News and Updates

Lawmakers have released their operating budget agreement.  We will have a more detailed analysis later, but here are some quick highlights —

Undergraduate tuition will be allowed to rise 14%

Even with the tuition increase the budget still is a 7 percent reduction from the maintenance/carryforward level; in short the UW will still see substantial cuts and layoffs

Colleges are not required to maintain enrollment levels; enrollment will decline

The final capital budget is not out yet — it is still likely to have significant cuts in projects

Here are some links to current press coverage of the budget:

Seattle Times

Everett Herald

Tacoma News Tribune

TVW

Lawmakers will be briefed tomorrow morning on the state budget deal reached last night.  The complete budget is slated to be posted online at 9 tomorrow morning; we will provide analysis as soon as possible.

Also. the press is reporting that the proposal to submit a 0.3% increase in the sales tax to offset health care cuts is dead; a proposal for a state income tax was pulled from consideration earlier.

At this stage in session, things can literally change in a moment, so stay tuned.

Both the Seattle Times and the Spokesman Review are reporting that a deal has been reached between the House and Senate on the operating budget.  We will post details as soon as they become available.

SB 5734, which allows universities to set tuition levels for graduate and out-of-state students has passed the House on a 53 to 44 vote.  As amended in the House it would extend the authority for four years and it would require a performance audit of the four-year schools.  The bill now returns to the Senate for further action.

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.

The House Health and Human Services Appropriations committee has moved forward a proposal to put a temporary sales tax increase on the ballot this fall to offset some of the proposed health care budget cuts.  The next step would be a floor vote in the House; predicting the timing of any action is almost impossible at this point.  We will continue to post key developments here as they occur.

Also, this morning’s Seattle Times has a story on how federal stimulus money may benefit research projects.  As the story notes, this will not offset any of the cuts being discussed in state support but nonetheless it is a testament to the quality of research done at the UW.

ESB 5925 cleared the legislature today as the Senate concurred in House amendments.  The bill would allow universities to require students to purchase health insurance as part of a study abroad program.  The bill is designed to protect students who travel abroad and find themselves in need of medical care or medical evacuation.  The bill now goes to the Governor.

Budget negotiations continue — as a practical matter if lawmakers do not reach a deal by tomorrow night, it will be difficult to complete the session by the Sunday deadline.  Andrew Garber at the Times has a good summary of where things stand this afternoon — including the important note that things are changing by the hour.

The state Senate met yesterday in a rare Sunday session and a couple of bills of interest were dealt with.

The technical clean-up legislation to the so-called “belt-tightening” bill passed the Senate and now goes to the Governor for her signature.

In addition, the Senate refused to concur with the House changes to SSB 5760 which is our alternative public works legislation, paving the way to begin negotiations on a possible compromise bill between the two chambers.

House and Senate budget negotiators continued to meet to try and hammer out compromises on both the operating and capital budget spending plans as the final day of session is now less than one week away.

Sorry Saturday Night Live fans — no comedy here, but there were some important legislative actions yesterday.

HB 2328 which would correct some problems with the “belt-tightening” bill that passed earlier in the year has cleared Senate Ways and Means; it now goes to the floor.

HB 2344, which would allow lawmakers to exceed the 7% cap on resident undergraduate tuition cleared House Ways and Means; it now faces a vote by the full House.

Also, budget negotiations are continuing — reports are that the Governor is becoming more involved in an effort to bring the session to a close by next Sunday, the scheduled adjournment date.