Notes on the House Republican Budget
Washington State University
2000 Supplemental Budget
· The House Republican budget makes $3.7 million in cuts to existing programs for shortfalls in enrollment. There are no bands. Since faculty have been hired and new programs are in place, these are cuts to existing WSU programs. This is in addition to a $1.4 million reduction in second year enrollments that was voluntarily provided by the university.
· The above reductions are most devastating to WSU Tri-Cities, which would lose 28 percent of its existing budget under the House Republican proposal. WSU urges that there be no funding cuts to WSU Tri-Cities and that FTE enrollment targets be reduced to 596 (without cutting the budget.) This funding level would reflect average funding per FTE at Tacoma, Vancouver and Bothell.
· WSU was surprised that the Legislature`s funding for recruitment and retention salary increases were eliminated for the second year in the House GOP Budget. This funding has already been awarded to individuals and the House proposal will result in university budget cuts. This proposal comes as WSU`s average faculty salaries have slipped below all but one similar land grant university in the country. WSU salaries trail the average of its peers by about $10,000 per faculty member.
· The House GOP budget cut off funding ($450,000 per year) for the WSU and UW Advanced Technology Initiatives. ATI was first funded for 1999-01 biennium. At WSU, it promotes economic development by applying scientific knowledge for commercially viable applications in precision agriculture, semi-conductor research and reproductive biology.
· The House GOP budget eliminated $90,000 for the Attorney General Revolving Fund reduction. This item was funded by the 1999 legislature to cover the costs of legal services related to facilities planning and construction contracts designed to limit future claims against the state.
· Like the governor, the House GOP budget provided $3.6 million in one-time monies for needed repairs for the university power plant in Pullman. The university appreciates this critical funding, which was also recommended by the governor.
· Like the governor, the House GOP budged provided $600,000 to develop biomedical research programs in Spokane and establish a Cancer Research Prevention Center at SIRTI. The WSU research will contribute to the efforts with the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute (SIRTI) to provide economic development for eastern Washington through commercialization of ideas from higher education. (Note, however, the separate request from SIRTI for $425,000 was not funded.)
· The House GOP budget eliminated $90,000 for the Attorney General Revolving Fund reduction. This item was funded by the 1999 legislature to cover the costs of legal services related to facilities planning and construction contracts designed to limit future claims against the state.
· As anticipated, funding is reduced due to the loss of revenue to the Air Pollution Control Account as a result of Initiative 695.
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