Senate Republicans released a budget that will fully fund education with $1.87 billion.
House Democrats have yet to release their budget, although we’re still expecting it to look something like this:
Senate Republicans Budget Proposal
Senate Republicans propose two-year state budget of $43 million:
The Supreme Court’s McCleary decision would be fulfilled with $1.87 billion in funding for K-12 education. The budget would fully fund K-12 education with higher revenue: including existing taxes, transfers and cuts. A statewide property-tax levy would replace most local school-district levies.
Negotiated raises for Washington State Patrol and select corrections workers, with state employees getting annual raises of $500 every year the budget is enacted.
$95 million in funding for Washington’s mental-health system, including money to boost the Western State Hospital budget – which has recently fallen under fire as our state has failed to properly fund and staff the hospital.
Stay tuned for a full briefing of the budget proposal later today.
Happening in Olympia
A bill has been introduced in each house to help facilitate family and parental leave for workers. Two separate bills were introduced, one each by Rep. June Robison (D-Everett) and Sen. Joe Fain (R-Auburn). Both bills would phase-in paid leave for new parents over the next few years as well as provide job protection for employees who take up to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.
SD 5008 would reduce fees for enhanced driver’s licenses, ID cards and set a two-year compliance zone. When federal ID standards take effect in January, Washington residents will not be able to fly without more than their driver’s licenses. Our current state identification cards do not require verification of residency, meaning they will not be compatible with federal standards unless a change is enacted or residents obtain an enhanced license.
Western Washington
King County Executive Dow Constantine’s priorities called, “tone deaf,” by members of the board. Constantine recently issued a levy proposal to raise $469 million from taxpayers to fund arts for kids. However, this comes just a little over a year after he declared homelessness a state of emergency. Other members of the King County Council aren’t thrilled with Constantine’s budget ideas. “The other levies are aimed at a problem. What is the problem we’re trying to solve here? If this really is our strategy to target at-risk kids, this is tone deaf,” budget chair of the council, Dave Upthegrove, said.
Everett Boeing production may slow down as the 787 Dreamliner is now predicted to go to South Carolina. An aerospace analyst said of the move that, “it’s cheaper to produce 787s in South Carolina.” One of the reasons production is cheaper in South Carolina is because workers rejected attempts to become unionized, and while initial production lines were slower than the Everett facilities – they have now caught up and are on-par with production in Everett.
Tacoma and the Department of Transportation have been meeting to uncover a solution for “The Jungle,” a stretch of land below the I-705 overpass downtown Tacoma that is frequented by homelessness. The site is a safety concern as “drug use and prostitution are frequent and rarely policed,” according to a city official. However, officials are working towards finding a lasting solution to clean up the area.
Seattle struggles to agree with businesses, unions over final gap in Burke-Gilman Trail. Seattle approved closing the gap along Shilshole Avenue three weeks ago, but businesses and unions are fighting back. “It’s insane to put a bike path out there. Worst case scenario is not if, but when one of those bicyclists ends up under one of thousands of trucks that deliver out there daily,” one union member said. However, regardless of current protests, an investigation into the environmental impacts is to be completed by May so that construction can begin next year.
State spends $1.87 million to settle lawsuit involving Marysville day care. Four children who were sexually assaulted at a day-care center were paid in the settlement by the Department of Early Learning. Washington was caught in the lawsuit as the business where the assaults occurred had previously been closed down in Idaho for the same offenses. “Washington licensers really dropped the ball,” attorney for the abused, Mike Pfau, said of their failure to understand why the facility lost their childcare license in Idaho. The state also failed to properly investigate the day-care center after complaints about the center were filed.
Eastern Washington
An emergency closure of the Spokane River was called for last night as the National Weather Service predicted water crests to reach a high of 43,000 cubic feet per second. Spokane Mayor David Condon called for the closure, as water levels aren’t expected to drop back below flood levels until next week.
Spokane County commissioners voted to allow a new contract negotiation with NaphCare Inc., the company that provides medical treatment to county jail inmates. Reports of delayed treatment and even deaths reported in 2015 pushed Spokane to reconsider medical care in the jail. A new contract would include periodic audits of performance so that future problems could be avoided.
Nation
Baristas petition Starbucks for equal parental leave as those in corporate offices. The normally-progressive company, whose CEO is stepping down in April and has already hinted at his political aspirations, may have to answer to some of his workers before being able to add his exceptional parental leave policies to his resume. Not having the same leave policy as those members in corporate is like being “told that we’re somehow different or deserving of something less,” one barista told The Seattle Times. The ball is in Howard Schultz’s court now – and last time this happened, he sold our Sonics to Oklahoma City.
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