Today is day 38 of the 105-day legislation session. The last day for bills to pass out of the policy committee in their house of origin is this Friday, Feb. 17. If bills have not moved out of policy committee by the Feb. 17 deadline, they are considered dead unless they’re necessary to implement the budget (NTIB). Legislation that passes out of policy committee before the deadline will move to their house of origin fiscal committee or if they do not have a fiscal impact, directly to the Rules Committee, where members select which bills move to the floor for consideration by the full body of the House or Senate.
The House and Senate fiscal committees, Appropriations and Ways & Means respectively, will work long hours this weekend and next week as they consider the bills that have come to them from the various policy committees. The house of origin fiscal committee cutoff is scheduled for next Friday, Feb. 24.
The Office of State Relations is monitoring legislation that impacts the University, as well as the budget process. If you have questions about specific bills or the legislative process, please contact staterel@uw.edu.
President Cauce champions the UW’s legislative priorities with budget leadership
Last week, President Ana Mari Cauce traveled to Olympia for the second time to advocate for the UW’s legislative priorities. She met with Democrat and Republican budget writers in both the House and Senate to advocate for increased compensation for University faculty and staff, as well as additional support for UW’s hospitals so they can continue to serve as the state’s safety-net and health care workforce training hospitals. She also emphasized the need to support high-demand degree programs and student support services.
Before meeting with legislators, President Cauce connected with UW students in Olympia for their annual Huskies on the Hill lobby day. Huskies on the Hill is organized by the ASUW Office of Government Relations to advocate on issues important to UW students, such as financial aid and mental health resources. President Cauce enjoyed starting her day in Olympia with UW students and hearing about their priorities this session.
School of Environmental & Forest Sciences advocates for Anderson Hall renovation
The UW College of the Environment Dean Maya Tolstoy and Associate Dean Stephanie Harrington participated in legislator meetings with the Director of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences Dan Brown to ask for support for the renovation of Anderson Hall, which is one of the oldest buildings on the Seattle campus.
Anderson Hall is the hub for the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, which has seen undergraduate enrollment double in the past decade. Built in 1925, the building has an antiquated learning environment that lacks adequate classroom and collaborative learning spaces. Additionally, it lacks cutting-edge technologies critical to fostering environmental leadership and learning.
Renewed facilities will accommodate increased enrollment, address long-standing accessibility and safety issues, and allow for innovative learning and research in support of Washington’s environmental, economic, and societal prosperity.
UW leaders request support for wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House
Yesterday, the Director of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House Chenoa Henry (Tulalip), UW student and co-chair of the First Nations @ UW Kaila RedBow (Oglala Lakota Sioux), Regent Leonard Forsman (Suquamish), UW Native American Advisory Board immediate past-chair Patricia Whitefoot (Yakama), and University Diversity Officer Rickey Hall met with policymakers to advocate for phase two of the construction of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House.
wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House is a longhouse-style learning and gathering place for the UW’s American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students, faculty and staff. It is also provides a welcoming environment for sharing the knowledge of Northwest Indigenous peoples, and serves as a reminder that the University campus sits in the heart of Native land.
Phase two of construction will bring additional support to the UW’s AIAN community through a Native art lab, a student resource center, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, and educational Native gardens. It will also help to further support access and retention for AIAN students.
