Olympia Update No.
2 for the 2004 Legislative Session
February 10, 2004
From: Larry Ganders,
Assistant to the President
925 Plum St. SE - Building 4, P.O. Box 43165, Olympia, WA 98504-3165
Governor, Legislature
slide higher
education to the front burner.
A
historic $1 billion proposal to boost funding for K-12 and higher education, a
rewrite of branch campus laws, a new direction for the state college
coordinating board, an innovative contractual approach to postsecondary
education, a jump-start to the Spokane Academic Center building, and even
creation of a new Bothell four-year university are all hot discussion items as
an ambitious 2004 Legislature warms up an unusually large pot of off-season
issues. Still in preparation are possible budget proposals to expand access to
higher education, perhaps bolster WSU’s ability to research the so-called “Mad
Cow” disease issues, and boost university biotechnology research. There’s no
doubt that higher education has become a significant legislative issue. Whether
that translates to any significant gains for students and universities in the
coming weeks, however, is still very much in doubt. For instance, it now appears
the 2004 Legislature will only be a discussion forum for the governor’s 1-cent
per dollar sales tax increase for education, a long-awaited proposal strongly
supported by WSU and higher education.
Spokane Academic
Center tops WSU legislative agenda.
WSU continues to
press for $20 million to keep construction moving ahead on Riverpoint’s
much-needed
proposed library and classroom buildings. Many Spokane interests, including the
Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce, have played a huge role in keeping the
building proposal considered in the capital construction budget process. Neither
house has floated a capital proposal yet. Eastern Washington University will
share in the library operations and they occupy nearly half of the other WSU
facilities on the Riverpoint campus. So a recent memorandum between WSU and EWU
on management of the Riverpoint campus was seen by some legislative proponents
as further reason to proceed with the Academic Center building. The proposal
would construct the building this fiscal year and complete the interior next
biennium. The governor proposed just building the foundation of the building
this year.
“Branch Campus”
legislation undergoes positive changes.
Potentially landmark legislation to
rewrite statutes for branch campuses has passed out of the House Higher
Education Committee. WSU opposed the early drafts of House Bill 2707, which
appeared to prohibit continued research and doctoral programs at the
university’s urban campuses and convert them into campuses resembling the
state’s regional institutions. However, the original sponsor, House Higher
Education Chair Phyllis Kenney substantially rewrote her proposal in committee
and a substitute bill emerged that WSU now supports. The bill is in the Rules
Committee, awaiting assignment to the House floor. It puts planning
responsibilities for the future of the branches in the hands of Tri-Cities,
Vancouver, and Spokane communities. The term “branch,” is no longer used to
describe WSU Spokane, which the bill regards as part of the main campus.
Some bills tabled for
this year. A student-sponsored
tuition payment plan, Senate Bill 6532, has been tabled by the Legislature while
WSU administration and student government hammers out issues surrounding
the deadlines that students must pay their bills. A proposal that some believe
may have impacted Alumni Association funding (SB 6528) has apparently died in
the Senate Financial Services committee.
WSU struggles to be
considered for compact pilot program.
Facing possible consideration in the
Senate Ways and Means Committee is a plan (Substitute Senate Bill 6332) that
would allow universities to form contractual six-year agreements with state
government to provide specific outcomes. For example, the mechanism could allow
for universities to negotiate terms for state funding, budgeting, research
support, and even regulatory relief in exchange for providing certain desired
outcomes such as increased enrollment or economic development. However,
legislators have been concentrating making the pilot project apply to only one
research university, which they expect to be the University of Washington. WSU,
with the support of UW, has been attempting to be included in the pilot program.
House Republicans, who originally proposed the plan, supported including WSU but
so far none of the bills in the House or Senate would provide for two research
universities. The House version of the bill is HB 2681.
Bill for the
developmentally disabled derails Buckley 4-H facility.
Bills moving in the legislature would curtail WSU plans to convert forested
acreage near the former Buckley Dairy in Pierce County into a university
extension education center. While the property was turned over to WSU management
more than 20 years ago, it remains part of land “owned” by the Rainier School
and the Department of Social and Health Services. The legislature has earmarked
these DSHS lands for use to benefit the developmentally disabled. At WSU’s
request, the House bill inserted some language that continues to make the youth
facility an option. However, the Senate Ways and Means Committee has voted to
take control of the Buckley land from WSU.
