Gov. Chris Gregoire on Friday afternoon signed a trio of bills of interest to WSU. House Bill 1422 authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to conduct a demonstration project involving the use of biomass in the production of jet fuel. WSU, an international leader in this endeavor, is to be consulted as the project is […]
With the mayhem of the final days of the regular session given way to the relative calm of special session, it seemed like a good time to step back and take a look at the bills of most notable interest to WSU and the higher education community that have advanced to the governor’s desk. So, […]
Washington State University announced today that it has hired an internationally-renowned expert in smart grid technologies as a Boeing Distinguished Professor. You can read more about it here. Championed by Sen. Jim Kastama, D-Puyallup, STARS funding is designed to help the state lure high caliber faculty in new economy fields. WSU has worked in Olympia […]
Gov. Chris Gregoire today called for a special legislative session to begin Tuesday. You can read about it here. The Legislature was expected to adjourn its 105-day regular session this afternoon, two days early ahead of the Easter holiday. The news is anything but surprising. Faced with a budget shortfall of historic proportions and on […]
This morning the Senate gave final approval to the North Puget Sound University legislation with a 38-10 vote. Senate Bill 5636 now goes to the Governor’s desk. Under the bill, WSU would assume management of the University Center in Everett in 2014 following the completion of an academic plan for the region and the establishment […]
The Senate approved its budget proposal 34-13 late Monday afternoon, setting the stage for negotiations with the House. Both chambers have now approved their own versions and leaders will work to resolve differences. That’s not expected before the Legislature adjourns its regular session, which could come Thursday. A special session will likely be required to […]
Today starts the final week of this year’s 105 day regular session, though a special session is anticipated in order to finish the considerable work still before the Legislature. While the House and Senate will be ironing out differences in various policy bills they’ve already approved, lots of attention will still be focused on the […]
The House Ways and Means Committee last night moved out a bill that would grant Washington’s public universities tuition setting authority for four years. House Bill 1795 was advanced on a 22-5 vote and now heads for a vote of the full House of Representatives. It’s lengthy, complicated and very much a work in progress. […]
A bipartisan group of leaders in the Senate on Tuesday evening unveiled the upper chamber’s operating and capital budget proposals, and work continued into the night to assess their impacts. The cut to WSU’s state appropriation would be $112 million, compared to the $110 million in the House budget. Unlike the House budget, it does […]
On Saturday the House of Representatives approved its budget proposal and the North Puget Sound University Center legislation, sending both to the Senate. Senate Bill 5636 was approved 66-31. It would have WSU assume management of the university center in Everett in 2014 following the completion of an academic plan for the region and the […]