Statement by Rep. Hans Dunshee on bare-bones capital budget
If we fail to act, work around the state stops July 1, and 24,000 men and women in hard hats will drop their hammers and shovels and go home.
Contractors who’ve already written checks to buy cement and issue paychecks to their workers won’t get paid, and they’ll file lawsuits, because the state would be breaking contracts.
Not acting would be irresponsible and a job-killer.
Another 36,000 jobs are at risk. In a normal year, we’d pass a capital budget that protected these existing jobs and projects – and funded new projects.
A new capital budget would create at least 36,000 jobs.
This is unprecedented in the history of Washington state, and I am disappointed that we’ve had to take this step in the face of D.C.-style politics leading to a government shutdown.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
We can do better, and I hope to see more bipartisanship in the future before more people lose their jobs and more citizens lose services and projects.
– Rep. Hans Dunshee (D-Snohomish), chair of the Capital Budget Committee
Note: House Bill 1089 passed on Monday, June 10 by a vote of 83-10.