| Gov. Gary Locke
signs 2001-2003 capital construction and operating budgets with
four days to spare |
June 26, 2001 No. 12 |
| With a stroke of a pen, Gov. Gary Locke ended one of the most
protracted budget-building processes in state history. He signed
the capital and operating budgets into laws...laws providing funding
that generally take effect when the current budget runs out on July
1...just a four-day cushion. |
|
| Legislature
adjourns second special session; lawmaker return for a 3rd special
session on transportation issues that may decide the fate of a Pullman-Moscow
4-Lane project. |
June 22, 2001 No. 12 |
| The Washington State Legislature adjourned June 21 around midnight.
A project to improve the Pullman-Moscow highway to divided four-lanes
and substantial interchange work to the Pullman-Spokane highway
could also hinge on the outcome of a third special session. This
update also includes a discussion of health and retirement benefits
for WSU employees. |
|
| Legislature
plods toward adjournment after passing the 2001-2003 biennial operating
and capital construction budgets. |
June 21, 2001 No. 11 |
| Like a large, weary, sweaty Clydesdale plodding toward the barn
after long, hot toiling in the fields, the lumbering 2001 Washington
Legislature appears to be tediously ending its long spring work
season. The Legislature cultivated some late-session improvements
for WSU, including flexibility to partially fund the Pullman Student
Recreation Center, the best higher education salary package of the
session, the authority to consider a public-private partnership
for a new Pullman power plant, and design money for the Spokane
Academic Center at Riverpoint. |
|
| Spokane
Rallies To Win House Approval For WSU's Spokane Academic Center
at Riverpoint; House Passes Capital Budget Compromise |
June 19, 2001 No. 10 |
On the 151st day of the 2001 Legislature, The state House of Representatives
voted overwhelmingly 84-1 for a revised capital budget. It is the
first capital construction budget that includes design funding for
the Spokane Academic Center. Spokane lawmakers and civic leaders
rallied to secure the $2 million toward construction of a $45 million
center |
|
| New
Senate budget proposal offers faculty the best salary package of
the 2001 Legislative session. |
June 8, 2001 No. 9 |
| On the 140th day of the 2001 Legislature, the State Senate proposes
the best faculty salary package for Washington State University,
surpassing its earlier bill and proposals by Gov. Gary Locke and
the state House of Representatives. There are indications that this
may be a negotiated position between the two houses. |
|
| University
urges legislators to fund Academic Center at Spokane's Riverpoint
Higher Education Park |
May 31, 2001 No. 8 |
| Negotiators on the biennial capital construction budget are favoring
a two-year delay to a 50,000-square-foot classroom and library facility
for WSU in Spokane. |
|
| House
capital budget funds $100 million in WSU projects but leaves Riverpoint
building in limbo |
May 1, 2001 No. 7 |
| Like the Senate, the House has funded a Murrow Hall Addition,
a WSU Vancouver Multi-media Building, a Shock Physics Building.
But the capital budget, House Bill 1539, leaves in limbo the outcome
of a new Spokane Riverpoint building that will house a library and
student services for the campus. Updated May 2. |
|
| Bi-partisan
budget passes House on a 54-42 vote, Contains $411 million for WSU |
April 27, 2001 No. 6 |
| A Washington State University operating budget proposal (contained
in Substitute House Bill 1315), that boosts salaries by 3 percent
and tuition by up to 6.9 percent next year, narrowly passed the
House of Representatives this evening on a 54-42 vote. The state
biennial budget is the result of compromises between the Republicans
and Democrats that equally divide that chamber. |
|
| Legislature
Overcomes Many Obstacles in 105-day Regular Session, Except The
Budget |
April 24, 2001 No. 5 |
| 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.
|
|
| Senate
Approves $100 million WSU capital budget, but omits Spokane Riverpoint
building |
April 2, 2001 No. 4 |
| The Senate, without a dissenting vote, approved a $100 million
2001-2003 capital construction budget for Washington State University.
The major developments were in Spokane where the branch campus building
was delayed but the nursing center addition was accelerated. |
|
| Senate
Passes Operating Budget That Boosts Salaries But Slashes Recreation
Center Funding |
March 30, 2001 No. 3 |
| Five Republicans joined majority Democrats to pass a $412.1 million
operating budget for Washington State University Friday, which contained
substantial salary improvements over the recommendations of Gov.
Gary Locke last December. Crowded into a Senate hearing room following
the recent Olympia earthquake, the Senators action on the biennial
budget bill (Substitute Senate Bill 5345) keeps hopes alive that
the Legislature is still on track for final adjournment by April
22. |
|
| WSU
names new director of federal relations |
March 21, 2001 |
| Washington State University President V. Lane Rawlins announced
today that WSU Cooperative Extension Energy Programs Director Kristine
Growdon has been appointed the university`s new federal relations
coordinator for the university. |
|
| Governor`s
construction budget funds new WSU communications building |
December 21, 2000 No.
2 |
| A $12.7 million expansion of the home of Washington State University`s
Edward R. Murrow School of Communication, a $12.4 million Physics
building, a $15.5 million WSU Vancouver Multi-media Classroom Building,
and a new Pullman power plant are among new buildings recommended
by Gov. Gary Locke that could begin construction this year if the
Washington Legislature agrees. |
|
| Executive
operating budget reduces $4.7 million from WSU Programs, Faculty
salary gap continues to widen |
December 20, 2000 No.1 |
| An executive branch budget announced Tuesday tightens the screws
on the state`s research universities, attempting to squeeze $4.7
million out of existing Washington State University programs, denying
cost-of-living salary increases to university employees at K-12
rates, and placing increasing pressure to raise student tuition
rates to cover basic university expenses such as salaries, inflation
and energy costs. |
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