Transportation budget OK’d

OLYMPIA – House lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved an $8.9 billion transportation budget for the next two years that supporters describe as a painful but prudent response to the current fiscal reality.

The House voted 89-6 Friday to adopt the budget, which includes $1.1 billion for highway maintenance, $402 million for passenger rail and $237 million for ferry terminal and vessel projects.

Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee, called it “a no frills, tighten-the-belt kind of budget that is appropriate for the time we’re in.”

A recent revenue forecast showed the state’s overall deficit to be $780 million deeper than previously thought. State officials say the deficit for the 2011-’13 budget will be around $5 billion.

The transportation proposal includes fewer service cuts and a smaller rate hike for the Washington State Ferries system than Gov. Chris Gregoire had wanted originally.

The House budget cuts ferry service by $3.1 million, as opposed to Gregoire’s proposed cut of $20 million. House lawmakers said they targeted the runs that were not heavily used.

Gregoire’s initial plan also included a ferry rate hike of 10 percent. The House bill puts it at 7.5 percent in 2011 and 2.5 percent in 2012. This year’s 7.5 percent rate hike includes the expected 2.5 percent annual increase, as well as a one-time 5 percent increase. Next year, riders will see another 2.5 percent annual increase, raising a total of $3.6 million over two years.

A big concern right now is the declining revenue from Washington’s gas tax, which is charged on a per-gallon basis and is falling as people drive less and use more fuel-efficient cars. House lawmakers said they’re looking for alternative revenue sources for the future.

While the bill received strong bipartisan support, minority Republicans are still concerned that the proposal doesn’t do enough to fix the current transportation system.

“I think the taxpayers expect us to do much more than continue on the present course,” said Rep. Jason Overstreet, R-Blaine.

Several Republicans were also worried about the budget’s continuation of current programs that they don’t think are working, but in the end voted to approve the proposal.

“Is it the perfect budget? No. But it is a good budget,” said Rep. Jan Angel, R-Port Orchard. “I think we’ve done a good job.”

The Senate last week unveiled its own $9 billion transportation budget that largely mirrors the House version. The House proposal now moves to the Senate for approval before final negotiations.