Sen. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, issued the following statement after the Washington State Senate approved SSB 6464, authorizing expansion of baccalaureate degree programs at Washington State University Tri-Cities. The Senate approved the bill 48-0.

“I am extremely grateful to my colleagues in the Senate for their overwhelming support for expanding higher education opportunities in south-central Washington.

“We would not have been able to achieve our goal of turning WSU Tri-Cities into a

four-year institution without the extraordinary efforts of so many people in the Tri-Cities who shared a common vision and were dedicated to making it happen. They were tireless because they understand the importance of having a seamless education system as a cornerstone to our future.

“The combination of assets at WSU Tri-Cities, Columbia Basin College and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory can be leveraged to create new economic development opportunities and new jobs to the mid-Columbia region.

“The unique assets we already have in place make this a natural pilot program that can be duplicated in other portions of the state.”

A similar bill, HB 2867, was approved by the House of Representatives.