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News and Updates

News and Updates

This week in Olympia news: Maxwell leaving House for Inslee Admin., state revenue collections tick up, Kip Tokuda remembered

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The News Tribune’s Political Buzz reported last week that State Rep. Marcie Maxwell (D-41st Legislative District) is leaving the State House this month to join Governor Jay Inslee’s administration. According to a statement obtained by the TNT, Maxwell will join Governor Inslee’s Legislative Affairs and Policy Office as Senior Education Policy Advisor. Maxwell was elected to three terms in the legislature, and previously served on the Renton School Board for eight years.

The Olympian’s Brad Shannon has the story on the monthly Economic & Revenue Update from the state’s Economic and Forecast Research Council. According to the EFRC, revenue collections for the last month ticked up $7.5 million (0.6% higher than the June forecast). However, the state forecaster also notes that first quarter U.S. GDP growth was revised down from 2.4% to 1.8%.

Today (July 16), Governor Inslee and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle recognized the recent passing of former state legislator Kip Tokuda. KUOW has more on the legacy of the South Seattle Democrat.

UW welcomes new dean of the College of Engineering

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Dean Michael Bragg
Dean Michael Bragg

The UW on Monday (July 15) welcomed Michael B. Bragg as dean of the College of Engineering.

Bragg most recently was professor and interim dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

An aeronautical engineer by training, Bragg has held numerous leadership positions at Illinois, including head of the aerospace engineering department, associate dean for research and administrative affairs, executive associate dean for academic affairs, and interim dean in the College of Engineering.

Read more at UW Today.

Editorial: A proud moment for the state Legislature

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UW President Michael K. Young
President Michael K. Young

In a guest opinion editorial published in The Olympian newspaper, UW President Michael K. Young recognizes state legislators for their work on behalf of higher education in the state budget:

I am very proud of our state Legislature. As difficult and protracted as the process was, our legislators passed a state budget that reinvests in the state’s future by supporting the education of our young people. It’s an achievement that deserves to be recognized.

…

The state budget is an encouraging reminder that the trajectory of a public issue can be altered for the better and that downward spirals need not continue. Many individuals, including faculty and student leaders, labor leaders, business executives, and newspaper editors demonstrated the power of a thoughtful argument, persistently and eloquently presented, and the capacity of our citizens and our democratic institutions to respond constructively. The resulting political compromises and the long-term thinking of the legislators should be a source of pride for every Washington citizen. By their bold action, our legislators have taken an important step to reenergize our public colleges and universities and return momentum to Washington’s historic commitment to educating its citizens to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Read more here.

Regents approve UW operating budget and tuition rates

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The University of Washington Board of Regents met today (July 1) to approve the university operating budget and 2014, 2015 tuition rates.

After many years of declining state support, state lawmakers made a substantial reinvestment in higher education in the 2013-2015 state operating budget. This reinvestment in higher education will allow the university to provide more affordable tuition rates for Washington’s students and their families without compromising on the quality of a UW education.

For more information, click here to download and our tuition fact sheet (PDF).

Statement from UW President on the proposed Washington state budget

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The following statement is from Michael K. Young, president of the University of Washington.

“The proposed state operating budget agreement represents a significant step forward, not only for University of Washington students, faculty, staff and their families – but also for the state of Washington.

“For the first time in over two decades, state reinvestment in this budget agreement will allow the UW to hold resident undergraduate tuition rates at their current levels without compromising the extraordinary quality of students’ educations. In addition, new investments in engineering and computer science will expand access to critical programs for qualified students, creating an expanded talent pipeline for the 25,000 high demand job opportunities currently available in our state.

“Budget negotiators are to be commended for their vision in making these essential investments in Washington’s economy and future leaders. Furthermore, we are grateful for the strong commitment and unyielding efforts of our incredible advocates, including the steadfast UW community, engaged alumni, dedicated partners in the business community, and broad-based newspaper editorial support. I am optimistic the investments in this budget are a sign of renewed focus and investment in higher education in Washington state.”

KING 5: The Future of Aerospace Innovation in Washington

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KING 5 covered the first ever Joint Center for Aerospace Innovation symposium held on the UW campus yesterday:

In a conference at the U.W. campus under the title Innovate Washington,  students, faculty and industry representatives learned about  students research projects and listened to a host of speakers which included  Bobak Ferdowsi, the flight engineer for NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover and U.W. Aeronautics and Astronautics graduate.

You can read more, or watch the full story on KING5.com.

Governor Jay Inslee calls second special session

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Today (June 11) is the last day of the first 30-day special session, which followed the 105-day regular session of the 2013 Washington State Legislature.

Gov. Inslee announced at a morning press conference that a second 30-day special session would begin tomorrow at 9:00 AM.

The second special session is necessary, because the House and Senate have yet to agree on a final budget plan.

As the Associated Press reports, the second special session comes after a week of floor action on revised budgets — and continued disagreements about how to best address both the state budget deficit and a State Supreme Court ruling on K-12 education funding.

The Seattle Times reported yesterday on the current state of negotiations, saying both sides still appeared to be “far apart,” citing conversations with negotiators in the Governor’s office and both chambers of the legislature. 

Stay tuned to the blog and our Twitter and Facebook feeds for updates.

State House approves revised budget plan

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With the deadline for the first 30-day special session looming, the State House passed out a revised budget plan last night.

The Associated Press reports:

With lawmakers entering the final days of a special session, the House voted 53-35 to approve the budget. Republicans in the chamber praised budget writers for dropping a proposed business tax extension but still expressed concern about how the measure was structured.

Continue reading “State House approves revised budget plan”

State Rep. Steve O’Ban tapped by Pierce County Council to fill Carrell seat

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The News Tribune reports:

O’Ban will fill the vacancy left by the recent passing of State Senator Mike Carrell.

Learn more about O’Ban by reading our “Huskies on the Hill” Q&A he participated in on the State Relations blog earlier this year.

Upcoming Event: The Future of Aerospace Innovation in Washington

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The Joint Center for Aerospace Research Technology Innovation (JCATI) will hold its inaugural symposium on Monday, June 24, 2013 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m on the University of Washington’s Seattle campus.

The symposium will include an industry panel discussing the grand challenges in aerospace and the role of innovation. Moderated by Roger Myers of Aerojet, the panel will include industry leaders representing the commercial airplanes, space, UAV, and NextGen/big data sectors of the industry.

A university panel titled “The Academy’s Role in Innovation” will host deans from the University of Washington and Washington State University as well as Earll Murman, the MIT Ford Professor of Engineering Emeritus.

For more information and to register, click here.