House budgets fund Spokane, Everett initiatives

Budget writers in the House of Representatives unveiled operating and capital budget proposals today that fund start-up of a new WSU medical school in Spokane and expansion of the university’s footprint in Everett, among other priorities.

The operating budget proposal funds WSU’s $2.5 million request to support start-up of the medical school and $1.8 million to bring programs in software engineering, data analytics and agriculture to Everett University Center beginning in the 2017 fiscal year. It also provides $1 million to bring an electrical engineering program to Olympic College in Bremerton and provides funding for salary increases of 3 percent this July and 1.8 percent in 2016.

Besides freezing tuition for another two years, it also bolsters the State Need Grant by $53 million.

The capital budget provides $54.6 million to build the proposed academic building at the Everett University Center, WSU’s top capital budget priority. It also provides $30.3 million to fund the Troy Hall renovation in Pullman and $400,000 to fund the pre-design of a new academic building at WSU Tri-Cities.

The proposal does not fund WSU’s $6.6 million request to design the proposed Plant Sciences Building in Pullman.

Hearings on both budgets are scheduled for Monday.