Leaders in the state House of Representatives on Monday rolled out their operating budget proposal, setting the stage for final budget negotiations with the governor and Senate. The House was scheduled to hear its proposal in the Appropriations Committee this afternoon and evening. Both chambers will approve their plans in their respective budget committees and then off the floor before endgame negotiations ensue. Here’s how things stand with the House operating budget.
- Cost of living adjustments of 4 percent in fiscal year 2024 and 3 percent in fiscal year 2025 are provided for non-represented classified staff. Funding provided for faculty, professional staff and graduate students would be sufficient to support increases of 2.2 percent and 1.6 percent over the two years. Funding was also provided for bargaining units. This is identical to what the Senate did and similar to the governor’s budget.
- The House fully funds WSU’s $3.9 million biennial request to enhance nursing salaries, just as the governor and Senate did. The House also appears to fund the $500,000 nursing equipment renewal request on an ongoing basis. The Senate funded it on a one-time basis only.
- The House budget funds WSU’s request for a social work program at WSU Tri-Cities, the first of the three proposals to do so.
- Like the governor, the House plan fully funds WSU’s public health degree proposal, including both the infectious disease track for Pullman and behavioral health track for Spokane and Vancouver. The Senate funded only the infectious disease component.
- All three budget proposals fully fund the governor’s $7.7 million request to establish the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures centered at WSU Tri-Cities.
- All three budget proposals provide $1.2 million over the biennium in core support for the Ruckelshaus Center.
- Like the Senate, the House budget funds the creation of a MESA program at WSU Everett.
- Unlike the governor and Senate, the House plan does not complete a fund swap of sorts with the capital budget. The governor and Senate provided $10 million more in operating dollars for maintenance and operation to temporarily supplant funding historically provided in the capital budget that would now be repurposed to bolster minor works efforts, especially preservation activities to reduce deferred maintenance needs across the WSU system.
- All three plans fully fund the maintenance and operating request for the new Vancouver Life Sciences Building.
- The House budget provides $2 million to support rural physician residency programs. The Senate and governor have no such plans in their proposals.