Senate Committee Approves New Budget
The Senate budget panel approved a state budget Tuesday night after batting down more than $100 million in new spending sought by the minority Democrats.
On a series of straight party line votes, Democrats lost battles to add millions for children’s health care, class-size reduction, salaries for state employees, college financial aid, salmon and watershed projects and more.
The final budget draft, virtually unchanged from the plan outlined last Friday by Chairman Jim West, R-Spokane, passed on a party line 12-9 vote. A full Senate vote was scheduled for today.
The House, also controlled by Republicans, is expected to produce its version next week and negotiators will hammer out the differences.
Democratic Gov. Gary Locke has urged the Legislature to fund a $24 million reading tutor program and to authorize expansion of the state’s health coverage for children.
West’s committee ignored both of the governor’s priorities and rejected several dozen Democratic amendments, either calling them too expensive or saying they should await the writing of a brand new budget next winter.
This year’s supplemental budget is a modest rewrite of the $19.085 billion, two-year spending plan approved last spring. West and his House counterpart, Appropriations Chairman Tom Huff, R-Gig Harbor, decided before the session began that they would not boost the bottom line, but would reallocate about $70 million in savings that lawmakers have identified.
The Senate Republicans’ plan adds funds to fight crime, rebuild salmon runs, and enhance reading and social programs. The proposal also leaves a reserve of $813 million.
Committee debate offered a prelude to the Senate debate and the coming talks with the governor. The panel rejected amendments with a total price tag of nearly $108 million. The only amendment Democrats won was a $25,000 addition to the summer hot meal program for needy students.
Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Valoria Loveland, D-Pasco, said the GOP plan has done nothing to improve the public schools, lift wages for public employees, provide more health coverage for kids, or pay local governments for the cost of implementing new state laws dealing with runaway youths and domestic violence.
Sen. Jeanne Kohl, D-Seattle, said the budget is “strong and good” in what it does provide, but is sorely lacking in other areas.
“I keep thinking about the children, about the working families, about real people,” she said.
Sen. Joseph Zarelli, R-Vancouver, said the budget helps working families the most by providing the basics and not dipping into the state reserves or expanding the size of government.
West has wisely left $67 million unspent, below the cap permitted under spending-limit Initiative 601, said Senate Majority Leader Dan McDonald, R-Bellevue.
West said that amount could easily be gobbled up by unexpected growth in school enrollment or other social or health caseloads, and that it should be left for a possible supplemental budget next January.