OLYMPIA Identical bills that could pave the way for Washington State University to start its own medical school in Spokane were filed Wednesday in the Senate andHouse.

Rep. Marcus Riccelli, a Democrat, and Sen. Mike Baumgartner, a Republican, introduced matching legislation to remove the provision in state law that gives medical school education exclusively to the University ofWashington.

The bills were filed as UW announced its leadership team for curriculum for Spokane, with local physician William Sayres Jr. being selected as assistant dean. WSU, meanwhile, is advertising for faculty for the medical school it wants to start, hoping

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OLYMPIA Identical bills that could pave the way for Washington State University to start its own medical school in Spokane were filed Wednesday in the Senate andHouse.

Rep. Marcus Riccelli, a Democrat, and Sen. Mike Baumgartner, a Republican, introduced matching legislation to remove the provision in state law that gives medical school education exclusively to the University ofWashington.

The bills were filed as UW announced its leadership team for curriculum for Spokane, with local physician William Sayres Jr. being selected as assistant dean. WSU, meanwhile, is advertising for faculty for the medical school it wants to start, hoping to recruit from the local medicalcommunity.

In the works since late last year, the legislators delayed introducing the bills until Wednesday to gather bipartisan support from around thestate.

Riccellis bill, HB 1559, already has 60 co-sponsors in the 98-member House, with support from all 10 House members whose districts are completely or partly in Spokane County. Baumgartners bill, SB 5487, has 17 co-sponsors in the 49-member Senate. Both bills have co-sponsors in Puget Sound districts as well as EasternWashington.

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WSU medical school in Spokane gets legislative support - Thu, 22 Jan 2015 PST