{"id":79,"date":"2024-02-29T20:36:42","date_gmt":"2024-02-29T20:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/?p=79"},"modified":"2024-03-07T23:17:28","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T23:17:28","slug":"budget-coming-two-legislators-departing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/2024\/02\/29\/budget-coming-two-legislators-departing\/","title":{"rendered":"Budget Coming, Two Legislators Departing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

March 1, 2024–With less than a week to go until the end of the 2024 legislative session March 7, decision-makers from the state House and Senate are huddled together in closed-door sessions to land on final choices for the state\u2019s supplemental spending.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their task is to reconcile two different spending bills and agree on a final version to put before lawmakers for approval. As they do so, Evergreen\u2019s hopes are pinned on the Senate\u2019s version of the operating budget, and the House\u2019s view on the capital budget.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding for the \u201cShelton Promise\u201d initiative, a student basic-needs counselor and a financial aid advisor for incarcerated Evergreen students are present in the current Senate budget. The current House budget no longer funds Shelton Promise, allots only a small amount toward a basic-needs counselor, and provides nothing for incarcerated-student financial aid counseling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The House capital budget does contain language that provides a \u201ccertificate of participation\u201d to Evergreen. This allows the college to borrow $4.4 million in low-cost funds to renovate and bring back into service dorm buildings B and D.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In formal communication from the college and in conversations with legislators, Evergreen President John Carmichael and Government Relations Director Sandy Kaiser are urging legislative leaders to fund the Senate operating and the House capital versions of the budget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
Evergreen’s Director of Government Relations Sandy Kaiser testifies on behalf of the college at a
Senate Ways and Means hearing on the supplemental operating budget, February 19, 2024.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These leaders will make their budget decisions against a background of uncertainty. The fate of the state capital gains tax and Climate Commitment Act in voter initiatives this fall will determine how much money the state spends on items such as higher education.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many bills concerning higher education issues failed to advance this session. However, two that remain viable are SSB 5953<\/a>, which would make it easier for incarcerated students to access federal financial aid, and HB 2214<\/a>, which would make it easier for students currently receiving state food aid and health insurance to also receive the Washington College Grant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two powerful lawmakers who have figured prominently in Evergreen\u2019s relationship with the state legislature announced their planned retirements this week. Senator Sam Hunt (D-Olympia), who represents Evergreen\u2019s Olympia campus in Legislative District 22, will end his state service in January 2025. Senator Hunt has been a strong supporter of Evergreen through the years.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representative J.T. Wilcox (R-Yelm) of Legislative District 2 previously led House Republicans as minority leader. Representative Wilcox has encouraged Evergreen\u2019s organic farming programs and has always been available for consultation. He will not run again this year.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new generation of legislative leaders is poised to step forward in both chambers. We will be engaging with them over the coming months as we begin to think ahead to the next legislative session in 2025.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

March 1, 2024–With less than a week to go until the end of the 2024 legislative session March 7, decision-makers from the state House and Senate are huddled together in closed-door sessions to land on final choices for the state\u2019s… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5116,"featured_media":80,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[3,7,9,4,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5116"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79\/revisions\/88"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/evergreenleg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}