The House was called to order at 9:55 a.m. by the Speaker (Representative Orwall presiding).

Reading of the Journal of the previous day was dispensed with and it was ordered to stand approved.

RESOLUTION

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2016-4665, by Representatives Lytton, Morris, Van Werven, and Buys

WHEREAS, Dr. W. Bruce Shepard is retiring from his position as President of Western Washington University in June 2016, after serving as the University's 13th President; and

WHEREAS, President Shepard is a true public servant in higher education, with four decades of experience as an educator and academic leader, including eight years as President of Western Washington University, seven years of public service as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, six years of service as Provost at Eastern Oregon University, and twenty-three years with Oregon State University, where he earned tenure as a Professor of Political Science and served in various roles in the University's administration; and

WHEREAS, Under President Shepard's leadership, Western Washington University has been recognized as a regional and national leader for academic success and community engagement, including repeated recognition by U.S. News & World Report as the highest ranking public master's degree granting university in the Pacific Northwest and one of the best values in public higher education by Kiplinger's; ranking first in the nation three years in a row among medium-sized universities in sending graduates to the Peace Corps; and being the top national producer in 2013 among public master's degree granting institutions for Fulbright Scholarship winners; and

WHEREAS, President Shepard has prioritized Western's role in building a stronger Washington as a publicly-purposed university, highlighted by the fact that nine out of ten Western students are from the state of Washington, and the vast majority of Western alumni live in Washington, including in every county throughout the state; and

WHEREAS, President Shepard led the University to successfully navigate the Great Recession, effectively managing the University's finances while protecting Western's distinctive academic excellence as well as affordability for students; and

WHEREAS, During President Shepard's tenure at Western, STEM degree production has increased by fifty percent, including a tripling of the number of computer science degrees produced; and

WHEREAS, President Shepard has strengthened Western's commitment to serving, educating, and graduating first-generation, low-income, and traditionally underserved students, helping to establish an empathetic campus culture that values inclusivity and diversity; and

WHEREAS, Through his leadership, President Shepard has consistently challenged the Western community and residents throughout Washington State to consider tough questions around racial privilege, equity, and social justice, and worked to ensure that quality higher education is accessible to students of all backgrounds and demographics; and

WHEREAS, Through his leadership, President Shepard has fostered greater equity and inclusion on the Western Washington University campus through multiple initiatives that have enhanced the quality of life for students, faculty, and staff; and

WHEREAS, President Shepard has been a champion of shared governance and leading by listening, beginning his service at Western by holding listening sessions involving several thousand faculty, staff, and students on campus, followed by over one hundred conversations with diverse constituency groups around Washington and beyond; and

WHEREAS, Under President Shepard's leadership, Western has invigorated a culture of philanthropy and elevated its reputation throughout the state, leading to the success of the sixty million dollar Western Stands for Washington fundraising campaign; and

WHEREAS, President Shepard's legacy and devotion to public higher education will have lasting beneficial effects on the state of Washington and the students, faculty, and staff of Western Washington University for years to come;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives recognize President Bruce Shepard for his service in higher education and for his dedication to access, innovation, diversity, equity, sustainability, and academic excellence; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to President Shepard and the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University.

The Speaker (Representative Orwall presiding) stated the question before the House to be adoption of House Resolution No. 4665.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4665 was adopted.

RESOLUTION

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2016-4668, by Representative Haler

WHEREAS, The existence of gravitational waves has been detected for the first time, 100 years after Albert Einstein predicted their existence in 1916; and

WHEREAS, Two black holes collided to create the waves seen at two locations of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, one at Hanford in Washington State and the other in Louisiana; and

WHEREAS, Scientists believe that the two black holes in this event were about 29 and 36 times the mass of the sun, and that this collision converted three times the mass of the sun into gravitational waves within one second; and

WHEREAS, The peak power output of this event was about 50 times that of the combined power of all the stars in the visible universe; and

WHEREAS, Physical events in space, like the collision of black holes, the collapse of stars, or changes in the speed or direction of large objects create gravitational waves; and

WHEREAS, Being able to detect and measure gravitational waves will advance our knowledge of astronomy and physics and could cause a new understanding of time and space to be formed; and

WHEREAS, The National Science Foundation has been working toward the detection of gravitational waves for 40 years, spending about $1 billion to date; and

WHEREAS, Albert Einstein lacked the means to prove the existence of gravitational waves, or that a century would pass before modern science could demonstrate what he knew to be true;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives express its thanks and appreciation to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory project directors and managers, and to the international team of scientists and technicians who conducted these experiments, for their dedication to scientific discovery; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the value of the advancement of our understanding of Einstein's general theory of relativity and of any practical applications for this knowledge that we do not yet realize; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the National Science Foundation, the California Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the President of the United States.

