On a 50 to 47 vote the House just passed SHB 2344. The bill would suspend the 7 percent cap on increases for resident undergraduate tuition and allow lawmakers to set tuition as part of the budget process for the next two years. Under an amendment adopted on the floor the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) would conduct a performance audit of the state’s four-year schools. The bill now goes to the Senate. Still waiting on the House Floor Calendar is SSB 5734 which would extend tuition setting authority for graduate and out-of-state students.
Budget negotiations continue on both the operating and capital budgets. While many major issues have been agreed to, there are still significant differences that must be bridged. Lawmakers also continue to work through bills in dispute and those needed to implement the budget.