House and Senate committees got back to work this week as the session reached its House of Origin cutoff deadline Tuesday. That's the self-imposed date by which bills need to be passed by the chamber in which they started to continue in the legislative process.
Senate higher education committee hears testimony on State Board, trustee appointments
Feb. 19—The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Committee at its hearing on Thursday heard testimony from trustees appointed to several colleges.
Debra Entenman, State Board member and current State Representative, said in her testimony, “I began my career in higher ed at the University of Washington, but did not complete my education. I got married and became a parent, and then decided to return to college when my children were also attending community college. I was on my trek as they were on their trek, transferring to Seattle University. But starting from Highline Community College, where I was embraced by students and staff and felt that my experience at my community college was the experience I would hope more students would have, no matter their age.”
Entenman previously served as trustee at Renton Technical College.
Bryce McKibben, trustee at Pierce College, said, “My main goal is to figure out how we can best serve the most number of students in the greater Pierce County community: to make it a reality for working families, for parenting students, for those who have to work multiple jobs, who are struggling to meet their basic needs.”
Christine Rolfes, trustee at Olympic College and former State Senator, said, “Olympic College has about 8,500 students plus or minus a few hundred every year. But it is the only academic institution on the Kitsap Peninsula. It’s the economic engine, literally, of our community.
Following public testimony, all three appointments were voted out in executive session.
State Board representatives testify against running start cuts in Senate fiscal committee
Feb. 19 — The Senate Ways & Means Committee, at its hearing Thursday, heard testimony on Sen. Wellman’s SB 6260, which would reduce Running Start from 1.4 to 1.2 full-time equivalency (FTE).
Representatives from the college system, including Carli Schiffner, Jamie Traugott, Tim Stokes, Chemene Crawford, and Sara Thompson Tweedy, testified against the proposed cuts to Running Start.
Coming up next week
Budget proposals are expected to be released over the next few days, with hearings scheduled Monday in the House and Senate to hear operating budget bills and Tuesday in the House and Senate to hear the capital budgets.
