Wait OK, if reforms result
Published 4:14 pm Friday, December 9, 2011
State lawmakers won’t achieve the Gov. Chris Gregoire’s goal of filling a $1.4 billion budget shortfall — and leaving another $600 million in reserves — by Christmas. It appears they may get about a quarter of the way there this week as they wind down their special session, leaving the most difficult decisions for the regular session that starts next month.
Such delay comes at a cost. The longer cuts are put off, the deeper they eventually must be. But if budget negotiators reach agreement on some meaningful reforms that put the state budget on a more sustainable path, the wait may have been justified.
That is, we realize, a very big “if.”
Minority Republicans have been operating during the special session under the mantra “Reform Before Revenue.” That means making serious structural changes in the state budget, and state government itself, before asking voters to approve a tax increase — like the three-year, half-penny hike in the sales tax proposed by the governor.
Moderate Democrats have adopted a similar stance, and may have enough votes to force the issue with their more liberal colleagues.
One of the moderates’ leaders, Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens), said Friday that progress is being made on the reform front, momentum that could lead to specific proposals that have wide support once lawmakers reconvene in January.
Hobbs and other moderates want a temporary sales tax hike to pass, buying back unacceptable cuts to K-12 and higher education. They believe, and we agree, that the only way a tax measure will pass is if voters are convinced lawmakers are making tough choices, resetting priorities and putting the state budget on a more sustainable path.
Among reforms that would help are clearing the budget of expensive programs that haven’t been funded in a number of years. Examples include Initiatives 728 and 732, which call for spending money to lower K-12 class sizes and ensure cost-of-living raises for educators but have never had a dedicated funding source. Another is a paid family leave measure that was approved by the Legislature but has never been funded.
Suspending such programs, rather than eliminating them, keeps alive unrealistic hopes that someday they’ll be fully funded. It’s clear that revenues won’t soon return to their robust levels of five years ago. Ending clearly unaffordable programs now will help put revenues and spending into closer alignment going forward.
When lawmakers return in January, agreement on the budget, reforms and any tax package will be matters of urgency. Schools need to plan for next fall, and can’t be left guessing how deeply they must cut. Further delay will do too much damage.
