reductions were made to the following programs, but not to the level proposed by the Governor – state food assistance, child abuse prevention, prescription drug assistance for seniors, community health clinics, family planning services, and mental health assistance. 

Legislators are trying to close a $588 million shortfall in the fiscal year that ends this June. The House’s proposed supplemental reduces the budget shortfall by $340 million, leaving approximately $260 million in the red for the year.

The House Ways & Means Committee will hold an Executive Session on HB 1086 this afternoon.

2011 Legislative Session: Week 2

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The second week of the 2011 legislative session will continue to focus on work sessions highlighting hot issues, providing background for legislators, and reporting out the recommendations and work conducted by organizations and agencies during the Interim.

In addition, committees in both chambers will hold public hearings on legislation introduced this session.

Several work sessions and some 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 ,  House Ways & Means, House Education Appropriations) will be a review of the Governor’s proposed operating and capital budgets for 2011-13, the impacts of the proposed budget on higher education, and potential action on the supplemental budget.

In addition, the higher education related committees (i.e. House Higher Education and  Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) are scheduled to receive updates and learn the latest regarding the work of faculty, impacts of the budget, tuition, accountability measures, and the research taking place at Washington’s institutions of higher education.