House and Senate unveil 2021-23 operating budget proposals
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 provided for compensation increases for non-classified employees in FY21, but return that funding in FY22.
The Senate budget proposal also includes the following investments for Western:
- $1.016 million per biennia for the development of an Ethnic Studies Program
- $300,000 per biennia to increase graduate assistant stipends
- $1 million per biennia for student support services, including admissions, counseling center, disability access center, prevention and wellness, multicultural student services, and veterans’ services.
- Funding for the implementation of Senate Bill 5227 for diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and anti-racism professional development for faculty, staff, and students and DEI campus climate assessments
The House budget proposal also includes the following investments for Western:
- $1.042 million per biennia for student support services to ensure underrepresented students receive the same opportunities for academic success as their peers
- $300,000 per biennia for graduate assistant stipends
- $1.06 million per biennia for the establishment of bilingual educator programs in the South King County region
- $90,000 for WWU’s Center for Business Center for Economic and Business Research to assess the feasibility and benefits of expanding outdoor residential school programs to all 5th and 6th grade students statewide
House and Senate leadership will spend the next few weeks negotiating the final 21-23 operating budget. The compromise budget is expected to be released no later than April 25th when the Legislature is scheduled to adjourn.