Win For Schools, Loss For Health Plan

The Republican House on Tuesday approved a $100 million supplemental state budget heavy on school construction dollars, but devoid of the health care money the Democratic governor wants.

The vote on House Bill 2258 was a largely party-line 64-31, with some Democrats protesting the defeat of a $66 million appropriation for the state’s Basic Health Plan. The popular but financially strapped program offers subsidized health care insurance to the working poor.

The BHP has about 130,000 people enrolled, but faces a big deficit. Gov. Gary Locke and legislative Democrats want the deficit erased, plus funding for 20,000 new enrollment slots. Locke had requested $87.5 million in the supplemental budget, which adjusts state spending in the final weeks of this fiscal year, which ends June 30.

But House Republicans said that expenditure was unacceptable because it would boost the maximum spending in the next biennium, and because the matter is better handled in the new 1997-99 operating budget.

Appropriations Chairman Tom Huff, R-Gig Harbor, said the GOP supplemental budget focuses on one-time-only spending, mostly for education. The Locke proposal would require a tax increase or spending cuts in future years, said House Speaker Clyde Ballard, R-East Wenatchee.

Highlights of the House budget:

School construction. The plan provides $75 million as state matching funds for locally approved construction. Combined with appropriations in the new biennial budget, this would cover all anticipated projects.

Education technology. About $11 million is provided for continued development of a technology network for kindergarten through graduate school.

Storm damage. About $16 million would go for disaster relief.

AIDS prescriptions. Nearly $1.3 million would erase a projected deficit in the state program that provides drugs for HIV-positive people.

Welfare. About $1.3 million would replace some lost federal funds.

Firefighting. About $1.7 million would pay for forest firefighting by the Natural Resources and Military departments.

The measure heads to the Senate, where majority Republicans are taking much the same direction, including the $100 million bottom line.