Legislators are taking a slight break from their legislative duties to go back home and check in with constituents. When they return on Monday, there will be only 17 days left in the session scheduled to adjourn on March 11. At this stage of the session, it is hard to believe they will put everything together so they can finish on time, but it’s my guess they will.
PSE’s legislative agenda is progressing nicely with one exception: whether the ratio improvements we have made over the last several years will continue.
PSE Bills
First the part of our agenda that is going well; PSE’s bills! Our higher education bill, E2SHB 1560 is in the Senate now and will be heard on Monday. There appears to be good support for the bill. However, a couple of friendly amendments are being considered; however, they will be dropped if they end up causing problems.
Our partial service credit bill, HB 1541, is sitting in the Senate Ways and Means committee. We expect it to receive their approval sometime in the next week. Finally, PSE’s school crosswalk safety bills, SHB 2739 and SSB 6363, are scheduled for hearings on Thursday and Friday of next week. We expect either one or both to be approved by the committees. Since there are two identical bills, one from the House and one from the Senate, the leaders will have to decide which one will get final approval. We expect that decision to be made some time next week.
Levy Bills
Now onto other big issues that we have been working on. Two levy bills remain: 2SHB 2670 and SHB 2893. PSE prefers 2893 because it includes a 4% temporary levy lift, a 2% levy equalization increase, and includes “phantom revenue” (e.g., 728 and 732 funds) in the levy base. 2670 only includes “phantom revenue”.
Tuition Setting Authority
A similar issue in higher education is also still in play. A tuition setting authority bill, ESSB 6562, is in the House Higher Education committee and faces an uncertain future. It would allow UW, WSU, and WWU to raise tuition on a temporary basis.
Furlough Bill
The furlough bill, SSB 6503, which would institute cuts in state agencies and higher education institutions, is mired in political struggles and is most likely going to continue in that status until the end of the legislative session.
Cuts/Revenue/Initiative 960
The cuts versus revenue discussions continue with the approval of ESSB 6130 in the House. 6130 temporarily suspends Intitiative 960 and is a precursor to tax increases that will be approved by the legislature. Which tax increase will be approved? There are many different suggestions with no clear indication which one is the leading horse in the race. PSE has been advocating for not only the temporary suspension but also additional revenue in order to avoid even more painful cuts to the education services we provide students.
Sharing Leave
Sharing leave with employees who have run out of sick leave will take on more interest if ESSB 6724 is passed; all indications are that it will. It would allow state employees to share their sick leave with K 12 employees, and, vice versa. I have to emphasize that this will be allowed and not required. Currently, school employees can only share with other school employees in the district, and state employees can only share with state employees.
Another feature of the bill will allow the employee to receive up to 261 days of shared leave if they have less than 10 years of service, 522 days if they have 10 – 19 years of services, and 783 days if they have 20 years or more service.
Education Reform
Now onto the more difficult issues, those that are not going well. The two remaining education reform bills, SHB2776 and 2SSB6760, leave out the increased funding for classified education support employees that PSE has fought so hard to get over the last several years. Of the two bills, we much prefer 2776 because it makes commitments to improve the transportation funding formula stating in 2011 as well as enhances many other features of state funding. Unfortunately, it leaves out the enhancement to classified employees.
Budget
First comes the Senate budget; rumors are that it will be brought out on Monday or Tuesday. Most guesses are that the Senate will not be kind to education. The level of cuts will be dependent upon how much federal revenue they will be counting on receiving (the current estimate is around $400 million), and, how much additional State revenue we will receive through increased taxes. A Senator told me yesterday that they were planning on solving the $2.8 billion problem with 2/3 of additional revenue and 1/3 in cuts. However, he was quick to note that this could all change by Monday.
Soon after the Senate produces their budget, the House will present their budget. We expect their budget to be better to education. But even that budget will include some education cuts so we can’t feel all that good about it.
Posted by: Doug Nelson on 2/20/2010 at 1:04:00 PM
