The Legislature spent this week hearing and voting on bills that received amendments after passing their originating chamber, including the corrections education bill. Budget negotiators are still at work on operating, capital and transportation budget proposals hoping to reach an agreement before Sine Die on April 25. >>
House and Senate fiscal committees will wrap up their work today after a week of hours-long meetings to hear public testimony and vote on bills. Committee members this week heard community and technical college-focused bills on diversity, equity and inclusion, computer science bachelor's degrees, equity and access, supporting students experiencing homelessness, and the Customized Training Program. >>
The House and Senate policy committees continued hearing and voting on bills this week, including the college system's requested bill that would prohibit school districts from withholding a students' official grades and transcripts due to an unpaid fine or fee. Members of the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee also heard the bill that would extend the business and occupation tax credit for businesses participating in the Customized Training Program and held a work session on the college system's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. >>
Tuesday marked the House of Origin cutoff, the deadline when bills that started in the House or Senate needed to be voted on by members of the entire chamber. Bills that did not receive a vote or failed to pass, unless a necessary part of the budget, will not move on in the legislative process for the 2021 session. >>
The Legislature's fiscal committees were busy this week hearing the fiscal impact of bills that made it past Monday's policy committee cutoff deadline. The Senate Ways and Means Committee is in an all-day hearing today and House Appropriations Committee will hold its marathon hearing tomorrow. >>
Community and technical college trustees and college and university regents Thursday joined forces for the annual College Promise Coalition Day on the Hill. In Zoom meetings with representatives and senators, they asked that the Legislature avoid budget cuts to higher education, protect investments made through the Workforce Education Investment Act, and invest in higher education to help in the state's economic recovery. >>
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Legislative News is published weekly during the legislative session by the staff of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to highlight issues impacting the two-year college system.
SBCTC is led by a Governor-appointed board and provides leadership, advocacy, and coordination for Washington’s system of 34 public community and technical colleges. Each year, about 337,000 students train for the workforce, prepare to transfer to a university, gain basic math and English skills, or pursue continuing education. Visit our website at SBCTC.edu or email us a SBCTCCommunications@sbctc.edu
