The state Senate on Thursday passed their proposed operating budget, Senate Bill 6002, off the floor with a vote of 41-8 and on Friday passed their proposed capital budget, Senate Bill 6020, with a vote of 31-18. WSU’s top operating and top capital budget requests were funded in the Senate proposals: $750,000 to WSU, $500,000 […]
On Wednesday budget writers in the state House of Representatives released their proposed capital budget and presented their proposed supplemental operating budget, which provides funding for WSU’s top legislative priority. As in the state Senate’s proposed operating budget, the House proposal would allocate $750,000 to WSU to provide a state match for grant funding WSU […]
Last week WSU students met with lawmakers to discuss higher education legislation and policies. Several dozen civically engaged students traveled to Olympia to participate in the Coug Day at the Capitol event organized by the Associated Students of Washington State University (ASWSU). It has been tradition for ASWSU and other Washington higher education student associations […]
The Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee heard public testimony Thursday on House Bill 2029, which would transfer two Innovate Washington buildings located in Spokane to Washington State University. Created in 2011, Innovate Washington is the successor agency to the Washington Technology Center and Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, serving as the primary agency […]
WSU priority bills House Bill 2613 and Senate Bill 6362 were passed off their respective House and Senate Floors Friday and now go to the opposite chamber for consideration. HB 2613 passed the House with a vote of 96-0 and SB 6362 passed the Senate with a vote of 48-0. One of the two bills […]
On Wednesday, the House Higher Education Committee held a work session to discuss campus safety and security policies on higher education campuses. WSU Assistant Police Chief Steve Hansen provided an overview of security practices and challenges on the main Pullman campus, where the university historically ranks high for safety. Assistant Chief Hansen also discussed initiatives […]
The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council released a new report Tuesday finding that tax collections for the past month were up $6.5 million from the November revenue forecast, and are cumulatively $1.7 million higher than forecasted in November. That represents virtually no change in advance of the release of a new forecast next week. The House and […]
On Thursday the Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee considered legislation that would transfer two Innovate Washington buildings located in Spokane to Washington State University. Innovate Washington was created in 2011 as the successor agency to the Washington Technology Center and the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, serving as the primary agency to grow […]
On Tuesday Senator Jim Hargrove (D-Hoquiam) led the Senate in celebrating the career of Dr. R. James Cook, former dean of the WSU College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences and emeritus professor of plant pathology and crop and soil sciences. Senate Resolution 8677 honors Dr. Cook for his “long and distinguished career at […]
The House Higher Education Committee today moved House Bill 2613 out of committee with a do pass recommendation. A priority bill for WSU, HB 2613 would improve business practices to improve efficiency, primarily through streamlined reporting requirements and reducing inflationary costs on some construction projects. You can view our previous coverage of the bill here. The […]