The Office of State Relations serves as the principal liaison between the University of Washington and state government. Through strong relationships with state elected officials, their offices, and state agencies, we work to advance the University’s mission and legislative priorities. We collaborate closely with the state’s five other public baccalaureate institutions, community and technical colleges, and industry partners to identify shared interests and influence related public policy.
Past Legislative Agendas & Outcomes
State support is essential to the University’s pursuit of our shared goals: to provide an excellent and accessible education for all Washingtonians, improve the health and sustainability of our state, and promote a prosperous economy.
What is Lobbying?
UW employees must coordinate advocacy with the Office of State Relations to ensure clear and consistent communication and compliance with state laws. Learn more about public agency lobbying and disclosure requirements.
Partners and Resources
Discover more about the Washington’s legislative process and explore the many organizations the Office of State Relations partners with both internally and externally.
Latest News and Updates
State revenue forecasted to decrease for both 2023-25 and 2025-27 budgets
June 27, 2024
The June state revenue forecast published yesterday projects revenue collections for the 2023-25 budget will decrease by $477 million from the February forecast bringing the total projected budget to $66.5 billion. The forecast also estimates revenue for the 2025-27 budget will decrease by $189 million with the total budget for the biennium at $71.5 billion.…
Reps. Ryu & Shavers meet with UW experts on artificial intelligence
June 26, 2024
Today, Reps. Cindy Ryu and Clyde Shavers connected with leaders, faculty, and graduate students in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering to have a technical discussion about artificial intelligence. Rep. Ryu chairs and Rep. Shavers is a member of the House Innovation, Community & Economic Development & Veterans Committee, which considers…
Lt. Gov. Heck & Sen. Schoesler connect with new UW faculty members
June 18, 2024
New faculty members participating in the annual five-day Faculty Field Tour traveled around Washington last week to explore our state’s diverse communities, learn about the UW’s impact across the state, and get to know the regions that UW students come from. One of their first stops was Olympia to meet with Lt. Gov. Denny Heck,…