Gov. Christine Gregoire
Washington lawmakers are preparing for an inevitable special session, hoping to quickly finish their final budget and tax negotiations with a busy election year looming.
The Legislature’s 60-day regular session expires after Thursday. But House and Senate Democrats don’t yet have an agreement on how to balance the $2.8 billion deficit in this year’s budget.
The scheduling details hadn’t been worked out as of Wednesday night, but there was no way to avoid an overtime session. Gov. Christine Gregoire, who would have to issue the official call for a special session, said she expected to make a decision on a start date and other details on Thursday.
Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Ed Murray, D-Seattle, expects the special session to last for roughly a week to 10 days. He says Democratic leaders were close enough to an agreement to avoid the drawn-out special sessions that have occasionally plagued previous Legislatures.
Democrats are searching for a way to bridge the budget gap through June 2011. House and Senate lawmakers have developed competing blueprints but didn’t have a compromise as of Wednesday night. The final fix will employ a mix of spending cuts, tax increases, federal bailouts and one-time accounting maneuvers.
Additionally, Gregoire is adamant that lawmakers approve an education reform package that could allow the state to compete for the Obama administration’s “Race to the Top” money. (AP)
