SENATE BILL 6063
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LEGISLATURE APPROVES $90 MILLION WSU CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION BUDGET
The Washington Legislature has approved a final version of Senate Bill 6063, the capital construction budget, and sent it to Gov. Gary Locke's desk. The bill among other things, provides: $13.5 million for WSU Vancouver, $2.6 million for design of a new Teaching and Learning Center at the Pullman campus, $10.9 million for renovation of historic Thompson Hall, $10.4 million for renovation and addition to Kimbrough Hall, $17 million to renovate Bohler Gymnasium, and preliminary design funds for Murrow Hall, Cleveland Hall, a WSU Tri-Cities Science Education Center, and a new Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design/Landscape Architecture building. The measure passed the State Senate 25-21 this week and the House approved it 56-42. The margins of passage, however, were not wide enough to assure the 60 percent favorable vote required for a companion bill which funds the capital budget. Republicans will likely need some Democratic votes to make that possible.
PILOT NON-RESIDENT TUITION PROGRAMS DIE IN SENATE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
House Bill 1009, the pilot tuition bill for technology-based programs such as the extended degree program, and Substitute House bill 1005, creating a Portland-Vancouver border county tuition pilot, have died in the Senate Ways and Means Committee without a vote.
WSU testified in support of 1009 and supported efforts by House Chairman Don Carlson, R-Vancouver, on 1005. There was no real public criticism of the bills which passed the House and were approved by the Senate Higher Education Committee. Legislators did not seem to be comfortable with the concept of creating new opportunities for resident students by lowering tuition for selective non-residents. Lawmakers also complained there was no satisfactory progress on a companion bill to HB 1005 in the Oregon Legislature.
GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL TRANSFERRING 1,000 ACRES OF FARMLAND TO THE WSU LIND EXPERIMENT STATION
Gov. Gary Locke has signed House Bill 1016, WSU request legislation which will nearly quadruple the size of the Lind dryland experiment station. The land, willed to the State by the late Cleora Neare, is critical for research relevant to about 60 percent of Washington's wheat acreage. WSU received assistance from the Washington Wheat Commission in promoting the bill. The prime sponsor of the legislation is Rep. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville.
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1008 - COUGAR LICENSE PLATE FEES WILL INCREASE BY $10 FOR FIRST PURCHASE
The Legislature has passed a bill that will increase the initial fee paid for a Cougar "mascot" license plate from $30 to $40. There will be no additional fee to persons who already have Cougar plates or who will be renewing their plates. WSU opposed earlier versions of the bill which sought to increase renewal costs. The legislation is now awaiting action from Gov. Locke.
HOUSE BILL 1551 - LEGISLATURE APPROVES BILL ALLOWING WSU TO PROVIDE MORE MERIT WAIVERS
More students who have excellent academic backgrounds may be eligible to have a portion of the tuition waived if legislation that has passed the Legislature is signed by Gov. Gary Locke. WSU and other institutions are currently limited to waive up to 1 percent of their tuition revenue for students who are meritorious or have no other special circumstances. This bill increases the limit to 2 percent. The bill passed the Senate 48-0 after clearing the House 97-0 earlier in the session. The legislation is unusual because it was sponsored by a Democrat, Rep. Dawn Mason of Seattle and was approved by a Republican Legislature. Mason, who has a daughter graduating from Washington State University this spring, is the ranking member of the House Higher Education Committee.
SENATE BILL 5517
- ADDING A STUDENT TO THE WSU GOVERNING BOARD DIES ON THE HOUSE CALENDAR
Legislation that will add a student to the WSU Board of Regents unexpectedly died on the calendar in the state House of Representatives last week. WSU had opposed the legislation because it believed it would lead to expansion of the governing board to cover other interest groups.
HOUSE BILL 1418 - WSU TRUST LANDS BILL GOES TO A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
The House and the Senate have still not reached an agreement on legislation that would follow the state attorney general's opinion and end the Department of Natural Resource's practice of charging management fees to WSU's 70,650 acres of agricultural trust lands. Legislation approved by each House will likely accomplish that purpose but there are technical differences in the bill. Also, still unresolved is how those fees would be paid if the costs are not paid by the trust. The budget did not address those issues. WSU supports the Senate version of the bill but has suggested an amendment which would improve the House version. Efforts to have a special select committee consider other issues important to the trust lands have apparently failed in the Legislature. However, the chairmen of the Senate Natural Resources & Parks Committee, Sen. Bob Oke, said he will attempt to study issues such as trust diversification this summer. Rep. Jim Buck, the chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, said his committee will also study trust lands issues.
