SENATE AND HOUSE APPROVE BILLS TO PUT STUDENTS ON THE BOARD OF REGENTS
(SB 5517, SHB 2374)
A student will be added to the WSU Board of Regents under legislation
that appears destined to pass the Washington Legislature this year. Each
house has now passed separate legislation that would add a student to each
of the governing boards of the state's four-year institutions. WSU opposes
this legislation because it moves to a system that would have board members
selected on the basis of an interest group. WSU fears the board may later
be expanded to include seats for organized labor groups, faculty, agricultural
commodity commissions, business groups, alumni associations, etc. The change
would also have implications for the university's governance structure,
as the balance of student membership on university committees might need
to be re-evaluated if students have automatic representation on the ultimate
board that receives the committee reports. However, the notion of adding
a student to the board is very popular in the Legislature. The House approved
its measure, Substitute House Bill 2374, on an 86-11 vote. The bill has
a hearing Feb. 24 in front of the Senate Higher Education Committee which
already has approved a similar bill. The Senate version, SB 5517, passed
Tuesday 31-18.
HIGHER EDUCATION ENDOWMENT BILL PASSES THE STATE SENATE 40-8 (SB
6242)
Senate Higher Education Chair Jeannette Wood successfully spearheaded
efforts in the state Senate Monday to get enabling legislation for a higher
education matching endowment through the state Senate. In speaking against
amendments offered on the floor, Sen. Wood succeeded in keeping the proposal
intact as conceived by the state's public four-year institutions and the
state Board for Community and Technical Colleges. It is uncertain what
the fate of the legislation might be in the House. A similar bill, House
Bill 2859, failed to pass the House Appropriations Committee. However,
some House members have been exploring funding sources for the legislation.
Concerns about the bill have been raised by the state's private institutions,
which would like to have funds earmarked for student financial aid. Senators
voting against the bill and supporting unsuccessful amendments to substantially
change the bill were Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver; Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle;
Sen. Alex Deccio, R-Yakima; Sen. Bill Finkbeiner, R-Carnation; Sen. Harold
Hochstatter, R-Moses Lake;. Sen. Bob McCaslin, R-Spokane; Sen. Val Stevens,
R-Snohomish County, and Sen. Joseph Zarelli, R-Vancouver.
SENATE APPROVES FUNDING MECHANISM FOR WSU REAL ESTATE RESEARCH CENTER
35-7 (SB 6396)
A stable fee-based funding source for the WSU Real Estate Center has
passed the state Senate and appears to have a strong chance for passing
this session. A similar bill was approved by the House Appropriations Committee
earlier in the session but the full House has not yet voted on the measure.
Proposed in cooperation with the Washington Association of Realtors, the
bill will impose a fee amounting to $5 per year on real estate licensees
to support the program. Currently, the program is supported by a declining
real estate broker's trust account.
BORDER COUNTY BILL PASSES THE HOUSE 97-0 (ESHB 2373)
The House is again sending to the Senate legislation that will make
it easier for students in the Portland area to attend WSU Vancouver. A
similar bill passed the House last year but died in the Senate Ways and
Means Committee. Under this pilot project, WSU Vancouver may enroll students
at resident tuition rates if they reside in the bordering Oregon counties
of Columbia and Multnomah. They are limited to eight or less credits. Also
through the pilot project, needy placebound students who are recipients
of Educational Opportunity Grants may use their grants to attend WSU Vancouver.
The bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Higher Education Committee
on Feb. 23.
HOUSE APPROVES ADVANCED COLLEGE TUITION PLAN 97-0 (2SHB 2430)
The state Higher Education Coordinating Board is seeking about $2 million
in start-up costs for the Washington Advanced Tuition Payment Program which
was created last year but has not yet began operation. The program allows
families to buy "tuition credits" in relatively small amounts in advance.
The tuition credits are redeemable for future tuition at a Washington institutions.
The credits will guarantee a tuition price. The measure, which contains
some administrative technical changes, is supported by House Appropriations
Chairman Tom Huff.
SPOKANE CHAMBER CALLS FOR WSU TO BE A "SENIOR PARTNER" IN SIRTI The
Spokane Chamber of Commerce convinced senators to make Washington State
University a "senior partner" in the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and
Technology Institute or SIRTI. Substitute Senate Bill 6655, which would
create SIRTI as an independent state agency, is now in the House Higher
Education Committee. In a letter to Sens. Jim West and Lisa Brown, Chamber
Chairman Dave Broom and President Rich Hadley said an expanded role for
WSU is necessary for "clarity of focus and identity purposes." The legislation,
with WSU designated as a senior partner, passed the Senate 47-0 on Feb.
14. Other "partners" would include CWU, EWU, UW, Spokane Community Colleges,
Gonzaga, Whitworth, the Washington Technology Center, six business leaders
and three others from the general public. The state Higher Education Coordinating
Board has taken another approach, recommending that SIRTI be merged into
WSU. Reorganizing SIRTI was triggered by a Senate-passed bill, ESSB 6717,
which abolishes the Joint Center for Higher Education in Spokane.
