Legislative Update: Start of 2014 session

The 2014 Legislative Supplemental Session started Monday, Jan. 13, in Olympia. As a part of the state budget process that begins in advance of the session, Western submitted both a supplemental operating budget and a supplemental capital project. The Western requests and Gov. Jay Inslee’s recently announced budget recommendations follow:

Supplemental Operating Budget: Western submitted an $832,521 proposal to fund Next Generation STEM Teacher Preparation. This proposal will provide future elementary and middle school teachers with the knowledge, skills and confidence to help all of their students acquire the foundational STEM knowledge, experience and interest needed to succeed in high school, college and life. Through collaborations with K-8 schools and with other Washington state institutions of higher education, this program will provide a platform for sharing effective practices, resources and models so that STEM teacher preparation is improved not only at Western, but across the state. Gov. Inslee’s budget did not include funding for this Western request.

Western is also working in conjunction with the Washington Public School Employees Union in support of funding for WWU’s Compass 2 Campus Program. PSE, which has provided important volunteer support for the annual Compass 2 Campus Day in the past, has made funding support for Compass 2 Campus as one of its priorities in this Supplemental Legislative Session. The proposal, which requests funding of $657,000, would provide support for WWU and also position the program for expansion to other universities in Washington.

The governor’s budget maintains tuition-setting authority in the second year of the biennium. Western made the decision that, barring any significant budget reductions this legislative session, tuition will not increase this year. More information will be provided as the House and Senate release their budgets during this Supplemental Session, which is scheduled to end March 13.

Supplemental Capital Budget: Western and its Associated Students continue their pursuit for funding for the Carver Academic Facility. WWU submitted a request for $71 million as a part of the 2014 Supplemental Capital Budget the Legislature will consider this session. However, in light of the fact that the overall statewide Capital Budget will be $150 million or less, WWU staff worked with the Office of Financial Management to develop more appealing funding options that would enable Western to continue planning and begin some construction in early summer of 2015. That work would include important abatement, earthwork and demolition at Carver.

Western is thankful that Gov. Inslee chose to include one of the funding options, that for $5 million, in his 2014 Supplemental Capital Budget. This funding option, or one of the others developed, still needs to be approved by the Legislature as a part of its 2014 Supplemental Capital Budget. The remainder of the required construction funding would still have to be requested and approved for the 2015-17 Capital Budget session, but this is a clear indication that the governor is solidly behind the need for renovation of Carver. The Carver project is one of three legislative priorities for WWU’s Associated Students this session.