Budget agreement funds Western Washington ag program, tuition cut

The operating budget agreement unveiled by the Legislature late Monday adds funding for WSU to address an array of priorities.

Most notably, the budget provides just over $2 million to further backfill tuition cuts by accounting for enrollment growth occurring during the course of the current two year budget cycle.

It also provides $580,000 to develop an academic program in agriculture to be centered at WSU North Puget Sound at Everett with border-to-border utility for the industry in Western Washington.

Another $250,000 is provided in the Department of Social and Health Services budget to contract with WSU to support research on the development of a marijuana breathalyzer.

Finally, $135,000 is provided to bolster WSU research to support healthy honey bee colonies.

Lawmakers also have announced an agreement on a supplemental capital budget that bolsters funding for WSU work to assess the condition of public schools in Washington and $75,000 to support university research relating to cross laminated timber.

Both budgets could be approved by the House and Senate as soon as today as the Legislature wraps up its 2016 session.