April 25, 2009

OLYMPIA...Today the state Senate passed the final state operating budget for the 2009-11 biennium. Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, R-Wenatchee, voted against the measure.

“This was a session full of painful decisions and missed opportunities,” said Parlette. “I am very sensitive to the impact the budget reductions we made today will have on my constituents, our schools and local governments. I believe if swift action was taken earlier on this session to reduce unsustainable spending, our communities would be in a better position today.”

Parlette and a number of her colleagues called on Gov. Christine Gregoire and the majority party to act on the pending budget deficit last December. They recommended a specific approach to solving the state’s budget challenges.

“First, we should have acted early to reduce spending and enact money-saving policy changes. Every dollar saved in the 2007-09 budget would have multiplied to four dollars in savings in the 2009-11 budget. Second, we should have looked at serious government reforms. After those things were accomplished, then we should have looked at specific reductions with an eye toward creating a sustainable budget. The first two steps did not occur, and the Legislature missed an opportunity to avoid some reductions and make government better.”

Parlette also expressed concern that the budget is not sustainable and will result in future deficits.

“The budget passed today depends on 5 billion dollars in one-time federal funds and money transfers to pay for ongoing programs. I am disappointed more serious steps were not taken to address the fact that state government is spending more than it takes in each year. We are kicking the can down the road and we will be back in two years facing another deficit.”

Finally, Parlette noted the contrast between the way this budget was built and the way the Legislature created the budget in 2003.

“This budget was written behind closed doors between members of the majority party in the House and Senate,” Parlette said. “In contrast, when we were facing a two-and-a-half billion dollar deficit in 2003, we worked across the aisle to find a philosophical majority. That didn’t occur this time, and we passed the most important bill of the year in the last 24 hours of the session without having input by legislators on both sides of the aisle.”

The 2009-11 operating budget (House Bill 1244) passed the House yesterday. Now that it has passed the Senate it goes to the governor for her consideration to sign into law.