1996 LEGISLATURE PASSES COMPROMISE BUDGET, ADJOURNS
SINE DIE
The 1996 Legislature passed its compromise supplemental
operating budget adjourned early this morning "sine die."
While some matters such as property tax reductions were considered
to be left unfinished when the gavels fell, it appeared unlikely
this morning that Gov. Mike Lowry would call a special session.
The Legislature completed all of its anticipated business on
higher education and accomplished what Washington State University
regards as a very successful legislative session. WSU picked
up $5.25 million in its permanent funding base, 1,045 new student
enrollments, the transfer of $4 million worth of programs from
the state energy office, and confirmation of two members of its
Board of Regents. In addition, the Legislature established a
$54 million pool that could be tapped by the "Washington
Higher Education Network" and fully-funded a cooperative
library project among the six four-year institutions. New tuition
increases were limited to non-resident students. The governor
now has 20 days to act on most of the significant legislation.
In the final hours, the state Senate also passed a non-binding
resolution (SCR 8435) instructing the Department of Natural Resources
to provide WSU and other trust land beneficiaries requested information
on a proposed Habitat Conservation Plan "including economic
information giving the base-line calculation, on a trust by trust
basis, to the satisfaction of each of the trusts."
FINAL HOURS PRODUCED A PROCESS FOR SPENDING $54
MILLION "WHEN" & K-12 FUNDING
Among the very last bills passed by the Legislature
before adjournment last night was an extensive 13-page process
for determining how funding could be secured for a "K-20"
Telecommunications Backbone which is expected to link the four-year
universities, the community colleges, and now K-12, (E2SSB
6705). The legislation was written by legislative fiscal
and policy staff throughout the night Wednesday and copies of
the bill were not available until just prior to 98-0 House passage.
The Senate passed the bill late Thursday night 47-1. The bill
dictates how $54 million reserved in the budget for the project
may be spent. Failure to pass the bill would have caused the
funding to lapse. Here is how the new process will apparently
work under the bill:
First, the Information Services Board, with added
members from the superintendent of public instruction and the
Legislature, is called to recommend a "Phased Technical
Plan" for the K-20 network. The legislation dictates
that the first priority or "Phase 1" will be to link
the WSU WHETS system (including WSU branch campuses and Central
Washington University) with the campuses of the University of
Washington (including Tacoma and Bothell) and the main campuses
of Eastern Washington University (Cheney), Western Washington
University (Bellingham), the 32 community and technical colleges,
and educational service districts.
Second, the Phase One plan must be approved by
a new "K-20 Telecommunications Oversight and Policy Committee"
convened by the Department of Information Services before April
15. Voting members of the committee include the governor,
four legislators, one from each caucus, the superintendent of
public instruction, the chair of the state Higher Education Coordinating
Board and the chair of the Information Services Board. Non-voting
members include a community or technical college president, a
public baccalaureate president, the state librarian, an educational
service district superintendent, one representative of a private
school, representatives of independent colleges and private business.
Third, a second phase of the project will consider
such new WHEN sites that are not "main campuses"
such as Longview, Prosser, Puyallup, Everett, etc., plus school
districts and community college branch campuses. In the case
of higher education sites, the state Higher Education Coordinating
Board will be responsible for recommending a location plan to
be recommended to the committee.
Fourth, The HEC Board plan for phase two locations
served, and a similar location plan produced by the superintendent
of public instruction, will be submitted to the Oversight Committee.
Fifth, the Oversight Committee will complete a Network
Design and Implementation Plan that incorporates the technical
plan and location plans prepared by the Information Services Board,
HEC Board and SPI before approving phase two projects.
This update is shared by broadcast fax and electronic
mail to friends of Washington State University as state government
developments occur. Contact Karen Fischer, WSU State-wide
Affairs, 509/335-6665. Larry Ganders is at 360/438-7552; Fax:
360/438-8104. (ganders@wsunix.wsu.edu.) For bill status and other
legislative info, visit our web page at www.wsu.edu/IR/wsulegis/olympia.html.
