OLYMPIA The state’s 147 citizen legislators adopted a new budget and agreed on a huge transportation plan Sunday, then headed home after concluding their work for the 2005 session.
As expected, Democratic majorities in the state House of Representatives and the Senate overrode Republican objections to approve the two-year $26 billion budget that will finance state operations.
That decision followed passage in the House of the $8.5 billion fix for the state’s transportation system. It will be paid for with a gas tax increase of 9.5 cents spread over the next four years.
The Senate concurred with the proposal late Sunday.
“It is a great sense of relief and pride because we lived up to the promises we made when we got here,” state Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Seattle, said of the 105-day session that ended at 7:17 p.m. “We didn’t go on a spending spree.”
Republicans disagreed.
“The taxpayers of the state of Washington have been the losers in this session,” said Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Lacey, the ranking minority member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I suspect we’ll be back here some time later to deal with it.”
Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire praised lawmakers.
“These folks in the Legislature stood up and did what was the right thing to do for the state,” she said.
House Speaker Frank Chopp said Democrats nearly achieved the major planks of their agenda.
“Hundreds of thousands of lives will be changed by what we did here,” Chopp said.
The focal point is the 411-page budget that increases spending on education and health care, adds enrollment slots at colleges, and provides raises to teachers and state workers.
Paying for it requires $481 million in new tax revenue.
Cigarette taxes will go up by 60 cents a pack, liquor prices will climb and sales taxes will be charged on extended warranties for consumer products. Also part of the estate tax is being restored and payments to the state workers’ pension fund will be deferred.
“It was very difficult for me to vote for new taxes but the priorities were correct,” said Rep. Brian Sullivan, D-Mukilteo.
Republicans contended the budget could have been balanced without tax increases.
“A tax here, a tax there, everywhere a tax tax,” said Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor. “We’ve taken everything we can take. The taxpayers have no more to give.”
The budget steers estate tax and cigarette tax revenue to pay for voter-approved initiatives for smaller classes and higher teacher salaries.
“We had to use our children as a shield to raise new taxes,” said Rep. Glenn Anderson, R-Fall City.
Democrats used their majorities to move an aggressive agenda.
Education proved a big winner. In addition to funding the voter-approved initiatives, they steered more money into special education and set in motion conversion of branch campuses, including the University of Washington’s Bothell campus, to four-year colleges.
Election reform proved one of the most contentious issues. By the final weekend, lawmakers of both parties backed tougher voter registration and election procedures. But, a push to move the primary to an earlier date failed.
In health care, the Legislature made up the loss of federal funds for mental health programs and enacted a major policy change to require parity for mental health services in insurance coverage.
Organized labor did well. State workers received their negotiated raise, and unemployment insurance rules will be rolled back to 2003 levels, a move that will increase benefits for seasonal workers.
But Republicans stopped Democrats on two high-profile social issues. Laws banning discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace and supporting stem-cell research failed.
On balance, Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, said, “It was a darn good session.”
He said he carried his objectives to assist children in their schools, the elderly in buying prescription drugs at a lower price, and workers in finding and securing jobs.
“I have to feel really good with what we accomplished,” he said.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@ heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
