The special session will not end after this week, as many in the state Legislature had hinted at. According to a source, House Democrats reneged on compromises they previously agreed to make on a budget deal.
It’s unclear what Democrats are demanding since negotiations are taking place behind closed doors. The Freedom Foundation speculates that one of the Democrats’ major campaign donors, SEIU 775 has prolonged negotiations with recent demands. Certainly, given Democrats’ allegiance to special interests, that is a real possibility.
It wouldn’t be the first time Democrats have reneged on a budget agreement due to special interest demands at the last minute. Last year, Senate Democrats backtracked on a previous agreement and refused to vote for the suspension of the Washington Education Association’s (WEA) money grabbing Initiative 1351, unless the Senate first passed a completely unrelated (but WEA-backed) bill that would have watered down high school graduation standards.
Of course, Jay Inslee continues to be of no help at all. He has failed to urge House Democrats to make compromises on their plans to raise taxes and increase spending (perhaps because he supports raising taxes and bigger government, too).
Neither Inslee nor the House Democrat leaders have yet to realize that supplemental budgets are not their opportunity to raise taxes and jack up spending – they are only meant to tweak the two-year budget adopted during long sessions and to address emergencies. That lack of understanding reality is why the state Legislature was forced into a special session. And, that’s why it’ll spill into next week.
Mark Smith says
The normal liberal FUBAR……