House approves operating budget

OLYMPIA – Depending on your political party, it seems, the two-year, $33.4 billion operating budget approved Monday by the House of Representatives is either: (a) a much-needed investment in the futures of families and children or (b) an unchecked spending spree promising a multibillion-dollar hangover.

Those were the positions staked out by lawmakers from both parties. In the end, the bill passed on an almost pure party line vote: 62 Democrats and one Republican voted yes; 35 Republicans voted no.

It was one of several budget votes Monday morning. The House also voted for a $7.4 billion transportation budget and – overwhelmingly – for a $4.2 billion construction budget that includes projects throughout the state. All three go to the state Senate, which is expected to start unveiling its own proposals today.

Much of Monday’s debate revolved around the operating budget, the biggest of the three proposals. The House budget would spend billions of dollars on public schools and human services, such as health care, social service programs and prisons. It would add 3,800 new state employees, largely at colleges and prisons, and create room for more than 8,000 more students at the state’s colleges and universities. It would expand childhood vaccinations, children’s mental health care, and boost payments to nursing homes and in-home care, among many other things.

“This is a strong proposal for a strong Washington,” said the House’s chief budget writer, Rep. Helen Sommers, D-Seattle.

“This budget is all about hope,” agreed Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, citing the hundreds of millions of dollars slated for schools, teacher pay, math learning help and other programs. “We are making investments that will pay dividends.”

Republicans – outnumbered in both the House and Senate – scoffed.

“This is bonding our children’s future and forcing them into credit card payments,” said Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis. “I heard this budget was about hope. Well, I hope it doesn’t break the bank.”

The House budget, if approved by the Senate and governor, would add up to a 33 percent budget increase – $8.4 billion – over four years, said Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee. He blasted the fact that the budget would delay state workers’ raises for two months – from July to September – if a worker doesn’t belong to a union.

“What is that about?” Armstrong said. “I think it should be fairly obvious what that is all about.”

For the last couple of years, Republicans have complained about budget “bow waves” – new or growing state programs that spawn ever-bigger costs in the future. Rep. Skip Priest, R-Federal Way, said the House budget is more like a tsunami.

“We find ourselves in a situation where the boat will be swamped much earlier than we ever imagined,” Priest said.

Democrats said there are good reasons for the budget increases. Yes, it would be the largest operating budget in state history, said Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish. But there’s no mystery about why, he said: The state’s population is also the largest it’s ever been.

“More people – more things – more stuff,” he said.

Also, the state wrestled with consecutive budget shortfalls from the recession after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Dunshee pointed out. Now, with a $1.9 billion budget surplus, state budget writers are trying to make up some of the things – teacher raises, school construction, more space for college students – that were put off during leaner times.

“This budget is an act of optimism,” said Dunshee. “We are betting on the families of the state of Washington.”

Significant, meaningful investments in government lead to significant returns, said Rep. Bill Eickmeyer, D-Belfair.

“When we only dribble along and we suffocate the processes in a very slow manner, the returns are very, very low,” he said.

Republican Rep. Tom Campbell was the only one in his party to vote for the bill. He said he’s skeptical of his party leaders’ assertion that the budget will lead to big tax increases or brutal budget cuts in two to four years. “I’ve heard it over and over again: ‘The skies are falling,’ ” Campbell said. “Well, it’s been two years since I heard that speech. The walls are up. The sky is blue.”

In other budget debate Monday, Rep. Lynn Schindler, R-Otis Orchards, tried repeatedly to amend the transportation budget to get more money for the North Spokane Corridor. One proposal would have steered the sales tax on highway projects into a new “One Washington Road Fund.” The resulting $1 billion would have gone to five projects, including $250 million for the north-south freeway in Spokane. Another amendment would have “reprioritized” the billions of state dollars slated for Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct if no decision on how to replace it has been made by July. Both measures were voted down.