Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 10, 2004
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact: Ed Penhale, Office of Financial Management, 360-902-0619
“Since I became governor, my administration has made education the highest priority in every budget we proposed, and the Legislature again has answered this call with a budget that puts our students first,” Locke said about the agreement crafted by House Appropriations Chair Helen Sommers, D-Seattle, and Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield.
The agreement follows the governor’s lead in increasing funding for higher education by a total of $24 million, including $17 million in new state-funded enrollment slots – many of which are in high-demand fields such as health care, technology and engineering.
Locke’s supplemental budget proposal included $45 million in new state spending for state colleges and universities. “This investment in higher education is an investment in Washington’s future,” he said. “I’m glad the Legislature met me more than half way in addressing this high-priority funding issue.”
“I wanted to do even more to increase higher education enrollments but thank the legislative budget writers for recognizing that our colleges and universities are an economic engine that will strengthen our economy, providing the well-educated workforce our businesses need to maintain the state’s competitive edge,” Locke said.
The governor also said he appreciated the lawmakers’ work on the state construction budget, separate from the operating budget, which includes $117 million for improvements to facilities on the state’s higher education campuses.
“This investment begins to make room for new students who know just how important a college education is in getting a good-paying job,” Locke said, “and it recognizes the important role colleges and universities play in our state’s economy.”
The capital budget also provides $34 million for several projects that improve and protect the state’s water resources for people, fish and economic development.
Locke said he was pleased with new funding for Promise Scholarships and State Need Grants, which make going to college affordable for students in both middle- and low-income families.
The governor said he was also pleased to see that the budget agreement provides $21 million to fully fund his proposal to reduce the impact of pending health care premiums to be charged to parents of children receiving state-sponsored Medicaid health care.
And the governor praised a relatively small but important $2 million investment that will help low-income people get legal-services assistance in civil court.
Locke said, however, he was disappointed that the budget does not increase reimbursement rates for doctors providing Medicaid childbirth services, which he proposed to improve access to health care, particularly in rural areas.
The governor said the budget agreement helps the state keep its competitive edge in the economy by fully funding his request for $75 million in tax incentives for business research and development, and to attract more manufacturing jobs to rural areas.
And he said that a $1.6 million appropriation to the University of Washington would help the research institution attract scholars in the emerging field of proteomics.
The budget agreement, which is expected to be approved by the Legislature Thursday – the last day of the 2004 legislative session – also funds unavoidable costs of increases in public school enrollment and social service caseloads, and emergencies such as forest fires and floods.
The agreement also provides $24 million to cover terms of a collective bargaining agreement for home health care workers, which resulted in a wage increase of 50 cents an hour plus worker compensation and health benefits.
The no-new-taxes supplemental budget agreement, which calls for $145 million in new spending, modifies the underlying two-year, $24 billion General Fund budget approved last year and leaves $304 million in the state’s reserve account.
Related Links:
- OFM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 10, 2004
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact: Ed Penhale, Office of Financial Management, 360-902-0619
Gov. Gary Locke Praises Supplemental State Operating Budget
OLYMPIA – March 10, 2004 – Gov. Gary Locke tonight praised the supplemental state operating budget agreed to by leaders of the House and Senate budget-writing committees.“Since I became governor, my administration has made education the highest priority in every budget we proposed, and the Legislature again has answered this call with a budget that puts our students first,” Locke said about the agreement crafted by House Appropriations Chair Helen Sommers, D-Seattle, and Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield.
The agreement follows the governor’s lead in increasing funding for higher education by a total of $24 million, including $17 million in new state-funded enrollment slots – many of which are in high-demand fields such as health care, technology and engineering.
Locke’s supplemental budget proposal included $45 million in new state spending for state colleges and universities. “This investment in higher education is an investment in Washington’s future,” he said. “I’m glad the Legislature met me more than half way in addressing this high-priority funding issue.”
“I wanted to do even more to increase higher education enrollments but thank the legislative budget writers for recognizing that our colleges and universities are an economic engine that will strengthen our economy, providing the well-educated workforce our businesses need to maintain the state’s competitive edge,” Locke said.
The governor also said he appreciated the lawmakers’ work on the state construction budget, separate from the operating budget, which includes $117 million for improvements to facilities on the state’s higher education campuses.
“This investment begins to make room for new students who know just how important a college education is in getting a good-paying job,” Locke said, “and it recognizes the important role colleges and universities play in our state’s economy.”
The capital budget also provides $34 million for several projects that improve and protect the state’s water resources for people, fish and economic development.
Locke said he was pleased with new funding for Promise Scholarships and State Need Grants, which make going to college affordable for students in both middle- and low-income families.
The governor said he was also pleased to see that the budget agreement provides $21 million to fully fund his proposal to reduce the impact of pending health care premiums to be charged to parents of children receiving state-sponsored Medicaid health care.
And the governor praised a relatively small but important $2 million investment that will help low-income people get legal-services assistance in civil court.
Locke said, however, he was disappointed that the budget does not increase reimbursement rates for doctors providing Medicaid childbirth services, which he proposed to improve access to health care, particularly in rural areas.
The governor said the budget agreement helps the state keep its competitive edge in the economy by fully funding his request for $75 million in tax incentives for business research and development, and to attract more manufacturing jobs to rural areas.
And he said that a $1.6 million appropriation to the University of Washington would help the research institution attract scholars in the emerging field of proteomics.
The budget agreement, which is expected to be approved by the Legislature Thursday – the last day of the 2004 legislative session – also funds unavoidable costs of increases in public school enrollment and social service caseloads, and emergencies such as forest fires and floods.
The agreement also provides $24 million to cover terms of a collective bargaining agreement for home health care workers, which resulted in a wage increase of 50 cents an hour plus worker compensation and health benefits.
The no-new-taxes supplemental budget agreement, which calls for $145 million in new spending, modifies the underlying two-year, $24 billion General Fund budget approved last year and leaves $304 million in the state’s reserve account.
Related Links:
- OFM
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