Heraldnet.com
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2008 5:46 pm
ADVERTISEMENT

LocalNorthwestNation & WorldPoliticsSpecial ReportsPhotosColumnistsMultimedia 
Blog
Jerry Cornfield
State delegation leaving no footprints in Denver
Your town news
Julie Muhlstein
Columnist Julie Muhlstein's take on life in Snohomish County.
•Latest: Generosity benefits three charities
Latest gallery

2010 Olympics in Vancouver
August 26. 2008 (11 photos)
[More Herald photos]
 
WEEK IN REVIEW
Tuesday


2-year sentence in Ecstasy drug death
Heroin took life of bright teen from Mukilteo
24 centenarians set a record for the ages
Monday


Boeing Machinists stand firm
Local delegates ready to make history at Denver...
Shorter WASL exams ahead for students in most g...
Sunday


The Tulalips' rapid rise took a lot more than luck
Rain cancels Four Tops, Temptations concert at ...
Edmonds man dies in one-car accident near Marth...
Saturday


Steer clear, police say
Leaks in Gold Bar's finances exposed in audit
Cesarean section rates climbing in Washington s...
Friday


State fair opens with style in Monroe
Everett landlord now says he won't house sex of...
Behind the scenes at the fair
Thursday


Title dreams dashed, but Little Leaguers still ...
Council approves rezone for Everett hospital
First, dog needs rescue, then her owner
Wednesday


Everett Guard members prepare for deployment to...
Race for governor will be another close fight
Here's your 12-day Evergreen State Fair planner
 

ADVERTISEMENT

Local News   Print This Article  Email This Page  Subscribe Now! facebook digg reddit del.icio.us fark stumble

 
ADVERTISEMENT

 
CONTACT THE HERALD
Robert Frank, City Editor
frank@heraldnet.com
 
Published: Thursday, March 13, 2008

State budget wrangling goes to final day

Partisan jousting is expected as the Legislature finalizes two multibillion-dollar budget supplements to end the session

OLYMPIA -- Before state legislators wrap up the 2008 session today, they will be talking about how best to spend the taxpayers' money.

Awaiting their action are two multibillion-dollar budget proposals covering everything from hiking teacher pay and tracking greenhouse gas emissions to repairing a roof on a community center in Everett and assisting providers of low-cost health care on Camano Island.

Heavy partisan jousting is likely when the operating budget cobbled together by House and Senate Democrats comes up for a vote.

The plan issued today adds another $306 million to the current two-year budget of $33.4 billion while keeping $835.7 million in reserves. There might have been additional spending and savings but the most recent economic forecast curbed several hundred million dollars from the expected pot of cash.

"Compared to last year, this was a much more difficult process," said Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, the vice-chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

"We weren't able to fulfill as many requests as we wanted to."

Republicans said they filled too many, given that the governor's budget office predicts the state will have a $2.4 billion deficit by the end of the next biennium.

"Seeing how this sets the stage for tax increases or steep spending cuts next session and knowing how unpopular tax increases are, I had hoped the budget writers would try to bring spending more in line with the projected revenue," said Sen. Joseph Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, the ranking GOP member on the Senate budget committee.

"Take out the money for the rainy day fund, which I'm sure glad we have, and the reserve available ends up at $389 million. That's nothing out of the ordinary," he said.

Pridemore shrugged off the Republican perspective.

"The great advantage of predicting doom and gloom every year is that eventually you'll be right," he said.

The Democrats' budget gives teachers an additional half-percent raise on top of the 3.9 percent hike already budgeted for the next fiscal year. It also pours dollars into special-education programs, maintaining libraries, assisting non-English speaking students, covering rising costs of Washington assessment of student learning and preparing end-of-course assessments as a WASL alternative.

The budget includes nearly $6.2 million to set up a statewide paid family leave program that lawmakers have yet to figure out how to finance. Democrats also include money for Pridemore's proposed tax credit for working families, though it won't start until 2010 and is contingent on available funds.

Also set for approval are a few tax breaks that may help private and public entities in Snohomish County.

One allows firms doing tooling used in the manufacture of Boeing airplanes to pay a lower business and occupation tax rate, putting it in line with other companies doing aerospace-related work.

The fiscal impact is relatively modest, said Rep. Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo, "but it is a vote of confidence for our aerospace industry. This is the one bright spot in our economy."

Another tax break will benefit the Snohomish County Public Utility District and other entities trying to generate power from tides and waves. The budget offers the same incentives to pursuers of tidal and wave energy as those now given for solar and wind power development.

The capital budget will generate more smiles and less bickering.

In Island County, the ­Camano Community Health Clinic is slated to receive $500,000 while the Cliff Bailey center in Everett will get $302,000 for a new roof. Another $160,000 is earmarked for the YWCA-run community center in the Somerset Village Apartments in Lynnwood

Statewide, the biggest single item is $70 million to help residents get into affordable housing or weatherize their current homes.



Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.

Budget plan

Bottom line: Proposed supplemental Washington state operating budget adds a net of $306 million to the current two-year budget of $33.4 billion.

Salt some away: Plan leaves reserve of $835 million, higher than previous legislative plans, but lower than the $900 million the governor had sought.

Big winners: Education, Medicaid, foster care, family planning, housing, lawsuits against the state, long-term care, environmental and climate change programs, public safety. Plan preserves 10-year phase-in of free daylong kindergarten. Teachers get a 4.4 percent pay boost in the next school year.

Next up: Both houses planned to pass operating and construction budgets today. Gov. Gregoire will have 20 days to consider partial vetoes. Operating budget, House Bill 2687, is available at the Legislature's Web site at www.leg.wa.gov.

1. Heroin took life of bright teen from Mukilteo
2. Boeing gambles big
3. 2-year sentence in Ecstasy drug death
4. Boeing gives second offer to Machinists; withdraws pension elimination
5. Cougar sightings prompt cautions
6. 24 centenarians set a record for the ages
7. No merit raises for Reardon's staff
8. I-5 ramps in Marysville to close for two nights
9. The big boys -- breaking down the RBs
10. Apologetic, catnapping burglar gets 30 days in jail
Enterprise Newspaper Snohomish County Business Journal
Rain City Rotary earns provisional club status
Something they will never forget
County health programs may face deep cuts in '08-'09
Donations down as need grows
Live & loud in Lynnwood
Mixed martial arts card draws a crowd
Snohomish County drops final NWFL game
Facing the jump to middle school
Flying the nest
The Enterprise Online Newspaper

TODAY'S TOP JOBS
 View All Top Jobs 
Top Cars
Top Homes


ADVERTISEMENT