Senate unveils budget proposal

OLYMPIA – After months of hearings, the state Senate on Wednesday proposed a $33.3 billion operating budget and a $4.2 billion construction budget, including millions of dollars for local programs and projects. Among them: the Fox Theater, a children’s park at Mirabeau Point and $2 million for further renovations at Avista Stadium.

The operating budget spends heavily on schools, colleges and health care but leaves $766 million in savings for the future.

“This budget is very sustainable,” said Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver. “We’ve been cautious. We plan to stay cautious.”

The state’s two-year operating budget covers a wide array of government services, from health care for poor children to colleges, prisons, social services, environmental protection, some law enforcement and much of the budget for local schools.

“Ultimately, we have the responsibility to make sure the trains run on time,” said Pridemore. “That’s what we’re doing.”

The Senate proposal follows similar lines as earlier proposals from the governor and House. Among the differences: The Senate wants to put more money into special education in public schools, as well as into the Learning Assistance Program, which helps urban schools struggling with poverty, like Spokane’s. The Senate also wants to put more money into basic education, compared to Gov. Chris Gregoire’s plan, which stresses things like her push for math and science education and smaller classes.

“We agree that that’s important, but it’s more a question of not wanting to add new requirements on the schools when this basic funding is not dealt with appropriately,” said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane. Whether the Senate’s plan sticks, however, hinges on how much public support there is, Brown said.

“I’m going to be very anxious to hear from local school districts, particularly in Spokane, and to see if this is closer to meeting their needs,” she said.

Not one of the budgets is close to adequately funding education, said Charles Hasse, president of the state teachers union. None has enough money for teacher pay raises or smaller class sizes, he said. A recent Washington Education Association-sponsored study recommended a 45 percent increase in state spending per pupil.

Republican lawmakers – a minority in both the House and Senate – had a different take: they want more money stashed away in savings while the economy is still healthy. Otherwise, they say, higher taxes and fees are inevitable.

“The Democrats talk of families and of security, but their budgets continue to rely on credit-card tactics and ignore the economic warning signs,” said Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia.

Brown said leaving more in savings would attract attempts by initiative writers or groups to tap that money.

“If we leave over $1 billion on the table, then frankly someone else will spend it for us,” she said.

As for the Senate’s construction-budget proposal, she said, it’s “really positive for Spokane.”

Unlike the House of Representatives’ plan, the Senate construction budget includes $2 million for the Fox Theater in Spokane, $2 million for improvements to Spokane’s Fish Creek Trail and $250,000 toward a $5 million request from the YMCA and YWCA in Spokane for help building a joint facility downtown. Between that $250,000 and another $800,000 for a proposed YMCA facility in North Spokane, the group would get just over $1 million in the Senate proposal, Brown said.

“Actually, I was hoping for more like $3 million,” she said.

The Senate budget does not, however, include any money for the Mobius science center and children’s museum in Spokane. House budget writers want to set aside $800,000 for Mobius. Also not included in the Senate’s version: $1 million for work at the Chewelah Peak environmental learning center.

Local projects in at least two of the three proposals include:

“A local veterans cemetery: $7.8 million,

“A children’s park at Mirabeau Point: $800,000,

“Renovations at Avista Stadium: $2 million,

“Spokane Whitewater Park: $530,000,

“N.A.T.I.V.E. Project community wellness center: $375,000,

“Salvation Army family resource center: $275,000,

“East-Central Community Center in Spokane: $150,000,

“Emmanuel Center: $480,000 House, $500,000 Senate,

“Northeast Community Center: $1 million,

“Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture: about $1.2 million,

“North Spokane YMCA: $800,000,

“Greenacres Neighborhood Park land purchase: $306,000,

“Newman Lake fishing dock: $250,000,

“Kalispel Tribal Wellness Center: $650,000,

“Audubon Lake trail at Reardan: $250,000,

“Heating and cooling work on the Airway Heights prison: $2.9 million,

“A new sex-offender treatment center at the prison: $4.9 million, and

“Antoine Peak land purchase: $1.4 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.