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The 2022 legislative session began this week with public hearings on several bills, including Governor Inslee’s proposed supplemental budgets.  WWU testified in support of the proposed supplemental operating budget (SB 5693  /HB 1816) in the Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations Committees and in support of the proposed supplemental capital budget (SB 5651 /HB 1781) in…

Today Governor Inslee released his proposals for the state’s 2022 supplemental operating and capital budgets.  The governor’s supplemental budget proposals include the following investments for WWU: The governor’s operating proposal includes the state’s share of a 3.25% compensation increase for all Western employees in Fiscal Year 23.  The operating budget proposal also includes: $1.8 million…

The 2021 Legislative Session concluded yesterday after a historic 105-day session that was mostly conducted virtually due to the pandemic.  Despite economic forecasts over the last year projecting decreases in state revenues, federal stimulus funding coupled with better than projected state revenue collections resulted in a robust state operating budget that included important investments across…

The House and Senate have released each chamber’s proposal for the state’s 2021-2023 operating budget.  Both proposals would maintain current baseline funding for WWU and for higher education.  Most notably, both proposals would eliminate the proposed mandatory furloughs for state employees included in the governor’s budget proposal, and both proposals would pull back funding originally…

This week the House and Senate published each chamber’s respective proposals for the state’s 2021-23 biennial capital budget.  Each proposal included funding for some of Western’s top capital budget priorities. Both House and Senate proposals would fully fund WWU’s top capital construction request—$51 million for the construction of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science building,…

Today the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council adopted a revised revenue forecast showing a total increase of nearly $3.3B over the next four years of funds subject to the state budget outlook.  The forecast for the current 2019-21 biennium increased by $1.3 billion and the forecast for state revenues in the 2021-23 biennium…

Yesterday President Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package that passed Congress earlier this week.  The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 includes $40 billion in federal aid for colleges and universities across the country that will be disbursed through the Department of Education’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.  Funds will be…

During the first few weeks of the 2021 Legislative Session, WWU has voiced strong opposition to proposals before the legislature that would mandate furloughs for most state employees, including Western faculty and staff, during the 2021-2023 biennium.  In addition to testifying against this aspect of the governor’s proposed operating budget, WWU also expressed strong opposition…

Today is the first day of the Washington State Legislature’s 2021 Session!  Western’s priorities for this session are focused on maintaining and building upon core supports for students through state investments. Operating Budget: WWU’s top operating budget priority is to protect the state’s current investments in Western and access to public higher education, including the…

Earlier this week, Congress passed the next COVID relief bill and omnibus spending package. The key provisions related to higher education include: Simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that will reduce the number of questions on the form from 108 to 36; Expansion of the Pell Grant eligibility that will enable…