The state House overwhelmingly approved what many called a “partial down payment” on the state’s $2 billion budget gap Tuesday night, setting the stage for the special session to end Wednesday.
The vote was 86-8 in favor of House Bill 2058, which relies on less than $200 million in actual cuts to spending. Four lawmakers were absent; seven of the eight no votes were Republicans, and the lone Democrat against was Rep. Marko Liias of Mukilteo.
The biggest pieces in the $480 million budget bill are fund shifts and new revenues – including $82 million in unspent money from the previous biennium and $50.6 million from quicker conversions of unclaimed property by the Department of Revenue.
Yet another $38.4 million comes from additional federal welfare aid allocated to the state, and $752,000 saved from limits that will end “over-the-counter” replacement of electronic-benefits cards for welfare clients.
Also, $22.6 million would come from a three-year delay in the law changing when people mental-health disorders are detained or committed involuntarily.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee passed its version of the budget-gap bill Tuesday evening, setting up a late morning or afternoon vote Wednesday on the Senate floor. Republican Leader Mike Hewitt of Walla Walla said Majority Leader Lisa Brown had agreed to work as late as needed to finish up Wednesday.
Sen. Ed Murray, the Seattle Democrat in charge of the budget in the Senate, said he expects all budget-related measures can be passed. It was not immediately clear how many of the aerospace-related education bills sought by Gov. Chris Gregoire are in line for quick approvals.
The debate on the House floor over the partial budget solution was a replay of the battle Tuesday morning in House Ways and Means. Republicans led by Rep. Charles Ross of Naches tried to attach an amendment to strip the operating and transportation budgets a commute-reduction program that pays public employees to carpool.
Rep. Ross Hunter, the Democrat in charge of the House budget writing, said the funding can be revisited after lawmakers return Jan. 9 for a regular, 60-day session to close the remainder of the budget gap. Hunter said budget leaders had agreements with the Senate on a bill that did not include the amendment.
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