Lawmakers returned to Olympia Monday facing big challenges and difficult decisions. Gov. Bob Ferguson’s State of the State speech Tuesday addressed the projected $2.3 billion budget shortfall while outlining proposals he said would protect essential services and stabilize long-term finances.

Committees also began their work, with House and Senate fiscal committees hearing testimony on Ferguson's proposed budgets that were released in December.

College system leaders testify on Ferguson's operating budget proposal

The House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means committees heard testimony this week on Gov. Bob Ferguson’s proposed operating budget for the fiscal year ending June 30. The supplemental operating budget proposal would adjust the community and technical college system’s appropriation by $19.4 million.

“Washington’s colleges are a core part of the fiscal solution, helping people move into family-sustaining careers,” Nate Humphrey, the State Board’s executive director, told members of both committees. “If reductions and partial COLA funding hold, colleges face program eliminations, further staffing reductions and deeper cuts to services that students rely on.”

Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee Monday, Kevin Brockbank, chancellor of Spokane Colleges, said his two colleges would be at risk of losing approximately $1.2 million dollars.

“Although that doesn’t seem like a large amount in the overall scheme of the budget, I can tell you that in previous years we have stretched our budget as much as possible, and any reduction will result in direct reductions to students,” he said.

Ivan Harrell, president of Tacoma Community College, provided similar testimony to the Senate Ways and Means Committee Tuesday.

“When you factor in moving from covering one hundred percent of increases that haven’t kept up with the price of inflation, our colleges are being caught in an impossible bind. Please don’t cut the institutions that are critical to ensuring that Washington has a stable and skilled workforce,” he said.

Gov. Ferguson’s proposed 2026 supplemental operating budget includes an approximate 1.5 percent decrease in general fund appropriations to the community and technical college system. The budget does not include funding for the college system’s ask to fully fund cost of living adjustments for employee compensation.

House, Senate committees hear Ferguson's capital budget proposal

Committees considering Gov. Bob Ferguson’s capital budget proposal heard testimony this week, including from representatives from community and technical colleges with projects on the system’s list. Ferguson’s proposed budget did not include funds for the college system’s prioritized list.

“We know that investments in the community college system produce strong returns for workforce preparation, economic mobility and upward opportunities for families and communities,” Darrell Jennings, capital budget director for the State Board told the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday.

Joining Jennings at the Monday hearing and again at Thursday’s House Capital Budget hearing was Eric Murray, president of Cascadia College.

“Cascadia’s enrollment has had double digit enrollment increases for the last three years,” Murray said. “Right now, we’re at the very last and final phase of our master plan to build out the campus and serve the students of our community,” he said.

House policy committee hears overview of higher education funding

Kate Henry, fiscal analyst for the Office of Program Research, provided an overview of the higher education funding model on Tuesday in the House Postsecondary Education and Workforce committee.

Coming up next week

Policy committee work will continue up to the February 4 deadline for policy bills to be voted out of policy committees.