| President Smith Signs Agreement to Reimburse WSU Trust Funds | May 25, 1999 No. 15 |
| PRESIDENT SMITH SIGNS AGREEMENT TO REIMBURSE WSU TRUST FUNDS; SPOKANE BUILDING SECURE
A $36 million settlement agreement signed yesterday by university President Sam Smith and Dick Thompson, director of the state Office of Financial Management (OFM), will reap substantial benefits for Washington State University students and faculty in the next millenium. This four-page agreement, ensuring a brighter financial future for WSU, was made possible by federal land grant laws that are more than 137 years old. | |
| Best Capital Construction Budget in WSU`s History | May 18, 1999 No. 14 |
| GOVERNOR SIGNS BEST CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION BUDGET IN WSU`S HISTORY A $137.5 million biennial capital construction budget for Washington State University, the largest in the history of the university, was signed into law today by Gov. Gary Locke. | |
| The Legislature Completes Work on Some of the best WSU Budgets in Years | April 26, 1999 No. 12 |
| The Legislature Completes Work on Some of the best WSU Operating and Capital Budgets in Years
ITS OVER: HOUSE HIGHER ED CO-CHAIR DON CARLSON CROSSES PARTY LINES TO DELIVER BUDGET House Higher Education Co-Chair Don Carlson, R-Vancouver, took dozens of votes against his House Republican leadership to bring the Senate operating budget to a favorable vote of the full state House of Representatives Sunday night. With Carlson breaking the gridlock of a House evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 5180, a combined supplemental and biennial budget written by Senate Ways and Means Chair Valoria Loveland, D-Pasco. Joining Carlson on the final critical vote to send the budget to the governor was another WSU branch campus supporter, Rep. Shirley Hankins, R-Richland, and Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Spanaway. The result is adoption of the best legislative budget proposed this session for all WSU campuses, appropriating $39.5 million in new operating money to the university during the next two years. Then, just before midnight adjournment of the regular session, the House overwhelmingly sent to the governor a 1999-01 capital construction budget that provides $137.5 million more to the WSU system for new buildings and facilities maintenance. The governor is expected to sign the WSU budgets and university issues are not expected to be the subject of any deliberations of a proposed May 10 special session.
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| 1999 Legislative Action on the WSU Construction Budget | April 22, 1999 No. 11 |
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
1999-2001 CAPITAL BUDGET REQUEST | |
| 1999 Legislative Action on the WSU Biennial Operating Budget | April 21, 1999 No. 10 |
| 1999-2001 OPERATING BUDGET REQUEST | |
| Senate Budget Funds Riverpoint Health Sciences Building | April 20, 1999 No. 9 |
| SENATE BUDGET FUNDS RIVERPOINT HEALTH SCIENCES BUILDING
Here are the highlights of the proposed Senate supplemental and operating budget bill (Proposed Substitute Senate Bill 5180), a document compiled under the leadership of Senate Ways and Means Chair Valoria Loveland. WSU supports the Senate budget as the best legislative proposal for higher education this session. It adequately funds student financial aid and enrollments as well. The Senate Ways and Means Committee is expected to vote on the budget this afternoon.
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| Senate Leaders Propose Improved Capital Budget | April 10, 1999 No. 9 |
| Senate Leaders Propose Improved Capital Budget (SHB 1165): Child Care, Hazardous Waste Facilities Funded
State Senate leaders disclosed their version of the Capital Budget today. For WSU, the proposal shares many similarities with the House proposal. One significant difference is that the Senate budget fully funded the Infant Care and Development Lab (Near Rogers-Orton) at the $3.1 million level recommended by the governor. The House budget delayed the project two years. The Senate proposal also provides for $3 million for hazardous waste facilities state-wide that were also recommended by the governor but not funded by the House. It is not yet clear how either the Senate or House budget will pay for construction of the Riverpoint Health Sciences building but the capital budgets reference the complete project. The capital budget bill passed the House 93-2 April 8 while the Senate version will be considered by its Ways and Means Committee Monday. Here are the highlights of the Senate Capital Budget for WSU and some comparisons with other versions:
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| House Democrats Fund WSU Research Initiatives | April 9, 1999 No. 8 |
| 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:
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| Status of selected higher education bills. | April 8, 1999 No. 7 |
| Here is the status of selected bills just before the April 16,1999 deadline for bills to pass each house in some form. | |
| House Passes Capital Budget | April 2, 1999 No. 6 |
| House Passes Capital Budget (SHB 1165): Johnson Hall Addition Funded
The state House of Representatives unveiled their version of the Capital Budget, a compromise between Republicans and Democrats who share control of that chamber. For WSU, the $133.4 million proposal shares many similarities with the governor`s $140.7 million recommendations. However a major concern is that the document leaves unresolved the fate of the Spokane Health Sciences Building. It uses an unusual funding formula for minor works projects and delays expansion of the Child Care Center in Pullman. The capital budget bill passed the House 93-2 yesterday and now moves to the state Senate. Here are the highlights of the House Capital Budget for WSU:
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| House Republicans call for 3 percent WSU Faculty Salary Increases | March 26, 1999 No. 5 |
| HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL FOR 3 PERCENT WSU FACULTY SALARY INCREASES.
With Democrats and Republicans at an impasse in budget negotiations, GOP leaders broke out a copy of their proposal for a biennial operating budget for WSU. Most significantly, the plan unveiled by Republican leaders contained an improved salary increase package for faculty members. However, the proposal didn`t measure up to the governor`s initiatives in technology and distance learning, the Spokane Health Sciences consortium, and in settling a WSU trust lands dispute. This proposal is not a true House budget bill, as there is not yet an agreement between Republicans and Democrats, who share control of the state House. But it is being reviewed favorably by House Republicans and will likely be considered in crafting a House budget. House Democrats have not yet revealed a plan. Here`s the highlights of the House GOP budget which is still being evaluated by WSU:
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| Classroom Building for AMID/LA | March 17, 1999 No. 4 |
| Classroom Building for Apparel Merchandising & Textiles, Interior Design/Landscape Architecture (AMID/LA)
This session WSU is seeking $2.75 million design funding for a new east campus classroom building that could be constructed during the 2001-2003 biennium. It is WSU`s second highest capital priority for the Pullman campus, second only to the proposed Teaching and Learning Center that is scheduled for construction in 1999-2001 with legislative approval. If successful this session, the result of the AMID/LA proposal will be a new $30.7 million Pullman building with 52,000 square feet. Gov. Gary Locke and the state Higher Education Coordinating Board have recommended funding for the project. It is now under consideration by the Senate Ways and Means Committee and the state House Capital Budget Committee as part of the proposed 1999-2001 capital construction budget.
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| Tuition Discussions Continue In The Legislature | March 4, 1999 No. 3 |
| Tuition increases and perhaps even some authority for WSU to decrease tuition for some students began to dominate higher education discussions as the Washington Legislature approached the halfway mark of its 105-day regular session | |
| Capital Budget Discussions Move To The Legislature | February 17, 1999 No. 2 |
| Capital Budget Discussions Move To The Legislature
WSU is meeting with members of the House Capital Budget Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee regarding its 1999-2001 capital construction budget. Here are the major projects:
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| Governor`s Proposed Operating Budget | January 15, 1999 No. 1 |
| GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET PROVIDES $17.2 MILLION MORE FOR WSU.
The first hearing on Gov. Gary Locke’s proposed operating budget for Washington State University was held today by the House Higher Education Committee. Here are the highlights of the governor’s budget as it impacts the university
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