April 11, 1995 - SENATE PROPOSES $64.7 MILLION WSU PULLMAN
CAPITAL BUDGET. The Democratic-controlled Senate has announced
a proposed $64.7 million 1995-97 capital construction budget for
Washington State University with few differences from the $63.1
million House-passed capital budget crafted by Republicans.
These budgets are a bipartisan boost to the WSU branch campuses,
which each have identical projects approved in both House and
Senate versions of the construction budget, funding that was not
recommended by Gov. Mike Lowry House and Senate budgets also
fund key Pullman projects recommended by the Governor, such as
a new Engineering Teaching/Research Laboratory Building, a Wheat
Research Facility, an Animal Science Building, and Bohler Addition.
AMONG THE CONCERNS: KIMBROUGH HALL, REPAIR OF EXISTING BUILDINGS.
The Senate budget, now residing in the Senate Ways and Means
Committee, is not expected to undergo major changes before it
is passed by the full chamber. Senate passage will nearly certainly
lead to a House-Senate conference committee to address the differences.
WSU Supports the Senate "Minor Works" appropriation.
A major concern of the House budget to WSU is that it provides
only $11.75 million for "minor works," funding
which is used during the next biennium for repair, remodeling
and safety improvements to existing buildings. The Senate budget
responds to the university`s concerns by providing $15 million
for these critical projects. While it is not as glamorous as
other items in the capital budget, the university critically needs
the higher funding level for such things as repairing roofs before
more costly repairs, complying with fire or electrical codes,
and improvements to laboratories and classrooms.
WSU Supports the House design appropriation for Kimbrough Hall.
The proposed Senate budget was an unexpected setback for eventual
remodeling of Kimbrough Hall. The House provided $1.2 million
for adding general classroom and writing laboratory space to the
building that will benefit nearly every student on the Pullman
campus. The project also attempts to ease overcrowding for the
music department. But the Senate budget deleted design monies
which is likely, at a minimum, to delay the project scheduled
for construction in 1997-99.
PROJECTS FUNDED IN BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE CAPITAL BUDGET PROPOSALS:
- Engineering/Teaching Research Laboratory Building - $17.14
million (Plus $8 million Federal match)
- Animal Science Laboratory Building - $6.58 million
- Bohler Addition Construction and Renovation Design- $11.2
million
- Wheat Research Center - $4 million (plus Federal and Wheat
Commission match for $8 million total)
- WSU Vancouver, Phase II - $9.06 million
- Tri-Cities Consolidated Information Center - $9.7 million
- Riverpoint Academic Building - $3.3 million (Allocated to
the Spokane Joint Center for Higher Education, this includes design
funds for a proposed permanent academic building to house WSU
Spokane.)
- Spokane/Yakima/Wenatchee WHETS - $1.5 million
- Pullman Chemical Waste Collection Sites - $1 million
- Communication Infrastructure Renewal $4.15 million
- State-wide Hazardous Waste Facilities - $1.5 million
WSU REQUESTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE 1995 LEGISLATURE:
- Thompson Hall Renovation - $8.6 million
- Johnson Hall Renovation - $4.9 million
- Murrow Hall Addition - $2.9 million
- Chemical Storage/Environmental Health Services Building -
$5.4 million
- North Campus Electrical Substation - $2.7 million
