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Senate backs Haler bills on
expanding WSU Tri-Cities, exploring WASL alternatives, aiding Energy
Northwest
renewable energy work
The Legislature completed
its work on a trio of measures important to the 8th Legislative District
before a key deadline today. The three bills, sponsored by
Rep.
Larry Haler, R-Richland, now go to the governor for her expected signature
into law.
Today the state Senate endorsed the expansion of WSU Tri-Cities into a
four-year university by passing House Bill 2867. It would direct WSU
Tri-Cities, which has provided upper-division courses since 1989, to
prepare a plan for becoming a four-year institution by the start of the
2007 academic year.
“Expanding WSU Tri-Cities has been one of my top priorities since I
became an 8th District representative, and thanks to tremendous
community support we’re about to start bridging to the future,” said
Haler, HB 2867’s lead Republican sponsor, referring to the theme of the
expansion effort.
Passed Feb. 9 by the House, the measure would allow for the admission of
lower-division students directly into programs beyond the biotechnology
field.
The deadline for each of the legislative chambers to consider bills
originating in the other chamber was 5 p.m. today. Until the 2006
legislative session ends next week lawmakers in each chamber will focus
on considering changes made to bills by the other chamber.
On Thursday Haler saw the Senate approve legislation he introduced to
explore alternatives to the Washington Assessment of Student Learning
(WASL). House Bill 2414 proposes a pilot project with six school
districts, which would use an assessment other than the WASL to gauge
the math and reading performance of students in third, fifth, sixth and
eighth grades.
It would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to ask the
U.S. Department of Education, before the beginning of the 2006-07 school
year, for flexibility under the No Child Left Behind Act to look at
alternatives to the WASL.
“I see this as a step toward reforming our approach to education
assessments – and a logical result of the education reforms adopted a
dozen years ago,” said Haler.
He expects the Richland
School District, which has been critical of the WASL cost, will be one
of the school districts to participate in the pilot project. HB 2414 was
passed Feb. 9 by the House.
One of the last House bills passed by the Senate before today’s deadline
was House Bill 1384, known by legislators as the Energy Northwest bill.
Haler introduced the measure during the 2005 session. It passed in the
House but not the Senate last year.
HB 1384 concerns the construction and operation of renewable energy
projects by joint operating agencies. Energy Northwest is the only such
JOA in the state.
Haler’s bill would give Energy Northwest the option of using a
competitive negotiation process to acquire materials, equipment, and
supplies, or for work performed for the siting, construction, or
deploying of a renewable electrical energy generation project. That
option may be chosen by its managing director and executive board if
they believe competitive negotiation will be more economical than the
sealed bid process.
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For more information, contact:
Brendon Wold, Public
Information Officer: (360) 786-7698
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