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News and Updates

News and Updates

This Week in Olympia: Committee Assembly Days, Revenue Forecast

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State lawmakers return to Olympia this week for Committee Assembly Days.

On Thursday (Nov. 21) and Friday (Nov. 22), legislative members will attend committee hearings to discuss upcoming legislative priorities, and also gather for caucus meetings.

To find out what meetings are happening when, check out the legislative calendar here; if you want to follow the action yourself, tune in to TVW.

At 10:00AM today (Nov. 20), all eyes will be on the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council’s Revenue Forecast. The Governor will use the revenue projections and the caseload forecast (released last week) as a basis to build his budget, with release of a budget proposal expected in mid-December.

The 60-day 2014 legislative session begins on January 13, 2014.

In other Olympia news:

Gov. Inslee returns to the state after a trade mission to China (check out Twitter for news from that trip: #GovAsiaTrade).

State Senator Ed Murray (D-Seattle), now Seattle Mayor-elect Murray, announced yesterday (Nov. 19) that he will resign his seat effective December 31.

Sen. David Frockt, (D-Seattle) has been serving been as the interim caucus leader. Senate Democrats are expected to meet this week to elect a permanent leader. According to The News Tribune, two contenders have emerged for the Senate Democratic leadership post: State Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) and State Sen. Sharon Nelson (D-Maury Island).

State Senator Nick Harper (D-Everett) resigned his seat earlier in the month. No word yet on when that vacancy will be filled.

Several vacancies in the State House will also be filled in the coming months.

A 26th Legislative District House seat will be left vacant when Rep. Jan Angel (R-Port Orchard) moves to the State Senate (after a successful campaign for the seat in the recent election).

State Rep. Gary Alexander (R-Olympia) is resigning effective December 31, leaving a vacancy in the 2nd Legislative District, and State Rep. Larry Crouse (R-Spokane Valley) is also leaving the legislature, creating an opening in the 4th Legislative District.

The 3rd Special Session of 2013 adjourned November 9. The legislature successfully passed a package of legislation relating to the Boeing 777x aircraft.

Today in Olympia: Day 2 of Special Session

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Today is Day 2 of the 2013 3rd Special Session.

This morning, the House Finance Committee approved a proposal (House Bill 2089) to extend tax incentives for Boeing and the aerospace industry.

The proposal’s next stops are in committee meetings this afternoon: Senate Ways & Means (1:30PM), and House Appropriations (3:30PM).

Tune in to watch the sessions online at: http://tvw.org/

More Olympia news:

Sen. Ed Murray has resigned as leader of the Senate Democrats following his election as mayor of Seattle. Sen. David Frockt has been named interim leader (read more at King5.com).

The News Tribune reports on Jan Angel’s victory in the closely watched race for the State Senate seat in the 26th Legislative District.

Earlier in the week, Governor Inslee named a new Chief of Staff — longtime adviser Joby Shimomura.

Governor calls special session for Boeing 777X package

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Gov. Jay Inslee announced yesterday (11/5) that he is calling the legislature back for a special session beginning Thursday, Nov. 7, to approve a package aimed at encouraging The Boeing Company to build the 777X airplane in Washington State.

The Governor’s Office released a list of the package elements here.

Reporting on the Governor’s announcement, the Seattle Times outlines some of the challenges expected in passing both an incentive package and a statewide transportation package, in just one week.

Stay tuned to the UW State Relations blog, Twitter, and Facebook for more developments!

Rep. Hans Zeiger Tours UW Institute for Protein Design

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Last Friday (Nov. 1), Rep. Hans Zeiger (R-Puyallup) visited UW Seattle to tour the UW Institute for Protein Design.

On the tour, Rep. Zeiger learned about the Institute’s leading edge research integrating UW expertise in biochemistry, engineering, computer science and medicine, and leveraging local strength in the software industry to achieve new breakthroughs in medicine.

Rep. Zeiger also had a chance to meet UW researchers, undergraduate and graduate students working in the lab, and discuss ways the University is propelling leading edge research and ideas out of our labs into the marketplace.

UW 360 features Forefront, a new UW program on suicide prevention

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UW Professor of Social Work Jennifer Stuber has launched a suicide prevention program called Forefront, the first program of its kind in the U.S.

Watch this UW 360 episode featuring Dr. Stuber’s personal story, and her work in Olympia with Rep. Tina Orwall (D-33rd Legislative District) to pass legislation requiring mental health professionals to receive suicide prevention training.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf5Z8x8oPKg

Forecast shows revenues up, confidence down

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On Friday (Oct. 11), the Washington State Economic Revenue & Forecast Council published it’s monthly economic and revenue update.

Among other news, the report shows that tax collections were again higher than previously forecast, and consumer confidence is down, likely as a byproduct of the federal government shutdown.

A few additional highlights from the update:

  • Washington employment and income continue to grow moderately.
  • Major General Fund-State revenue collections for the September 11 – October 10, 2013 collection period were $32.3 million (2.9%) higher than the September forecast.
  • The forecast included a $22.5 million refund that did not occur this month but will occur at a later date. Had the refund occurred as expected, collections would have been $9.8 million (0.9%) above the forecast.

The ERFC’s revenue review released in November will be the basis for Governor Inslee’s supplemental budget proposal for the 2014 legislative session. Session is set to begin in early January.

UW plays key role in state’s adoption of “Next Gen” science standards

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The Seattle Times reports that Washington will be the eighth state to adopt the “Next Generation Science Standards,” which outline what students should know about big ideas of science, key practices scientists and engineers use to solve problems, and fundamental concepts that apply across all scientific fields.

The Times highlights the prominent role played by the UW:

The University of Washington has played a prominent role both in developing the standards and in helping teachers teach them.

Philip Bell, director of the university’s Institute for Science + Math Education, was one of 18 experts brought together by the National Research Council to identify the key ideas and practices in science that all high-school graduates should know not only for their jobs and further education, but to become scientifically literate citizens.

Read more.