Published: Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Governor plans to call special session of Legislature
Gov. Chris Gregoire wants the Legislature to stick to unfinished business only.
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Associated Press
Gov. Chris Gregoire, at a news conference in Olympia on Monday, says there will likely be a special legislative session.
OLYMPIA -- Washington's Legislature is not finished for 2009, though it wasn't clear Monday when it will wrap up.
Gov. Chris Gregoire intends to summon lawmakers back to work because they failed to act on a handful of budget-related bills before time ran out in the session Sunday night.
Today she hopes to speak with House and Senate Democratic leaders about possible dates and what legislation will be considered. She said she will contact Republican leaders before making any decisions.
By law, the extra session could run 30 days; she wants to see it end in one or two. It could cost taxpayers $20,000 a day.
Gregoire said she will only call lawmakers back if there is a firm agreement on the work to be done.
"This is not an opportunity to start a new legislative session," she said. "This is an opportunity to finish the 105-day session."
House Speaker Frank Chopp on Monday downplayed the urgency of moving swiftly.
It should be held "in a timely manner" and in a "cost-effective way," he said, suggesting it could be held in a few months, when lawmakers are in Olympia for several days of committee hearings.
Republicans lambasted Democrats for putting the Legislature in this position.
"I am dumbfounded at the mismanagement that brought us to this point," Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, said in a prepared statement. "There is absolutely no reason why they should not have finished their business on time."
House Republicans said an extra session is a waste of time and money because all of the unfinished work can be put off until lawmakers start up again in January 2010.
"Republicans aren't convinced we need to come back," House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt said in a prepared statement.
On Sunday, disputes primarily among Democrats on a handful of prickly policy bills hamstrung action for hours.
Conflict on a bill to rewrite voter-approved Initiative 937 -- a bill dealing with renewable energy -- clogged action for hours. When it was decided to kill the bill, legislation started flowing, though not fast enough.
Senators started packing their desks about 11:45 p.m. in anticipation of the ending Sine Die celebration.
But the House hadn't cleared its docket of bills considered necessary for carrying out the $35.4 billion state budget.
These dealt with funding of school levy equalization, deportation of illegal immigrant offenders and a rewriting of guidelines for sentencing of criminals. It's likely they will be the ones needing resolution in a special session.
Once lawmakers reconvene in an extra session, they can try to act on any other bills.
Hewitt said that could "open a Pandora's box" of legislation the GOP opposes, such as new taxes and the cap-and-trade legislation pushed by the governor.
Historically, special sessions are pretty common for the Legislature, though rare in Gregoire's tenure as majority Democrats have made finishing on time a point of pride.
In 2007, lawmakers returned for one day in November to restore a statewide cap on property tax hikes that had been erased in a judicial ruling.
In 2003, the last time the state had a major deficit, legislators met in three extra sessions covering 32 days. That year, they also passed the multibillion-dollar package of tax breaks for the aerospace industry, including the Boeing Co.
Two years before that, lawmakers spent 163 days in session -- the regular 105 days plus another 58 days over three extra sessions. They adjourned July 25.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623, jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
Gov. Chris Gregoire intends to summon lawmakers back to work because they failed to act on a handful of budget-related bills before time ran out in the session Sunday night.
Today she hopes to speak with House and Senate Democratic leaders about possible dates and what legislation will be considered. She said she will contact Republican leaders before making any decisions.
By law, the extra session could run 30 days; she wants to see it end in one or two. It could cost taxpayers $20,000 a day.
Gregoire said she will only call lawmakers back if there is a firm agreement on the work to be done.
"This is not an opportunity to start a new legislative session," she said. "This is an opportunity to finish the 105-day session."
House Speaker Frank Chopp on Monday downplayed the urgency of moving swiftly.
It should be held "in a timely manner" and in a "cost-effective way," he said, suggesting it could be held in a few months, when lawmakers are in Olympia for several days of committee hearings.
Republicans lambasted Democrats for putting the Legislature in this position.
"I am dumbfounded at the mismanagement that brought us to this point," Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, said in a prepared statement. "There is absolutely no reason why they should not have finished their business on time."
House Republicans said an extra session is a waste of time and money because all of the unfinished work can be put off until lawmakers start up again in January 2010.
"Republicans aren't convinced we need to come back," House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt said in a prepared statement.
On Sunday, disputes primarily among Democrats on a handful of prickly policy bills hamstrung action for hours.
Conflict on a bill to rewrite voter-approved Initiative 937 -- a bill dealing with renewable energy -- clogged action for hours. When it was decided to kill the bill, legislation started flowing, though not fast enough.
Senators started packing their desks about 11:45 p.m. in anticipation of the ending Sine Die celebration.
But the House hadn't cleared its docket of bills considered necessary for carrying out the $35.4 billion state budget.
These dealt with funding of school levy equalization, deportation of illegal immigrant offenders and a rewriting of guidelines for sentencing of criminals. It's likely they will be the ones needing resolution in a special session.
Once lawmakers reconvene in an extra session, they can try to act on any other bills.
Hewitt said that could "open a Pandora's box" of legislation the GOP opposes, such as new taxes and the cap-and-trade legislation pushed by the governor.
Historically, special sessions are pretty common for the Legislature, though rare in Gregoire's tenure as majority Democrats have made finishing on time a point of pride.
In 2007, lawmakers returned for one day in November to restore a statewide cap on property tax hikes that had been erased in a judicial ruling.
In 2003, the last time the state had a major deficit, legislators met in three extra sessions covering 32 days. That year, they also passed the multibillion-dollar package of tax breaks for the aerospace industry, including the Boeing Co.
Two years before that, lawmakers spent 163 days in session -- the regular 105 days plus another 58 days over three extra sessions. They adjourned July 25.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623, jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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