Parties split on Legislature’s mid-term report

OLYMPIA – Many of the measures important to Gov. Chris Gregoire and Democratic leaders have made it past a key deadline in the Washington Legislature, but Republicans warn the upcoming budget process could be too expensive as lawmakers spend more by trying to do too much.

Wednesday was the deadline all bills had to make it out of the chamber where they were introduced, but nothing with a price tag is ever really dead while the Legislature is in town.

The House and Senate will now consider bills passed by the other chamber, and turn their focus to the centerpiece of the session: a state budget for the two-year fiscal period that begins July 1.

Majority Democrats have pushed through their agenda highlighting education and health care. One of their top priorities – making state-subsidized health-care insurance available for more children – has already been signed into law by Gregoire.

“It’s been a good session, so far, for children, parents and I think the people of this state,” House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler said.

The issue of spending for public education has taken a forefront in both chambers. A pending lawsuit filed by a coalition of teachers, parents, community groups and school districts in January accuses the state of failing to live up to the constitution – which defines education as the state’s paramount duty.

The Senate passed a measure that would charge a task force to develop a new way for the state to pay for education.

Another controversial issue has been the Washington Assessment of Student Learning: the high-stakes test that students will soon have to pass in order to graduate from high school

As state law stands today, students in the class of 2008 are required to pass the math, writing and reading sections of the statewide test to graduate. But many have done poorly on the math section.

Also under current law, passing the science section was to become an additional graduation requirement in 2010.