Skip to content
News & Updates

News & Updates

Gov. Inslee, Pres. Young Attend Clean Energy Institute Launch Events

Posted on

A new University of Washington institute to develop efficient, cost-effective solar power and better energy storage systems launched last week (Dec. 12) with an event attended by UW President Michael K. Young, Gov. Jay Inslee and researchers, industry experts and policy leaders in renewable energy.

Clean Energy Institute Kick-Off
Gov. Jay Inslee (center) shakes hands with Daniel Schwartz, director of the new Clean Energy Institute, with UW President Michael Young (left). Photo: Mary Levin / UW

 

Gov. Inslee made securing $6 million for CEI a priority last session. Lawmakers allocated the funding in the 2013-2015 state budget. The new research center will advance solar energy and electrical energy storage capacities. The institute will better connect and boost existing energy research at the UW as well as attract new partnerships and talent, including new faculty members.

Read more about the launch events in the Seattle Times, or in this news story from KIRO 7.

 

Gov. Inslee discusses STEM education at Summit

Posted on

This week Washington STEM hosted its second annual summit at Microsoft’s Redmond-campus. Over the lunch hour, the audience heard from Microsoft’s Brad Smith and Governor Jay Inslee on the importance of STEM education, both at the K-12 and post-secondary levels, to the state economy. (Read highlights from the day in this report from the Redmond Reporter)

In an interview with McKinstry CEO Dean Allen, Gov. Inslee noted that one of his leading indicators in the Results Washington program under “World-Class Education” is increasing the number of graduates in STEM and high-demand programs from the state’s public baccalaureate institutions.

The jobs “skills gap” is particularly troubling, the Governor noted, because it means that many high-skilled jobs the state is producing go to workers with degrees recruited from outside the state.

Answering a question about what’s next for the upcoming legislative session, Governor Inslee said he was pleased with investments in the 2013-2015 budget to increase Computer Science & Engineering enrollments at UW, WSU, and WWU — and that he hoped to continue that progress moving forward.

 

This Week in Olympia: Committee Assembly Days, Revenue Forecast

Posted on

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

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