Senate committee to consider UW in Everett
Published 11:11 pm Tuesday, February 5, 2008
OLYMPIA — Legislation to launch a University of Washington campus in Everett is set to be considered today by the state Senate’s budget committee.
The Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to discuss Senate Bill 6391, sponsored by Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds. It specifies Everett as the future home for the proposed four-year university.
Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, the committee chairwoman, has said she will allow supporters of competing sites in Marysville and Lake Stevens to make their arguments at today’s session even though they have no legislation pending before the panel.
The hearing is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. No action on the legislation is expected today.
This committee will eventually decide whether funding to start offering classes this fall will be included in the Senate’s proposed budget due out later this month.
Gov. Chris Gregoire requested $1.1 million in her budget proposal to the Legislature to pay for nursing and teacher education courses at a temporary site this fall.
In the meantime, the House Higher Education Committee voted Monday to advance a similar bill to put the proposed college in Everett.
The House legislation differs slightly from the Senate bill with wording to ensure that if a new university goes forward, the costs to build and operate it will be done in a way that does not siphon funding for existing higher education institutions.
A state-hired consultant ranked Everett and Marysville sites as the top two locations for a college with a potential population of 5,000 students in 20 years.
That analysis by NBBJ of Seattle scored 31 acres around Everett Station slightly higher than 369 privately owned acres in the Smokey Point area in Marysville. The consultant made clear both properties could handle the anticipated demands.
The Legislature is now is considering the turf question and trying to decide if it wants to commit the state to building a new four-year college — with an estimated $800 million price tag at full build-out.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
