A sheen of frozen dew covered the state Capitol as over one hundred Cougs from throughout the WSU system gathered as part of Coug Day at the Capitol; the students’ annual day of legislative advocacy.
Undergraduate students representing the entire WSU System along with over a dozen Graduate students and Amina Hussein WSU Student Regent, convened in force before dawn. Top agenda items for their over 90 meetings include maintaining the Washington College Grant (WCG) at existing Median Family Income (MFI) eligibility levels. Safeguarding the Workforce Education Investment Account (WEIA), which is the dedicated higher education account which funds the WCG. Other priorities include protecting student civil rights and free speech along with digital protections against deep fake Ai, childcare and food insecurity.
Sam Hunt, a member of the WSU Class of 1967 and current WSU Regent, spoke to the Cougs who braved the cold and encouraged them to voice their stories and the impact those stories can have, sharing wisdom from his 24 year career as a legislator in Olympia, previous to his appointment to the WSU Board of Regents.
Students separated into groups to speak with lawmakers along with the Governor. WSU’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional student bodies are represented by three full-time student lobbyists from the Pullman and Vancouver campuses, whose efforts are bolstered by these visits.
Washington State University’s Student Government Council organized the event, which was a collaborative effort between Associated Students of Washington State University and the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
This effort is intended to provide WSU students with the opportunity to meet with state legislators and discuss their higher education priorities.
