Negotiators working out the smaller details of 2-year plan
By Mike Baker and Rachel La Corte, Associated Press
Originally published June 25, 2013 at 10:36 a.m., updated June 25, 2013 at 8:08 p.m.
OLYMPIA — Negotiators in Olympia have agreed to the large components of a new state budget but continued to work Tuesday through the smaller details.
Jaime Smith, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jay Inslee, said there have been no setbacks in the talks and that lawmakers are close to agreement on a final deal for a two-year, $33 billion spending plan that would avert a government shutdown next week. Inslee had said Monday that a deal was imminent.
Democratic Rep. Reuven Carlyle cautioned that negotiators “remain apart on a handful of substantive” matters. He said there’s still a possibility that a stalemate would trigger a shutdown, but he was optimistic that wouldn’t happen. Continued
Have you been listening to the State Legislature’s Special Session issue’s? The main issue we are told is the budget but listen carefully. Settling the budget is being used as a bargaining tool to get other bills through this session.The Senate budget puts educational spending first, balances the budget and does not raise taxes. The Democrat majority house is holding the process hostage as they want to include many social service tax raising items.The Senate Republicans are also working to pass a workers comp measure favoring business ( when was the last time that was done?),an education measure making it harder to just move a bad teacher to a new school, and a repeal of the death tax.So lets call today!