Is the Inslee Budget set to break the peoples pocket books? Governor and State Legislature to propose $1 Billion in tax increases? Or, will their solution be a State income tax? Hey! Maybe, just for fun theyll throw in the kitchen sink? DEC. 12, 2014 CROSSCUT.COM The budget math this (2015-2017) session is more difficult than the last time, Schumacher said. Hunter said a budget with no cuts will never pass the Republican-controlled Senate, while an all-cut budget with no new revenues will never pass the Democrat-controlled House. Baumgartner said: The process to get to a bipartisan budget will be a long, rocky road. Thats because the Legislature and Inslee will have to find an extra $3.2 billion in mandated education funding increases, plus $583 million for negotiated increased pay for state employees. They also face court-required improvements in mental health programs, inflation and conflicting pressures on keeping or cutting social and corrections programs. The education funding troubles come from a 2012 Washington Supreme Court ruling requiring improved teacher-student ratios in grades K-3 and voter-approved Initiative 1351, which requires similar teacher-student ratio improvements in the rest of the grades. Preliminary estimates show that the Legislature will need to find an extra $1.2 billion for the K-3 improvements in 2015-107, and a little over $2 billion for the I-1351 work.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 14:00:01 +0000
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