WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Legislative Update from Rep. Jim Moeller

Newspapers across the state agree: Senate budget is WRONG for Washington

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In the last week, as we have been reading and detailing the problems with the Republican-led Senate budget, newspapers across the state have been doing the same thing. There are a number of major problems with the Republican proposal, starting with its reliance on budget gimmicks and one-time fund transfers while claiming to be a balanced and sustainable budget.

According to the Columbian, Republicans in the Senate “are employing smoke-and-mirrors budgeting techniques” by transferring funds from one account to another, cutting programs in the process. The problem with their “no new taxes,” even for the wealthy few, approach is that they force working families in Washington to sacrifice.

And in addressing the budget, the Seattle Times says that the Senate budget “relies on likely unsustainable gimmicks and fund transfers” and reminds the legislature to “remember the painful fiscal lessons of the very recent economic past.” Maybe the Senate Republicans have a short memory, because their cuts and lack of investment in our future is the wrong mindset for a state that needs to grow from the middle class out.

Speaking of the middle class, the House budget gives teachers and state workers who have taken salary cuts and stalled wages for six years and gives them a cost of living increase or agreed-upon collective bargained salary increases. The Senate takes another approach, giving teachers some of the basic cost of living allowance, but then decides to cut health care for state worker spouses and completely throw out the state worker salary agreement. Except they can’t. The News Tribune looked into it and turns out their plan would be illegal.

Other major problems with the Senate budget? In order to pay for their transportation plan they passed last month, they took $81 million from the general fund that comes from sales taxes over the next four years. That would be okay, if they didn’t pretend like the money was still in the general fund to pay for their plan. They count the money twice, once in the transportation budget, and again in the operating budget. Their plan simply ignores that problem.

Senate Republicans also cut $75 million from the State Need Grant in order to “balance” the budget, which leaves over 30,000 students who qualify for aid waiting for a chance to go to college. On the other hand, our budget in the House puts MORE money in the State Need Grant, as well as increases scholarships in computer science degrees, and adds additional funding for K-12 to help make sure students and families are prepared for college. That’s the right investment—not cutting programs that help low income and middle class families achieve their dreams of a college education.

Newspapers, workers, students, and the House Democrats all agree: The Senate Republican plan is the wrong path for Washington.


Building a better Washington

 Democrats and Republicans worked together to pass a $3.7 billion construction budget in the House of Representatives that will build schools, college and mental health facilities.

If the Senate approves the construction budget, thousands of men and women in hard hats will get to work in every corner of the state.

Most of the funding will go to education projects.

The state Supreme Court has ruled that lawmakers must fully fund public schools, including new classrooms to reduce overcrowding in kindergarten to third grade. The court also ruled the state’s mental health system is unconstitutional, with patients strapped to gurneys in hospital hallways or languishing in jail.

A large chunk of the House budget is aimed at education and mental health, with $1.6 billion in construction funds for education and $72 million for facilities to treat mental illness.

The budget was a joint proposal by Dunshee and the ranking Republican on the committee. It passed the House Capital Budget Committee unanimously and passed the House on a 96-2 vote.

Here are the highlights of the bipartisan budget:

Education: $1.6 billion on education, including $627 million on School Construction Assistance Program, with reforms to help most needy schools and ensure access to STEM and Skills Centers.

Mental Health: $7 million, including upgrades and higher capacity at Western and Eastern State hospitals, new E&T facilities, psychiatric beds, and a long term plan for 700-bed mental health treatment facility.

Housing: $80 million to targeted Housing Trust Fund projects, $20 million for weatherization for homeowners and $10 million for community energy efficiency program

Natural Resources: $191 million for the Water Pollution Control Program, $63 million in Stormwater Financial Assistance, $43 million in Floodplains by Design, $57 million for state parks and $8.1 million in Coastal Restoration Grants.

Other projects: $5.7 in Building for the Arts, $21 million in the Building Communities Fund, $10 million for Heritage Capital Grants and $75 million in local community projects.

To find local projects or view them by category, visit https://fiscal.wa.gov/CapitalMaps.aspx