Teacher pay raise in House supplemental budget

OLYMPIA – House Democrats in Washington have released their supplemental budget proposal, which would close several tax exemptions to pay for the salary increases of public school teachers.

Unveiled Monday, the plan would alter the $38 billion, two-year state budget adopted in 2015, including directing money from the state’s emergency fund to pay for needs such as wildfire suppression, reducing youth homelessness and school construction.

Tax preferences would be closed to hike minimum salary for teachers to $40,000-a-year and make other wage adjustments to retain and recruit teachers. There is a teacher shortage in the state, according to a recent survey by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled his supplemental budget proposal in December, and the Senate is set to propose one in the coming weeks.