HOUSE DEMOCRATS FUND WSU RESEARCH INITIATIVES, PROVIDE $4.65 MILLION FACULTY RETENTION POOL.
House Democrats have proposed a $17.7 million budget boost to Washington State University plus a 3 percent per year salary increase for all state employees. The partisan budget is the largest dollar increase to WSU so far proposed for the 1999-2001 biennium, larger than the WSU budget proposed by House Republicans and larger than the budget of Gov. Gary Locke. Locke provided $17.2 million more to WSU while House Republicans proposed $13.4 million in enhancements. Neither the Republican nor the Democratic budgets reflect the position of the state House of Representatives, which has yet to vote on any budget. Senators, who have been waiting to receive a House budget before they disclose their proposals, may soon decide to release recommendations.
Here are the highlights of the House Democratic budget bill (draft H-2540.2/99), a document compiled under the leadership of House Appropriations Chair Helen Sommers, D- Seattle:
Salaries: Democrats Double GOP Retention Pool.
-- House Democrats propose a base pay increase for all WSU faculty and staff equivalent to 3 percent per year. In contrast, the Republican budget funded faculty at 3%and exempt and classified increases at 2%. The governor provided only a 2 percent increase each year for all employees. The university had sought funding to raise salaries by 4.5 percent per year.
-- Democrats proposed the best "recruitment and retention pool" so far, earmarking $4.65 million to increase salaries selectively for employees WSU most needs to attract and retain. That`s twice the funding level suggested by Republicans and more than three times the funding recommended by the governor. Both the Republicans and the Governor also proposed using tuition increases to provide additional retention pool increases.
House Democrats Propose Best Budget for Safe Food, Advanced Technology Initiative:
The "Safe Food Initiative" received its best funding recommendation yet from House Democrats, who provided $4.25 million in funding, an amount advocated by agricultural industry leaders. It is the only proposed budget so far that fully funds the expanded work of the Commission on Pesticide Re-registration in both years of the upcoming biennium. The research initiative is intended to boost the Washington agricultural industry, protect food crops from devastating pests, and enhance consumer confidence in its food supplies. House Republicans and the governor provided $2.35 million for the proposal, originally requested at $7.5 million. Some House Republicans have indicated there is growing support in their caucus to move their recommended funding level to that proposed by the House Democrats.
The Advanced Technology Initiative was funded at $2 million for WSU, enough funding for two out of the three proposed research clusters in precision agriculture, reproductive biology, and semiconductor technology. The proposal was not recommended by the governor. House Republicans provided $1 million.
Technology:
Like House Republicans, House Democrats did not advocate full funding of university technology requests, recommending only $940,000 to fund programs at the WSU Teaching and Learning Center to support technology-assisted course delivery. The governor suggested $3.4 million to accelerate the use of technology-based, cutting edge teaching strategies for learning, both on-campus and off-campus including conversion of up to 200 traditional courses to multi-media or distance learning strategies.
--The partisan House budgets did not include $905,000 recommended by the governor for learning centers at Skagit Valley Community College, Walla Walla Community College and Grays Harbor College.
--The partisan house budgets did not fund the $1.5 million for establishment of a state-wide "on-line college." WSU was pleased to be designated by the governor`s proposed budget as the state-wide fiscal agent and lead agency for an on-line catalog, student services support and other assistance for distance learning. But this budget proposal appears to be in serious trouble.
Access: House Democrats Provide No Funding for Spokane Health Sciences Consortium.
-- House Democrats provided no funding for the establishment of a state-wide Health Sciences Consortium in Spokane. Only $750,000 of the $2.1 million request was provided by House Republicans. These recommendations have prompted concern from the Spokane area. The governor fully-funded this request.
-- $2.3 million was provided to establish new Spokane Health Sciences Programs and to expand enrollment in existing programs in both House proposals. The governor provided $3 million to fully fund 159 FTEs.
-- House Republicans and Democrats provide $760,000 to fund 151 of the 200 FTE requested for EDP. Funding is at the average rate for all undergraduates instead of the average rate for upper division. The governor recommended $1.1million.
-- House Democrats provide $1.7million to fund 150 additional FTE as requested in Vancouver. House Republicans and the governor each funded 119 FTE.
-- House Republicans and Democrats provided $1.1million to fund 226 new FTEs in Pullman. The governor recommended $1.0million.
Trust Lands Issues House Democrats provided an additional $1.7 million pay for management of WSU agricultural trust lands. The state Department of Natural Resources had been improperly taking management fees out of timber sale revenues. Republicans provided $1 million.
