Budget Negotiations Begin
by Council 2 Deputy Director Pat Thompson on April 7, 2015Both the House and the Senate planned on passing their respective budgets on the same day, something that’s never been done before. The Democratic controlled House finished their business and produced a two year spending plan on a party line 51 – 47 vote. The Republican lead Senate started the process and worked until 4 am but no final vote was taken. Final passage is expected by the time you are reading this.
The hold up in the Senate is largely due to the Republican’s refusal to ratify the State Employee Collective Bargaining Agreements. State employees have worked for 7 years without a pay increase and the agreement reached with the Governor grants them a 3% COLA for 2015 and a 1.8% increase for 2016. The Senate budget offers only a one-time $1,000.00 bonus for 2015 and again for 2016.
GAMESMANSHIP AND GIMMICKS
Senator Jim Hargrove (D Hoquiam) offered a floor amendment that restored the COLA. A handful of Republican Senators wanted to support it but were fearful of repercussions from their leadership. The solution they came up with was to change the rules for passing amendments from a simple majority (25 votes) to a supermajority (30 votes). They figure if they voted for the rule change they could then vote for the amendment knowing it wouldn’t pass. Everyone wins, except the workers! Sure enough, the amendment failed with 29 votes.
ON TO THE REAL DEAL MAKING
Now that both the House and Senate have their proposed budgets on the table, the negotiations begin. Let’s start with the Senate.
Despite the clear need for revenue to meet the State’s needs, the Senate budget doesn’t provide any revenue.
Please contact your Senators and ask them to support the following:
Shared Revenues and Infrastructure: Restore the State’s commitment to public infrastructure by restoring the $200 million sweep from the Public Works Assistance Account.
Marijuana Revenue: Local Governments need at least 10% of the Marijuana Revenue to achieve the promise of Initiative 502.
RSN Funding: Restore the $14 million cut to the Regional Support Networks and the $33 million cut to the RSN Medicaid Rate. This money is desperately needed to serve our most vulnerable citizens and the critical staff needed to assist them.
Download the list of the 64th Legislature for 2015-2016
backThe hold up in the Senate is largely due to the Republican’s refusal to ratify the State Employee Collective Bargaining Agreements. State employees have worked for 7 years without a pay increase and the agreement reached with the Governor grants them a 3% COLA for 2015 and a 1.8% increase for 2016. The Senate budget offers only a one-time $1,000.00 bonus for 2015 and again for 2016.
GAMESMANSHIP AND GIMMICKS
Senator Jim Hargrove (D Hoquiam) offered a floor amendment that restored the COLA. A handful of Republican Senators wanted to support it but were fearful of repercussions from their leadership. The solution they came up with was to change the rules for passing amendments from a simple majority (25 votes) to a supermajority (30 votes). They figure if they voted for the rule change they could then vote for the amendment knowing it wouldn’t pass. Everyone wins, except the workers! Sure enough, the amendment failed with 29 votes.
ON TO THE REAL DEAL MAKING
Now that both the House and Senate have their proposed budgets on the table, the negotiations begin. Let’s start with the Senate.
Despite the clear need for revenue to meet the State’s needs, the Senate budget doesn’t provide any revenue.
Please contact your Senators and ask them to support the following:
Shared Revenues and Infrastructure: Restore the State’s commitment to public infrastructure by restoring the $200 million sweep from the Public Works Assistance Account.
Marijuana Revenue: Local Governments need at least 10% of the Marijuana Revenue to achieve the promise of Initiative 502.
RSN Funding: Restore the $14 million cut to the Regional Support Networks and the $33 million cut to the RSN Medicaid Rate. This money is desperately needed to serve our most vulnerable citizens and the critical staff needed to assist them.
