The 2018 legislative session officially begins next Monday, January 8. Considering that the upcoming session is a supplemental budget year, the University of Washington’s legislative priorities are narrow and reinforce the University’s core public education mission:
Operating Budget Priorities
Increase state investment to reverse recession-era cuts to the UW:
The UW is requesting an adjustment to the proportion, or “fund split,” of state-approved expenses funded by student tuition payments. We request that state funding be adjusted to cover 50 percent of expenses in the 2017–2019 state operating budget for employee compensation and central services. This would leave 50 percent to be covered by student tuition revenue, which would align the UW’s share of new expenses with all other public 4-year universities in the state.
Provide maintenance and operations funding for high-value state-funded facilities:
The UW requests $1.3 million in M&O funding in FY19 to provide essential maintenance, operation and student access to the state-funded Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (formerly CSE II) on UW’s Seattle Campus, opening in December 2018.
For more details, review our 2018 operating budget legislative agenda here.
Capital Budget Priorities
Advance the bi-partisan biennial capital budget:
The UW urges swift approval of the 2017–2019 biennial state capital budget that was negotiated and proposed in the summer of 2017. The proposed capital budget contains critical investments that span UW’s three campuses.
Invest in facilities that produce high demand degrees, research and innovation:
The UW requests $600,000 in the supplemental capital budget for the College of Engineering for pre-design funding of a collaborative student-focused facility. UW Engineering has seen unprecedented demand from prospective Washington students and employers looking to hire local talent. This facility would accommodate growth, ensure learning experiences that create new opportunities for interdisciplinary research, and grow partnerships with private industry.
For more details, review our 2018 capital budget legislative agenda here.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the 2018 legislative session and agendas, please join our team and the Office of Planning & Budgeting (OPB) at our annual Legislative Session Kick-Off on Thursday, January 4, 2018 from 9:00am to 10:30am in the UW Tower Auditorium.
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