State Senate passes $3.9 billion construction budget

OLYMPIA — The Senate has passed a two-year construction budget that allocates $3.9 billion toward new buildings and maintenance.

The $3.9 billion budget approved in a 39-10 bipartisan vote Tuesday will go toward building new mental-health facilities, schools and other projects. Voting along mostly partisan lines, the Republican-controlled Senate rejected a series of proposed amendments to the budget proposal for, among other things, clean energy facilities, a facility for Seattle’s KEXP radio station and a floodplains design project, among other spending requests.

The House approved its version of the capital budget April 2. The differences between the two chambers’ spending bills will be worked out before a plan goes to Gov. Jay Inslee for approval.