The Speaker (Representative Orwall presiding) stated the question before the House to be adoption of House Resolution No. 4668.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4668 was adopted.

RESOLUTION

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2016-4669, by Representatives Buys, Lytton, Hansen, Morris, Van Werven, and Zeiger

WHEREAS, In June 2016, Cyndie Shepard is retiring from her position as the first lady of Western Washington University and as the executive director of Western's award-winning Compass 2 Campus mentoring program; and

WHEREAS, Cyndie Shepard has excelled as the first lady of Western Washington University in working with her husband, Western President Bruce Shepard, to develop friendships and partnerships on campus and in the community, state, and nation; and in creating opportunities for people from all walks of life; and

WHEREAS, Cyndie Shepard has proven to be a true champion for education in three states, particularly in raising aspirations for students from traditionally underrepresented, diverse, and first generation backgrounds to pursue higher education through mentoring programs in Washington and Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, Cyndie Shepard has taught at several universities and colleges across the nation including the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Murray State University, Eastern Oregon University, and Blue Mountain Community College; and has extensive experience in K-12 education, special education, and administration; and

WHEREAS, The Western community and the people of Washington have benefited from the contributions and leadership of Cyndie Shepard, who has particularly distinguished herself for her creation, development, and leadership of Western's Compass 2 Campus program, a nationally recognized, award-winning mentoring initiative that places Western students in local school districts to encourage students to graduate from high school and pursue higher education; and

WHEREAS, The Compass 2 Campus program was transported to Central Washington University last year, in recognition of its great success at Western and in Whatcom and Skagit counties; and

WHEREAS, The Western Washington University Compass 2 Campus Mentorship Initiative is a pilot program implemented by House Bill No. 1986 which was signed by the governor on May 11, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Cyndie Shepard served as director and co-founder of the Phuture Phoenix program at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where the program continues to be successful and has been transported to University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Silver Lake College; and

WHEREAS, Compass 2 Campus and the Phuture Phoenix programs have proven to increase GPA and reduce truancy among elementary, middle, and high school students; empower students to make good choices about the future; increase students' leadership and commitment to giving back to their communities; and empower more students to graduate from high school and encourage them to consider some form of higher education; and

WHEREAS, Cyndie Shepard presents on mentorship and student engagement at numerous conferences and community events, teaches at Western in the Woodring College of Education and in the dance department, is past president of Western's chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, is on the Woodring Diversity Committee, and is an advisory board member for the GRADS Program in Bellingham Public Schools; and

WHEREAS, Cyndie Shepard's legacy and devotion to public education will have lasting beneficial effects on the people of the state of Washington, those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those college students who served as mentors to those students in area schools, for years to come;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives recognize Cyndie Shepard for her service to Western Washington University and for her dedication to K-12 and higher education and to student access and success; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to Cyndie Shepard and the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University.

The Speaker (Representative Orwall presiding) stated the question before the House to be adoption of House Resolution No. 4669.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4669 was adopted.

There being no objection, the House advanced to the fourth order of business.

INTRODUCTION & FIRST READING

HB 2995 by Representative Dunshee

AN ACT Relating to the four-year balanced budget process; amending RCW 43.88.055; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

There being no objection, the bill listed on the day’s introduction sheet under the fourth order of business was referred to the committee so designated.

There being no objection, the House advanced to the eleventh order of business.

There being no objection, the House adjourned until 10:00 a.m., February 24, 2016, the 45th Day of the Regular Session.

FRANK CHOPP, Speaker

BARBARA BAKER, Chief Clerk