We are back at work in Olympia today. It was certainly not my plan to still be here but, unfortunately, our education budget has yet to be approved.
Governor Inslee made it clear in his remarks this week why we’re at this impasse: Both sides need to be willing to compromise and to focus on one goal – agreeing on a budget that meets our constitutional obligation to fund our kids’ education.
I encourage you to click on the image below to watch Gov. Inslee’s speech, because what he says is important if we’re going to avoid shutting down state government on July 1.
Here are some excerpts:
“Compromise needs to come from all parties. But the position we’re in today is the inevitable result of a lack of substantive compromise from the Senate majority.”
“On policy, the Senate went to the edges, not to the middle. They said they wouldn’t fund education unless a list of unrelated policy bills was passed first.
“This should be a debate about education funding, not workers’ compensation, tax breaks for millionaires, anti-teacher bills, and certainly not about anything like payday lending.”
So, our work goes on. My commitment and that of the House Democrats remains the same:
– Our focus is on our moral and constitutional duty to fund our kids’ education.
– We refuse to rig the system against kids, seniors and the disabled.
– Our plan is to fulfill our obligations to needy children, the disabled and low-income elderly.
For more insights into the unprecedented situation facing the legislature:
Seattle Times Editorial – Time to compromise on Washington state budget
Kirkland Reporter Guest Opinion – Legislators need to compromise as government shutdown looms
HDC Advance blog – The reality of budget negotiations
Sincerely,
