The state Senate on Wednesday night passed a $23 billion state budget for the next two years.
The 28-19 vote revealed the first broad support for a budget that was hammered out over the weekend by Senate Republican and House Democratic negotiators, who had spent the first three weeks of the special session working at the Capitol while rank-and-file members stayed home.
"What we did is exactly what we set out to do -- to try to put together a budget that lives within our means ... a budget that not only does not raise taxes but protects the most vulnerable. We did that," said Sen. Dino Rossi, R-Sammamish, the principal GOP architect of the spending plan.
Rossi's party won the support of five Democrats, including Sens. Tim Sheldon of Potlatch and Marilyn Rasmussen of Eatonville. Sheldon called it an excellent budget that avoided harming the economy with tax increases or by expanding gambling.
But the good feelings over the compromise budget didn't extend to most Democrats, who expressed everything from regret to contempt for many budget reductions that will take effect July 1 for health care programs serving the poor.
They also lamented the lack of cash to pay for two education initiatives or state employee pay increases for the second and third straight years.
"Why are we doing this? To satisfy the rather primitive, repeated mantra -- 'No new taxes,' " said Sen. Adam Kline, D-Seattle, who complained of the barrage of no-tax messages launched by groups he described as vocal but small.
"There has been a kind of lynch mob mentality" on taxes, Kline said, appearing to aim his comments at initiative promoter Tim Eyman. "Well, this is their budget."
Eyman responded later in the evening, saying that apart from a $4 billion transportation tax increase approved earlier this year, taxpayers are getting heard in Olympia.
'Gloom and doom'
The operating budget now goes to the House for a vote that could come this morning, although many Democrats there also are repelled by the prospect.
"It's gloom and doom, shock and awe, whatever cliche you want to use," said Rep. Sandra Romero, D-Olympia, after leaving an hours-long briefing on the agreement. "I think there's a whole bunch of people who are very unhappy."
Romero and fellow Democrats were disgusted that the budget contains no across-the-board pay increases for state workers or experienced teachers, and that it shorts a bargained pay increase for home health care workers.
The budget does give raises to beginning teachers and adds 75 cents an hour to home care workers' salaries, but it's a third of what home care workers had negotiated.
"I heard the term 'union-busting' applied to this budget more than once" in the House Democratic Caucus meeting, Romero said, adding that Democratic leaders didn't even ask for her vote.
"They haven't talked to me -- why would they?" Romero said. "I am not voting for this budget. It's really an anti-employee budget."
Unemployment pay
Boeing machinists, farm workers and state employees trudged to the Capitol on Wednesday before the start of the budget session.
The machinists and farm workers were pushing for labor-friendly solutions to the state's unemployment insurance crisis. A business coalition proposed tightening eligibility for unemployment pay by changing the rates paid by individual businesses and by capping weekly benefit amounts.
They were heard during a committee session led by Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, and Rep. Steve Conway, D-Tacoma, a few hours before most lawmakers convened to consider the budget proposal.
Once the budget session started, some Democrats reported relief that their negotiators were able to stave off some of the proposed deep cuts to social welfare programs, especially some that benefit children.
"Speaking for myself, I think there are things in this budget that would not be there had Democrats not been at the table," said Rep. Laura Ruderman, D-Kirkland.
What's ahead
With potentially dozens of House Democrats withholding support, budget negotiators will need to count on support from minority House Republicans to get it passed.
Deputy Republican Leader Richard DeBolt of Chehalis said he thought that support would be forthcoming -- especially since the vote is on a take-it-or-leave-it basis without amendments, which is the result of an agreement by Senate and House leaders.
"I don't like everything in it, and there's some things we would have done differently had we been in charge," DeBolt said. "But it's time to finish this job."
Once the budget is done, several other major issues could come up before the mandatory adjournment of the special session next Tuesday. Senate Republican Caucus Chairwoman Pat Hale of Kennewick said her party would like to adjourn the special session as early as tonight, if bills can be passed quickly enough.
Adding to a sense of confusion during the day were the absences of two important legislative leaders -- Senate Majority Leader Jim West, R-Spokane, who began chemotherapy Wednesday for colon cancer, and House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, who was laid up with pneumonia.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Frank Chopp rushed from closed-door meeting to closed-door meeting, revealing little of his own plans for finishing the session.
"It's been fairly frustrating. We tell our members to be here at a certain time, and then nothing happens," DeBolt said. "Management is lacking."
Brad Shannon, political editor for The Olympian, and Patrick Condon, who covers state government for The Olympian, can be reached at 360-753-1688. Their e-mail addresses are beshanno@olympia.gannett.com and pcondon@olympia.gannett.com.
How they voted
The vote to adopt Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5404 was 28-19, with Republican Sens. Jim West and Bob McCaslin both excused from the budget vote. The tally included 23 Republicans and five Democrats in support.
Among South Sound senators, those voting yes were Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, Marilyn Rasmussen, D-Eatonville, and Dan Swecker, R-Rochester. Voting no was Karen Fraser, D-Thurston County.
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