Sluggish budget forecast has legislators urging caution
Washington state economists say legislators writing the next budget will have a little more money to work with than expected — but not much.
Tuesday’s revenue forecast projects a small $54 million increase in tax revenue this year with slower tax collections expected for the next four years. Legislators will use those figures as they prepare how much money they’ll have to spend in the next budget.
Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins said Democratic budget writers plan a mix of spending cuts and new revenue to eliminate a projected $10-12 billion deficit. She also urged caution as the state watches what’s going on on the federal level.
"If they wipe out Medicaid across the nation, there’s not a state in this country that can backfill that in any way, shape or form. That is disastrous for the health care and the health and the survival of millions of people in this country," she said on a call with reporters Tuesday.
Jinkins said no revenue options are off the table, including a tax levied against the wealthiest people in the state.
Sen. Chris Gildon (R-Puyallup) said the state can and should balance its budget without raising or creating any new taxes.
“What happens should the federal government change Medicaid reimbursement rates? What's going to happen to our budget next year? I think not passing all of these taxes this year is the responsible thing to do to give us options in the future years," Gildon, one of the GOP's main budget writers, said.
Democrats in the House and Senate have said they expect to release their versions of the state operating and transportation budgets on Monday. The Republicans have already released a budget proposal.
Police grant creation may yet have a path forward
Republican legislators in Washington say they’re still optimistic about getting a public safety funding bill passed.
Spokane Republican Senator Jeff Holy’s bill would have created a grant program to help local police departments hire new officers and behavioral health workers and funded it with $100 million.
That’s something Governor Bob Ferguson has said he supports.
Senate GOP leader John Braun (R-Centralia) said even if some legislative deadlines have passed, he thinks the final policy result is possible as budget writing continues.
"There is still a way to do this inside the budget, which we hope that we'll be able to pursue," he said on a call with journalists Tuesday. "There is a bill that came over from the House, although I think that bill is not exactly in the form that we would like it."
Braun said his party hasn’t gotten any assurances from the Democratic majority about the inclusion of the $100 million in their budget proposals.
Democratic leaders have expressed support for the idea, but they say it’s too early to decide how much money would go toward the policy.
Holy’s bill did pass two Senate committees, but Democratic leaders in that chamber didn’t bring the bill to a vote before a deadline to move the bill out of its chamber of origin.
Budget cuts may be looming for Colville housing non-profit organization
A northeast Washington nonprofit organization working on housing issues worries future budget cuts may limit its work helping people who are homeless.
Rural Resources has been working with other organizations to phase out a homeless camp in Colville.
It has provided rental assistance in the past through its Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing program. Cruze Thompson, the organization’s housing director, says the future is clouded with potential budget cuts from the state and the federal government looming.
“As far as the lack of need and availability for rentals, trying to find something that's suitable, that is able to work with our program, there's just an extreme limit on it, and then the potential budget cuts would reduce the amount of people we can help," he said.
Thompson says Rural Resources doesn’t expect to learn more about its funding future until perhaps mid-May. He says it currently helps about 100 households through its two rental assistance programs. If the cuts occur, he says it’s unlikely that the organization will be able to add anyone else.
School chaplain bill clears Idaho House committee
A bill allowing school districts to hire chaplains is heading to the House floor.
House Bill 410 cleared the House Education Committee Tuesday morning largely along party lines.
Under the bill, chaplains could be paid or volunteers. School districts could also limit who these religious figures could counsel to exclude students, for example.
Rep. Dale Hawkins (R-Fernwood) said teachers, staff and students could all use help dealing with the daily stress schools bring.
“With what we see going on in the world today, I think that this might be a pretty good opportunity,” said Hawkins. “It may be used by few, it may be used by many. We have [no way of knowing], but this makes it available to [school districts].”
Rep. Mark Sauter (R-Sandpoint) asked Hawkins if school districts could hire chaplains currently, to which he said he didn’t know the answer.
Just two people offered public comment for the bill, including Hauns Snyder, the founder of Satanic Idaho.
Snyder said he welcomes the legislation.
“Many fellow Satanists and I are eager to introduce Satanic values into schools serving as chaplains throughout Idaho. These values include empathy, compassion, respect, justice, plurality and equality,” he said.
The proposal doesn’t specify a particular religion or denomination a chaplain would have to represent.
Quinn Perry, the lobbyist and deputy director for the Idaho School Boards Association, said the bill would cause chaos within school districts.
“Asking school boards or their administration to be in a position to pick and choose which religion the chaplain is serving from will undoubtably create community issues and divides,” Perry said.
Others who voted against the bill said it could violate recent laws passed by legislators forcing districts to publicly post any curriculum related to social and emotional learning.
Ecology workers, Jimi Hendrix awarded Washington's highest honors
Washington state has bestowed the highest honors it gives to civilians.
The Medal of Valor was given to four Department of Ecology workers who rescued a woman from a burning vehicle on Interstate 90 near Cle Elum.
Crew members were performing their regular duties when they saw the car crash and burst into flames. They were able to pull the woman to safety and administer first aid.
Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck said the driver passed away a week later, but the crew bought her family some time.
“What they did really as a consequence of their courage was enable the family to be with her. In that week, to hold her hand, to say goodbye. Is there anybody in this room that hasn't lost a family where they weren’t able to be there, and carry that around with them?” he said.
The state also awarded its Medal of Merit to the late rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Jimi Hendrix, who grew up in Seattle’s Central District. He went on to create an electric guitar sound like no one had done before. He passed away in 1970 at the age of 27.
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Reporting contributed by Owen Henderson, Doug Nadvornick, Monica Carrillo-Casas, James Dawson and Steve Jackson.