OLYMPIA — Senate Democrats released a two-year state operating budget proposal today to close the state’s $9 billion budget gap with a combination of cuts to state agencies and programs, cost saving measures, and approximately $3 billion in federal stimulus money.
“These are tough times for working people and our state as a whole,” said Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee. “We will get through this together. If I had to describe it in two words, it’s shared pain.”
The cuts in the Senate proposal go deeper than those proposed by Gov. Christine Gregoire in December, reflecting the worsening national recession and further drops in state revenues.
“We were elected to lead our state in good times and in bad times,” said Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, vice chair of the Senate Ways & Means committee for the operating budget. “These are tough times, but it’s our responsibility to balance the state budget. There’s no denying these cuts are going to set us back.”
Major proposals include:
- Cuts nearly 45,000 low income citizens off of pay-as-you-go health insurance.
- Suspends voter approved Initiative 732 that provides teachers with cost of living raises and slashes Initiative 728, which reduced class sizes in public schools, by 93 percent.
- No salary increases for state management staff and higher health care costs for teachers and state employees.
- Reduction of about 10,000 slots for college students at colleges and universities.
- Closure of McNeil Island prison and Green Hill juvenile detention center
- Keep all state parks open through a voluntary $5 dollar donation program at time of vehicle registration.
Also in the proposed budget are layoffs of about 8,000 state employees from across government.
“Today is a sobering day for our state,” said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane. “We’re doing what none of us came to Olympia to do, and that is to introduce a budget that cuts more public services than any lawmakers in state history.”
The state House is expected to release its proposal this week as well. Budget writers will then negotiate and send a final budget to the governor’s desk.
To see the proposed budget, visit the Ways & Means Committee website here.