Download the list of the 64th Legislature for 2015-2016
| Member | Party | Dist. | Rm. | Phone |
| Angel, Jan | R | 26 | INB 203A | (360) 786-7650 |
| Bailey, Barbara | R | 10 | INB 109B | (360) 786-7618 |
| Baumgartner, Michael | R | 6 | LEG 404 | (360) 786-7610 |
| Becker, Randi | R | 2 | INB 110 | (360) 786-7602 |
| Benton, Don | R | 17 | LEG 409 | (360) 786-7632 |
| Billig, Andy | D | 3 | LEG 412 | (360) 786-7604 |
| Braun, John | R | 20 | LEG 407 | (360) 786-7638 |
| Brown, Sharon | R | 8 | INB 202 | (360) 786-7614 |
| Chase, Maralyn | D | 32 | JAC 218 | (360) 786-7662 |
| Cleveland, Annette | D | 49 | JAC 220 | (360) 786-7696 |
| Conway, Steve | D | 29 | JAC 212 | (360) 786-7656 |
| Dammeier, Bruce | R | 25 | INB 205 | (360) 786-7648 |
| Dansel, Brian | R | 7 | INB 115B | (360) 786-7612 |
| Darneille, Jeannie | D | 27 | JAC 227 | (360) 786-7652 |
| Ericksen, Doug | R | 42 | LEG 414 | (360) 786-7682 |
| Fain, Joe | R | 47 | LEG 309 | (360) 786-7692 |
| Fraser, Karen | D | 22 | LEG 314 | (360) 786-7642 |
| Frockt, David | D | 46 | LEG 402 | (360) 786-7690 |
| Habib, Cyrus | D | 48 | JAC 230 | (360) 786-7694 |
| Hargrove, Jim | D | 24 | LEG 411 | (360) 786-7646 |
| Hasegawa, Bob | D | 11 | JAC 223 | (360) 786-7616 |
| Hatfield, Brian | D | 19 | JAC 237 | (360) 786-7636 |
| Hewitt, Mike | R | 16 | INB 204 | (360) 786-7630 |
| Hill, Andy | R | 45 | JAC 303 | (360) 786-7672 |
| Hobbs, Steve | D | 44 | JAC 239 | (360) 786-7686 |
| Honeyford, Jim | R | 15 | INB 107 | (360) 786-7684 |
| Jayapal, Pramila | D | 37 | JAC 213 | (360) 786-7688 |
| Keiser, Karen | D | 33 | JAC 224A | (360) 786-7664 |
| King, Curtis | R | 14 | JAC 305 | (360) 786-7626 |
| Kohl-Welles, Jeanne | D | 36 | JAC 219 | (360) 786-7670 |
| Liias, Marko | D | 21 | JAC 226 | (360) 786-7640 |
| Litzow, Steve | R | 41 | LEG 416 | (360) 786-7641 |
| McAuliffe, Rosemary | D | 1 | LEG 403 | (360) 786-7600 |
| McCoy, John | D | 38 | JAC 241 | (360) 786-7674 |
| Miloscia, Mark | R | 30 | INB 105 | (360) 786-7658 |
| Mullet, Mark | D | 5 | LEG 415 | (360) 786-7608 |
| Nelson, Sharon | D | 34 | LEG 316 | (360) 786-7667 |
| O'Ban, Steve | R | 28 | INB 102 | (360) 786-7654 |
| Padden, Mike | R | 4 | INB 106 | (360) 786-7606 |
| Parlette, Linda Evans | R | 12 | LEG 305 | (360) 786-7622 |
| Pearson, Kirk | R | 39 | INB 115D | (360) 786-7676 |
| Pedersen, Jamie | D | 43 | JAC 235 | (360) 786-7628 |
| Ranker, Kevin | D | 40 | JAC 215 | (360) 786-7678 |
| Rivers, Ann | R | 18 | LEG 405 | (360) 786-7634 |
| Roach, Pam | R | 31 | INB 112 | (360) 786-7660 |
| Rolfes, Christine | D | 23 | JAC 233 | (360) 786-7644 |
| Schoesler, Mark | R | 9 | LEG 307 | (360) 786-7620 |
| Sheldon, Tim | D | 35 | LEG 312 | (360) 786-7668 |
| Warnick, Judy | R | 13 | INB 103 | (360) 786-7624 |
