OLYMPIA, Wash. — Taking their first significant step toward addressing major budget problems, state lawmakers have approved a belt-tightening plan to immediately hold down government costs.
The bill, which builds on spending cuts that Gov. Chris Gregoire began implementing late last year, was approved unanimously Wednesday by the state Senate. But minority Republicans warned the plan doesn’t go far enough.
The budget faces a shortfall of about $6 billion over the next 2 1/2 years, including a deficit of about $600 million in the fiscal year that ends in June. The budget hole is expected to grow, meaning the roughly $100 million in cuts approved Wednesday would fix only a very small part of the problem.
“Inaction on the part of this body only makes it more difficult,” said Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, the Senate GOP’s budget chief. “We need to move, I believe, a lot faster.”
The Senate’s action cuts legislative and judicial agency administrative budgets by 4.4 percent, mirroring the scope of budget cuts Gregoire ordered from executive branch agencies during her first rounds of emergency cutbacks.
Like Gregoire, the Senate also would freeze hiring, travel and equipment purchases, with some exceptions. Unlike Gregoire, the Senate plan would freeze salaries for managers and other nonunion state workers. Overall, the bill is expected to save about $105 million, legislative leaders said.
Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, said majority Democrats were trying to move with “deliberate speed” — quickly, but relatively carefully as they start slashing into state budgets.
Meanwhile, House lawmakers unanimously approved plans to sell about $130 million in bonds to help pay for school construction projects. Officials said the extra bonds are needed because a boom in school construction has depleted a state account for those projects too quickly, putting uncompleted projects in question.
“If school districts showed up for reimbursement, and we said ‘Sorry,’ that would be a shock to our economy — another shock that we don’t need,” said Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, chairman of the House’s construction budget committee.
Both bills now move on for further consideration in the Legislature.
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