Legislature Overcomes Many Obstacles in Regular Session...
Except the Budget.
The Legislature adjourned the 2001 regular session on Sunday, a 105-day session that seemed to have elements of everthing....except an agreement on a capital and operating budget for the next biennium.
Lawmakers worked amidst earthquake damage, a state employees strike, the threat of legislative redistricting, and a 49-49 party tie in the House. Legislators are moving temporarily back into the capitol today following earthquake repairs and will reconvene for special session starting noon on Wednesday. The House operating and capital budgets are expected to be released Thursday.
With the House tied at 49 Democrats and 49 Republicans, there were fewer bills introduced this year. And those that passed were largely non-controversial and had bi-partisan support. Bills affecting WSU that passed include:
* SHB 1314, the supplemental budget. It includes $16 million as final payment of an agricultural college trust land settlement that provides the balance of the funding for the recently-completed Spokane Health Sciences Building at Riverpoint.
* Three bills that give WSU`s business operations more flexibility.
--SHB 1515 raises the limit, set in 1985, for public works that can be performed in-house from $25,000 to $35,000. Ev Davis, WSU director of facilities operations, testified in support of the bill.
-- WSU also supports ESSB 5060, which extends research institutions` authority to use alternative public works procedures for six more years.
-- HB 1623 gives four-year institutions the ability to invest funds with the state treasurer`s office.
* A student lobby sponsored bill, SSB 5509. It requires institutions to use identifiers for students, faculty, and staff that are not social security numbers. WSU already uses a separate identification number for its students and employees, and supported the amendment that would allow institutions to continue to comply with research, financial aid, and other state and federal laws.
Bills affecting higher education policy that did not pass, but may be addressed in the special session include:
* Proposals on tuition: Both the House and Senate Higher Education Committees passed bills on tuition. The Senate budget, ESSB 5345, gave research institutions authority to raise tuition 6.7% and 6.1% next biennium. WSU supports flexibility to set tuition, but objects to the Senate`s rationale for the percentages, which would have students at research institutions eventually pay 50% of the cost of instruction. The House Higher Education committee proposed SHB 1743, which linked tuition to per capita personal income (PCPI) and allowed institutions to assess a temporary surcharge. WSU supported language in the intent section that would have linked increases in tuition to corresponding state support.
* TIAA-CREF (pension plan for faculty). House Appropriations Committee Co-Chair Helen Sommers introduced HB 2244 late in the session. The bill clarifies the TIAA-CREF pension as a defined contribution plan by removing both the cap and supplementation. WSU supports the bill and recommends amending it to apply to future employees only.
A summary of some of the bills that apparently died:
* SHB 1517 requires state agencies to develop and implement a quality management program. WSU opposes this bill because it would add bureaucracy and cost to implement another administrative program when we have our own strategic planning process.
* Student lobby sponsored bills: HB 1833 & SB 5547 prohibit institutions from setting tuition. HB 2006 & SB 5987 make a student-majority committee, and not the board of regents, decision on student services and activities fee final. These bills died in committee, and were opposed by WSU.
* HB 2134 transfers land at the WSU Puyallup research facility to the city of Buckley without compensation to WSU, which operates the property, or the Department of Social and Health Services, which owns the property. WSU opposes the bill.
* ESSB 5264, a bill to prevent public employers from misclassifying employees was opposed by WSU because it would have affected the hiring of many student employees.
* SSB 5951 originally required agencies to pay employees on a time schedule that does not match WSU`s pay periods. The substitute bill addressed some of these concerns.
* SB 5966 transfers energy-related activities to the state energy office. WSU opposes creating functions that duplicate ones assigned to WSU at the break-up of the state energy office.
* HB 1409 prohibits smoking in residence halls. WSU was neutral.
* SHB 1938, supported by WSU, expanded the definition of "criminal sabotage" to include damage to university and private research facilities, and biotechnology laboratories.
* SSB 5479, requested by the NCAA, requires registration of student athlete agents and provides notification and contract requirements that would protect student athletes and institutions. WSU supported this legislation, which made it to the Senate floor when the earthquake hit.
* SSB 5552 made permanent the border county higher education project and expanded it to include Morrow, Umatilla, Union, and Wallowa counties, south of WSU Tri-Cities. WSU supported this legislation.
* SB 6122, introduced by Senate Higher Education Committee Chair Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, would have funded enrollment at higher education institutions in the maintenance budget, similar to caseloads in other sectors of government. WSU supports this bill.
This update is shared by broadcast fax and electronic mail to friends of Washington State University as government developments occur. Contact Michelle Delaney, WSU Government Relations, 509/335-6292 to be added to the list. Call Larry Ganders at 360/956-2165; From WSU Campuses, Dial 8-2165. e-mail: Ganders@energy.wsu.edu. Contact Jane Yung Dennie in Olympia at 360/956/2164. For federal issues, contact Kristi Growdon at 206/219/2424. For state bill status and other government info, visit our improved web page at www.olympia.wsu.edu.
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