PULLMAN, WA – The Washington Legislature has cut its operating budget allocation to Washington State University by 10 million dollars over the next two years.
The final budget that was approved over the weekend by majority Democrats cuts WSU funding and all public higher education funding in the state by 1.5%. The spending reductions try to deal with an expected 16 billion dollar shortfall for the State of Washington over the next four years.
According to WSU lobbyists the state budget does provide about 17 million dollars for cost of living raises for faculty and professional staff. The state spending plan once again does not help fund the contract that WSU negotiated with its new student workers union. The budget also fails to help pay for the cost of accrediting the Elson Floyd College of Medicine in Spokane.
A proposal from the senate to raise the cap on annual tuition increases failed. WSU will continue to be capped around 3% annually for tuition hikes. The capital construction budget fully funds WSU’s request for 25 million dollars to demolish Heald Hall and design a replacement.
It also contains a half a million dollars for pre design of a modernization project at the Knott Dairy Farm outside Pullman. WSU lobbyists report that the institution’s 5 million dollar request to support Clean Building Act requirements did not make the budget. The WSU request for state dollars to comply with Washington’s Climate Commitment Act also failed to make the capital budget.
Those spending plans now head to Governor Bob Ferguson’s desk for consideration of final approval.
