Asked if today’s state budget proposal was the only budget proposal we’re going to get out of the special session in Olympia, house budget committee chair Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48) told Jolt this afternoon: “Yes. This is it.”
Far from signing off on Gov. Chris Gregoire’s dramatic proposal—$2 billion in proposed cuts coupled with a half-penny sales tax increase to pay for some buy-backs such as restoring a $160 million cut to higher education—state legislators released a minimal initial pass at the budget today.
The bipartisan and bicameral recommendation goes for about $320 million in actual cuts—such as delaying dispersal of electronic benefits transfer (food stamp) cards, releasing non-violent juvenile offenders early, and leaving water quality and other environmental positions vacant—plus another $100 million in fund transfers (including federal program money) and money that state agencies kept in reserve.
Hunter says he expects both chambers to pass it this week.
Asked why lawmakers didn’t move on Gregoire’s sweeping proposals, Hunter said candidly: “Because the governor’s budget has problems. For example, she made unconstitutional cuts to K-12 and she also made cuts to K-12 that are deeply unpopular. And there are painful higher ed cuts that are making people insane.”
Hunter went into an analogy about taking small bites—”each bite is harder to chew”—and said legislators will come back in January to deal with the next $1.5 billion.
Asked specifically about the governor’s proposal, Hunter said: “The governor took two months to get to one vote. I’ve got to get to 50. The Senate needs 25. People here don’t necessarily subscribe to my brilliance. I can’t just steamroll this. That’s even difficult to do at home. We’ve got to figure out where people are and where the votes are.”
Gov. Gregoire says:
The Legislature has been working collaboratively on arriving at a package that will provide a down payment on closing our budget hole. I realize the enormity of their challenge and am encouraged by their bipartisan effort and desire to have these reductions in place before they adjourn. This effort proves a good start as they will need to work tirelessly to ensure a full budget is passed early next year. The longer they wait – the deeper the cuts will have to be.
