Chop, slash, trim: The sequel
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And now, the other shoe drops. Just a day after Senate Democrats unveiled their $31.3 billion two-year state budget plan, their brethren in the House D caucus have rolled out a competing plan. They aren't carbon copies.
Two houses have the same big-picture goals -- a balanced budget that closes a ginormous $9 billion spending chasm, mostly through cuts, freezes, fund graps and Obama Bucks, and squirrels away $850 million as a hedge against further deterioriation of our whacked-out economy. But whereas the Senate spreads the pain fairly uniformly, slashing K-12, higher ed, health care, prisons and welfare, the House puts more of the burden on higher ed and general government and restores some of the cuts in K-12 and human services.
The House plan cuts colleges by $683 million, versus the Senate's $513m and would boost tuition by 10 percent a year at the four-year schools and 7 percent at the ceecees (versus 7 and 5 percent). Over 10,000 enrollment cuts are likely in either plan. This and other deep cuts allows the House to buy back some of the cuts in K-12, including levy equalization and some class-size reduction. House cuts K-12 overall by $625m, versus Senate's $877m.
Not counting the federal windfall money, the budget spends $1 billion less than the current two-year budget. Both House and Senate whack the Basic Health Plan; freeze salaries for teachers, professors and state employees; cut pension contributions; and presume layoff of perhaps 7,000 public employees.
For a looksee, go here. The House version is HB1244; the Senate's plan is SB5600.
Next stop: both houses, after hearing the wave of protests, will begin pushing their versions through committee and will pass their respective budgets through their full chamber. Negotiators, in consultation with Governor Gregoire, will hammer out differences.
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Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
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