We are back at work in Olympia today. It was certainly not our plan to still be here but, unfortunately, our education budget is still not approved.
Governor Inslee made it pretty 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.
We encourage you to click on the image below and watch Gov. Inslee’s speech on this issue. What he says is important if we’re going to avoid a Republican shutdown of the state on July 1.
Some of his quotes very accurately depict what is currently happening in Olympia:
“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. But we can promise you that our commitment 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 keep our promises to kids, jobs and the people of Washington.
Here’s some further reading 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
- SDC Hopper Blog – Senate Republicans unwilling to compromise as fiscal cliff looms
Thank you for taking the time to read this legislative update. Please know we always welcome your comments and ideas, so don’t hesitate to contact us anytime.