Olympia
Update No. 2 • February 8,
2008
Appropriations-Education
Budget
From: Larry Ganders,
Assistant to the President
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Legislators wait
for revenue forecast
Budget discussions in Olympia
are nearly frozen as legislators try to dig out from an avalanche of poor
national economic news. There’s a storm of speculation in Olympia that the Feb.
15 state revenue forecast may leave the 2008 Legislature with $150 million to
$200 million less to spend this year. These cold,
negative winds blow against strong commitments from the governor for a large
ending fund balance to protect against a worsening economy and legislators’
appetite for some election-year budget enhancements.
The first milestone for the 60-day legislative session is Friday, when policy bills
in the original house must be passed out of committee or die under legislative
rules. WSU has identified many bills
that could impact the university; they are listed at the WSU Legislative
Information web site,
www.olympia.wsu.edu
under “Bill Status.” Summaries and positions on the bills are provided as well
as links to bill language and legislative staff analysis.
A bill to enable collective bargaining to WSU graduate teaching assistants and
research assistants at WSU (HB 2963) has already cleared the first hurdle,
passed by the House Commerce & Labor Committee to the House Appropriations
Committee. WSU does not oppose enabling legislation sought by the UAW for
graduate student employees but requests amendments that would clarify that
academic issues cannot be bargained and that undergraduate students cannot be
included in the bargaining units. Concerns about the bill have been expressed by
Nick Lovrich on behalf of the WSU Faculty Senate and Chris Reigelsperger,
representing the Associated Students of Washington State University. But the
bill is a priority for the Washington State Labor Council and the UAW is
opposing any amendments. A Senate committee is expected to pass the same bill
today (SB 6737.)
While running short on money to spend, the Legislature has been working with
budget policy. Bills that would restructure how WSU’s capital construction
projects are prioritized (Substitute House Bill 3329) and a new operating budget
proposal to enter into “performance contracts” with institutions are moving in
the Legislature (House Bill 2641.)
Legislation supported by the WSU Faculty Senate to add a faculty member as the
Eleventh member of the Board of Regents received hearings in both houses but
appears to be in trouble (SB 6390 and HB 2948.) WSU was neutral on the proposal.
The House Appropriations-Education Subcommittee chaired by Rep. Kathy
Haigh has released a budget outline for Washington State University based
largely on the spending level recommended by Gov. Christine Gregoire “as was
requested by the Appropriations leadership.” The House proposal contained $1.6
million in funding to correct errors in the current budget for WSU but contained
no major funding enhancements.
Students have been successful in securing some one-time funding for child care
in the subcommittee budget. It may result in $180,000 for WSU. There were small
appropriations for a campus safety mental health counselor ($77,000), funding
for a deaf education program at WSU Vancouver ($125,000), a land use study by
the WSU-UW Ruckelshaus Center ($175,000) and two new scholarships in veterinary
medicine targeted to students who work with large animals ($40,000.)
Nevertheless, there remains significant legislative support for WSU budget
requests, if state revenues permit them to be considered.
Emerging Global Animal Health & Agriculture Package Featured at Senate Hearing
WSU’s $3.85 million request received an hour-long hearing before the Senate
Agriculture and Rural Economic Development Committee. Speaking at the hearing
were President Elson Floyd, two WSU deans, and a number of supporters from the
agriculture industry. The budget request has been identified as a priority of
the “Agriculture Summit,” a coalition of the state’s agricultural organizations,
and is on the informal list of agricultural priorities that has been identified
by House leadership. Senate Ways and Means Chair Margarita Prentice urged fellow
senators to closely evaluate the proposal following a hearing on WSU issues in
front of her committee. The proposal, strongly supported by the Washington State
Veterinary Medical Association, creates a new WSU School of Global Animal Health
to confront the dangers of disease transmission from animals to humans, such as
bird flu. The proposal also deals with pressing issues such as e-coli, honey bee
colony collapse, and other issues that threaten the food supply.
Administrative & Student Core Computer Systems Study. Key legislators continue
to take an interest in a $1 million proposal to study the replacement of WSU’s
aging core computer systems for administration and direct student support. The
issue has been complicated by the desire of some legislators to centralize much
of the computing for higher education and all state agencies. WSU has offered to
cooperate on centralization studies but urges study of its project move ahead.
There’s been considerable conversation about campus safety issues.
Funding was requested by WSU and all agencies for additional safety initiatives
as a result of lessons learned from Virginia Tech’s 2007 tragedy. The governor provided $1.8 million for one-time equipment expenses
at WSU. The governor’s proposal allows the first phase of the installation of
internal public address warning systems within buildings and remote electronic
locking systems. The House and Senate have not taken a position on those
recommendations but the House subcommittee did indicate a willingness for some
limited investments in employees (permanent funding) that the governor would not
consider. The House subcommittee provided funding for a mental health counselor
at WSU. WSU has identified funding for an emergency management coordinator, a
threat assessment coordinator, and three additional police officers as its
highest priority.
Members of the Senate Higher Education Committee have sent out a joint letter to the
Ways and Means Committee, urging restoration of funding for graduate student
programs. In the only cut to higher education this biennium, the Legislature
reduced funding at UW and WSU for what they termed a “subsidy” for graduate
programs. The research institutions have argued it will damage instructional
program for all students, graduate and undergraduate.
The Washington Veterinary Medical Association has led efforts to secure
$7.4 million in design funding for a new Veterinary Medical Research building in
Pullman. Most of the proposed 128,000-square foot Pullman laboratory facility
will provide state-of the-art space to support interdisciplinary research and
graduate education programs located in outmoded buildings that are more than a
half century old.
A number of University of Washington issues are dominating higher
education discussion at the Legislature. Controversial proposals for using
public funding for a new Husky Stadium and establishing an $800 million branch
campus in the Everett area are major discussion topics. Washington State
University regards these as matters between UW and the Legislature this year and
has not participated in legislative debate. WSU continues to work under the
policy that stadiums must be built with private funds and that UW must lead
policy on whether a new North Puget Sound campus should be established.
Olympia Update is produced for persons
interested in state government developments affecting Washington State
University. For more information, go to
www.olympia.wsu.edu. Contacts: Larry Ganders, Assistant to the President,
360-956-2165. From WSU campuses, dial 8-2165. If you wish to subscribe to
Olympia Update directly by email, send a completely blank message from your
e-mail account (no signatures or footers please) to:
subscribe-olympia_update@listserv.energy.wsu.edu
