2025 Legislative Recap

Challenging session met with support from Cougs 

As many of you recognize, WSU, along with higher education institutions across the state, endured a difficult session. In light of these fiscal challenges, your engagement is greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting WSU and continuing to be a proponent of higher ed. 

We will be closely monitoring the health of the state economy and federal activities that may put the squeeze on state finances. It may very well be that your help will be needed once again in the months to come.

2025 Legislative Outcomes: 

Operating Budget 

Legislative leaders adjourned the state’s 2025 legislative session after approving an operating budget agreement that hands WSU a $9.9 million general reduction to its biennial appropriation and other prescribed cuts as part of a broader plan to address a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall. 

Funded in the operating budget were the following: 

· Provides $16.8 million in partial funding for cost-of-living adjustments for faculty and professional staff. 

· Provides temporary funding for WSU’s $2.2 million request to continue its Native American scholarship program for another two years. 

The operating budget did not fund the following: 

· WSU’s entire $696,000 appropriation provided to support turfgrass research, and targeted reductions to the Murrow News Fellowship, and core support for the Ruckelshaus Center. 

· No funding allocated for WSU’s collective bargaining agreement with academic student employees. 

· No funding allocated for accreditation efforts at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. 

Capital Budget 

The capital budget agreement released was approved on April 27 and sent to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s desk. 

The construction plan funds top university priorities around minor works and work toward replacing Heald Hall on the Pullman campus but notably does not fund construction of the Team Health Education Building in Spokane. 

Funded in the budget were the following: 

· Full funding for WSU’s $40 million request for minor works preservation. 

· $5 million of the university’s $20 million request for minor works program, which pays for equipment purchases and small-scale renovations. 

· Full funding for WSU’s $25 million request to demolish Heald Hall and design a replacement. 

· Full funding for WSU’s $3 million request for a chiller plant upgrade at Vancouver. 

· Full funding for WSU’s $3 million request to design a new Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab satellite at Puyallup. 

· Full funding for WSU’s $10 million request to construct a new plant growth facility at Wenatchee. 

· Full funding for WSU’s $500,000 for pre-design of a dairy modernization project at Pullman. 

· The budget also provided funds for two Pullman projects WSU did not request: $750,000 for greenhouse renovations and $150,000 for beef center renovations. 

The agreement did not fund the following: 

· WSU’s $58 million request to build the Team Health Education Center in Spokane. 

· WSU’s $3.5 million request for systemwide classroom renovations. 

· WSU’s $3.5 million request for systemwide wireless enhancements. 

· WSU’s $3 million request for lab renovations at WSU Tri-Cities. 

· WSU’s $500,000 request for predesign of a new engineering building in Pullman. 

· WSU’s $5 million request to support Clean Building Act requirements. 

· WSU’s request for funds to support Climate Commitment Act requirements.

Want to know more about the details? Follow Washington State University’s Government Relations newsbeat blog.