OLYMPIA -- The Senate Republican budget proposal will be released at noon, and have a hearing at 3:30 p.m. today, making for a quick turnaround on two counts.

One, House Democrats just released their budget on Friday, and had a hearing on it Monday. The Appropriations Committee is expected to vote on it today. So Senate Republicans are countering quickly with a budget that's expected to be smaller than the $38.8 billion plan in the House, and may have no new taxes.

Two, very few people will be able to study the several hundred pages of the budget before the hearing in the three and a half hours between release and hearing. Notice of the addition to the committee's schedule wasn't posted until Monday evening.

Jason Mercier, legislative watchdog and budget hawk for the Washington Policy Center, called that scheduling "unacceptable" in an e-mail with the subject line "budget transparency hopes dashed."

House Democrats had a slightly slower turnaround on their budget, with a Saturday hearing after the Friday roll out, but changed the hearing to Monday after some complaints. 

But then, it is Day 79, which means only 26 days remain in the regular session.

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