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The Spokane Democrat said she hopes the special session that began Nov. 28 would adjourn next Friday or Saturday, Dec. 17 - once the budget and a few other bills are passed. That would be well short of the full 30 days allowed, but the first round of cuts and public hearings would put budget-writers well ahead of where they usually are when they return Jan. 9 for a 60-day regular session, Brown said.
The Senate also hopes to act on the education pieces of the governor’s aerospace package, but not the tax breaks – before adjourning, she added.
Brown met with reporters in her Capitol office this morning for roughly 40 minutes, answering a range of questions. She confirmed that preliminary agreements have been reached between the House and Senate Democratic leaders on the early action budget cuts.
Brown made clear that the lion’s share of cuts needed to cover a $2 billion budget gap require more thought, public comment and time – which means they are going to wait until the 60-day regular session starts Jan. 9.
After being asked at least three times about the slow pace of action, she offered a “Civics 101” lesson – explaining that governors propose legislation and legislators have a duty to get public comment and review the proposals in detail. Brown said some of Gregoire’s proposals could end up costing more in the long run – including cuts to hospitals and maternity care. Brown said thousands of people commented in the past two weeks in person at the Capitol or by email and letter on Gregoire’s spending plan, and the feedback is giving lawmakers reasons to look for alternatives.
The Senate’s top budget writer Ed Murray later told my reporting partner Jordan Schrader he has a budget agreement on about $400 million in cuts with two counterparts, House Democratic Rep. Ross Hunter and Republican Sen. Joe Zarelli.
But Murray cautioned that details could change by next week – the evolving agreement is scheduled for hearings Monday in House and Senate budget committees.
Murray declined to give details, but House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan and Sen. Brown both said administrative cuts are part of it. Sullivan said the administrative cuts, like those in the early action bills adopted a year ago, would hit harder in some agencies than others, and some perhaps not at all.
No firm date for adjournment of the special session is set, but Sullivan said many House members are becoming unavailable on Dec. 17 and afterward. Brown said it is possible lawmakers could work into the next weekend, if needed, to wrap up their budget work.
One other item on the agenda: Passing a resolution to Congress, which cynics at the Legislature like to call “letters to Santa Claus.”
In this case, it would urge Congress to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act that would make it easier for states to collect sales tax on internet purchases.
Brown said it could be worth several hundred million dollars to the state. The Department of Revenue has estimated it could generate $306.5 million for the state general fund budget during the 2013-15 biennium and another $176.5 million for local governments, and in a major shift online retailer Amazon.com has said it backs the action, too.
