After Marathon Weekend, Washington Lawmakers Inching Closer To Budget Deal
Listen
It’s do-or-die week in Olympia. If lawmakers don’t pass a budget and send it to the governor for his signature before midnight on Friday, state government will go into partial shutdown.
Washington lawmakers are optimistic that won’t happen.
They hunkered down through the weekend heatwave and in the words of one lawmaker “things are really progressing.” House Democrats and Senate Republicans need to get agreement on how much the next budget will spend, where the money will come from and how the state will comply with a Supreme Court mandate on school funding.
The situation is reminiscent of two years ago when the Washington legislature also went into a triple overtime because of a budget standoff. The final deal came together with just four days to go before a shutdown.
Besides the operating budget, other issues that could be part of the final package of bills to pass, include:
- A bipartisan deal to provide paid family leave to workers to care for a newborn or sick family member.
- Formation of a new Department of Children, Youth and Families by combining the Department of Early Learning with the state’s Children’s Administration, now part of the Department of Social and Health Services.
- A “fix” to the Supreme Court’s decision in the Hirst water rights case to allow property owners to dig an exempt well so that they can build a home.
- Relief for central Puget Sound car owners who are seeing their car tabs spike because of the vehicle valuation system Sound Transit uses to determine taxes owed.
- A capital budget to fund construction projects around the state, including water infrastructure in eastern Washington and southwest Washington.
Related Stories:
After years of negotiations, new government Hanford plan stirs up plans to treat radioactive waste
A 2021 aerial photo of Hanford’s 200 Area, which houses the tanks and under-construction Waste Treatment Plant, in southeast Washington. (Credit: U.S. Department of Energy) Listen (Runtime 1:01) Read There… Continue Reading After years of negotiations, new government Hanford plan stirs up plans to treat radioactive waste
Washington Legislature poised to get big makeover in 2024 elections. Here’s why.
By: Jeanie Lindsay, Northwest News Network People running for office in Washington will begin submitting official paperwork next week to get on the ballot – and an unusually high number… Continue Reading Washington Legislature poised to get big makeover in 2024 elections. Here’s why.
WA ban on high-capacity gun magazines will stay in place as court battle continues
By: Jeanie Lindsay, Northwest News Network The sale of high-capacity gun magazines will remain illegal in Washington state while a court fight over the ban continues to play out. That’s… Continue Reading WA ban on high-capacity gun magazines will stay in place as court battle continues