Newsbeat

House, Senate unveil operating budget proposals

WSU’s new collective bargaining agreement with academic student employees is partially funded under an operating budget proposal introduced in the state House on Monday but not funded in a Senate proposal released over the weekend. The budgets were austere given modest tax collections in recent months, increasing caseloads on current state programs like the Washington […]

Senate releases proposed capital budget

Senate budget writers unveiled their proposed 2024 supplemental capital budget, which provides WSU with a start of the billion-plus dollars that will be needed for the Pullman campus to become compliant with the Climate Commitment Act. The state’s “cap and invest” decarbonization law was approved by the Legislature in 2021. The Pullman campus is a […]

WSU-backed NIL legislation heard in House

A bill that would clarify state ethics law for certain university employees engaging student athletes in activities regarding their name, image and likeness (NIL) was heard in the state House of Representatives this afternoon. The House State Government & Tribal Relations committee heard Senate Bill 5913 today, sponsored by Senator Javier Valdez. The bill is […]

Valentine’s Day revenue update – not exactly rosy

State tax collections are projected to grow at a slow rate in the coming months, according to latest projections published today in the state’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council quarterly economic forecast. The new projection adds $337 million to the state budget through June 2027, just 0.2 percent more than was forecasted in November. The […]

WSU students advocate for expanded financial aid and campus improvements in Capitol visit

In an impactful visit to the nation’s capital, a delegation of Washington State University (WSU) student government leaders  engaged in a series of meetings with lawmakers and other public officials to champion expansions in financial aid and discuss campus needs. Championing financial aid enhancements The team’s agenda was heavily focused on financial aid, with particular […]

Bill extending state financial aid program eligibility clears Senate

A bill that would increase the amount of time a student is eligible to receive aid from state financial aid programs was voted off the floor of the Senate Friday afternoon. SB 5904 passed out with a vote of 34-14 and would extend the current five years of eligibility for certain programs such as the […]

Regent Marroquin confirmed by Senate

Isaac Marroquin was confirmed today as the Student Regent for Washington State University, following a unanimous vote from the state Senate. Marroquin is pursuing a master’s degree in education at WSU, having graduated with his bachelor’s degree in English from the WSU Tri-Cities campus in the spring of 2023. There, he was elected and served […]

Senate approves WSU-backed NIL bill 47-1

The state Senate today approved legislation that would authorize certain university employees to provide greater guidance to student athletes seeking to benefit from the use of the name, image and likeness. Senate Bill 5913 was approved 47-1 and now heads to the House. WSU testified in support of the bill earlier this month. The measure […]

Dowd appointed to The Science Coalition board

Jacob Dowd, assistant director of federal relations at WSU, has been elected to the Board of Directors for The Science Coalition (TSC), a nonpartisan organization which advocates for federal support for scientific research. As a member of the board, Dowd will position WSU in key conversations as TSC works with member institutions to articulate the […]